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Salads · American

Coleslaw

Crunchy cabbage and carrot in a tangy, creamy dressing. The cool side every barbecue plate needs.

Hands-on
15 min
Hands-off
1 h
Total
1 h 15 min
Makes
6 servings (4 to 6)
Serves
6

15 minutes to shred and mix, then at least 1 hour in the fridge so the dressing soaks in.

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • bbq
  • summer
  • no-cook
  • make-ahead
  • side

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Coleslaw
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: large bowl · whisk · sharp knife and board, box grater or a food processor with a shredding disc · plastic wrap or a lid

Contains: egg · milk

Method

  1. Shred the vegetables

    Pull off any damaged outer cabbage leaves and rinse the vegetables. Finely shred 490 g (7 cups) green cabbage and 70 g (1 cup) red cabbage, and shred 110 g (1 cup) carrots.

    Otto tried this firstOtto tries to shred a whole cabbage with a vegetable peeler. Quarter it, cut out the hard core and slice it thinly with a sharp knife, or use a food processor.

  2. Whisk the dressing

    In a large bowl, whisk 150 g (2/3 cup) mayonnaise, 75 g (1/3 cup) sour cream, 45 ml (3 tbsp) apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp mustard powder and 1 tsp celery salt until smooth.

  3. Toss

    Add both cabbages and the carrots and toss until everything is coated. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Chill

    Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

  5. Toss again and serve

    Toss once more, taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs it. Serve cold.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
Dressed coleslaw keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, so you can make it the day before. Toss again and taste before serving.
Storage
Covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. It's a mayonnaise salad, so don't leave it out of the fridge for more than 2 hours (1 hour when it's above 32°C / 90°F).

Good to know

  • For slaw that stays crunchier and less watery, salt the vegetables first: toss the shredded cabbage and carrots with 2 tsp table salt in a colander set over a bowl, leave them about 1 hour to wilt, then rinse under cold water and dry well with a clean towel before dressing. Taste before adding more salt at the end.
  • Cutting the mayonnaise with sour cream gives the dressing a richer, tangier taste.

Safety

  • Keep it cold. Mayonnaise salads shouldn't sit out of the fridge for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F); at a picnic, keep the bowl on ice.
  • Rinse the vegetables under running water and cut away bruised bits. No soap or produce wash.
  • Knives, graters and food-processor discs are sharp. Kids can whisk the dressing and toss the salad while an adult shreds.