Vinegar-Based Coleslaw Recipe
Published June 14, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Try this amazingly delicious and easy-to-make side dish for a Vinegar Based Coleslaw recipe at your next barbecue or backyard get-together. You will love how delicious and refreshing this coleslaw is.
If you’re looking for a ridiculously easy recipe for slaw, look no further than this one. Vinegar coleslaw has been all the craze in the BBQ world in the last few years. This tangy vegetable slaw is perfect when eaten or served by itself or alongside my Grilled BBQ Chicken.
Vinegar Coleslaw
Vinegar coleslaw is a simple recipe consisting of a sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing tossed with shredded cabbage and other vegetables served as a side dish or on top of Barbecue-style sandwiches.
This is an excellent option if you want to eliminate any additional fats since this recipe does not use any mayonnaise as a creamy coleslaw recipe would. The pre-made store-bought version is loaded up with sugar and fat. However, this sweet and tangy homemade version is dairy-free and packed with fresh hand-cut vegetables that are low in calories.
What Kind of Vegetables Can I Use?
In a standard slaw, the most common vegetables are green cabbage and onions. Here is what I like to put into my recipe as it will add more flavor:
- Green Cabbage
- Red Cabbage
- Red Onion
- Carrots
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
However, you could add these ingredients:
- Sliced red, green, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- Sliced spicy peppers, like jalapeños
- Thinly sliced kale or jicama.
Slicing the Vegetables
There are few ingredients in this recipe, along with the sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing, and it all starts with slicing the vegetables.
If you do not have a mandolin, it’s OK to slice things using a chef’s knife. My rule of thumb for using a mandolin is when you start to get nervous, you might cut yourself; stop.
Slice the green cabbage in half and remove the core. Slice in half again and then thinly slice it on a mandolin, or use a sharp chef knife.
Next, Slice the red cabbage in half and remove the core using a knife. Slice in half again and then thinly slice it on a mandolin, or use a sharp chef knife.
Next, peel the carrots and thinly slice them on a mandolin using the shredded blade attachment.
Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing
Making the coleslaw dressing recipe is very easy. A traditional vinaigrette is three parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Well, to maximize flavor, we have to bring down that oil count to 2 or even equal to 1 to the vinegar, which will make the coleslaw much more flavorful.
- Add the vinegar, mustard, and sugar to a bowl.
- Whisk while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until emulsified, and then finish with celery seed, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Vinegar Coleslaw
- Add the vegetables to a large bowl.
- Season with celery seed, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in the dressing.
- Toss using some tongs and serve.
Making-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: If you make this vinegar coleslaw ahead of time and slice the vegetables super thin, it may not be perfect when you go to serve it several hours later or the next day. If you plan on making it ahead of time, I recommend combining the vegetables and keeping the dressing separate until you are ready to serve.
How to Store: It is best to store this vinegar coleslaw recipe undressed and unseasoned, covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It can stay in the refrigerator undressed and unseasoned for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, pour the vinaigrette over top, season with salt and pepper, toss and serve.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Also, if you want to make it ahead of time, don’t plan on seasoning it to the end because if you salt the vegetable, it will wilt super quickly.
- Now know that when you shave vegetables super thin like I did in this recipe and apply an acid to them, like vinegar, it’s going to break down faster and become wilted or, to put it simply, soggy.
- You can substitute honey or agave for sugar in this recipe.
- To save some time, If you don’t want to slice the cabbages and carrots yourself, I suggest buying the pre-made coleslaw mix. It will work just as well.
Serve It with These BBQ Recipes
- Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder
- Smoked Chicken BBQ
- Vinegar BBQ Sauce
- Potato Salad
- Salmon Burgers
- Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs
Video
Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 thinly sliced head of green cabbage
- 1 cup of thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 whole shredded carrots
- 3 thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon of honey or 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of celery seed
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, and olive oil and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together cabbages, carrots, green onions, and celery seeds.
- Next, pour a small amount of the dressing onto the cabbage mixture and mix until combined and until the desired amount of dressing is achieved.
- Season with salt and pepper, and chill before serving.
This is delicious and not too sweet. I’ve made exactly as written and with shredded chicken and sliced almonds for a main course. Everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing.
So glad it worked out for you!
It’s Thanksgiving day and just my husband and I so we decided to do a fish fry and shrimp fry instead of the traditional turkey day dinner. This was a great addition to our fresh steamed veggie sides and roasted potatoes.
I love this recipe but would like to know what mandoline are you using?
Thanks for the great recipe, easy, adaptable and lots of health you ingredients.
Thanks so much and so happy this worked out for you. It’s an oxo, and I think this is the one –>> https://amzn.to/2KpcdLl
This is exactly what I was looking for, Billy! Thank you! Question…I was thinking of adding apples to this and am wondering if a honey mustard might work. Any thoughts? Thanks!
I think both could totally work and would make it a really cool fall style coleslaw!
Want to make this for a family get-together, but one family member is allergic to mustard. Any suggestions?
It’d be ok if you don’t use it. It’s really used to help emulsify the vinaigrette, you’ll be ok with out it.
What is grainy mustard?
Same as whole grain.
Just threw this together in about 5 minutes. If you use pre-shredded cabbage, it’s lightning quick. Don’t buy coleslaw at the store anymore…this is simple, uses ingredients most of us have on hand and tastes fantastic and fresh. Any ingredient can be altered to taste, too.
So easy and so good! Didn’t change a thing in your recipe. I used honey rather than the white sugar! Went amazing with the ribs I made for dinner! Thank you!
This looks so similar to the coleslaw my dad always made when I was growing up. He always kept the veggies super simple though, green (and occasionally some red) cabbage, carrots and green onions.
My husband’s family are all very much ‘creamy coleslaw’ people, and I’ve been craving this kind of tangy slaw, but most recipes I’ve found have a very similar ingredient list, but with 1/3 cup of sugar! That’s sure not how dad made it!!!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I’m very much looking forward to it!
Super excited to try this recipe! If I go the lazy route how much pre bagged coleslaw mix do I need?
At least 1 bag, probably another 1/2 as well.
I love this dressing! It was light and not too sweet as most coleslaw dressings tend to be. I actually only used 1/2 tsp. of sugar but added an apple (sliced into match sticks) and some orange slices. it was light and fruity tasting, a hit with my family.