No mayonnaise definitely does NOT mean boring with the RecipeTin No Mayo Coleslaw! We love this Slaw because it’s interesting enough to compensate for no mayo in the dressing, refreshing enough to pair with rich mains, but still has the signature Coleslaw “juiciness”.
Made with cabbage, fennel, apple, dill and caraway seeds, this is the side we love to serve alongside Southern foods like Fried Chicken, brisket, BBQ Chicken, pulled pork and ribs.
No Mayo Coleslaw
This is the RecipeTin Family recipe for a Coleslaw made without mayonnaise that we truly believe stacks up to traditional Coleslaw in all it’s mayo-laden glory.
Don’t get me wrong. I love a good creamy Coleslaw.
But typically, Coleslaw gets suggested when we’re planning rich Southern menus for a family dinner. Think – meat, sweet BBQ sauce, and sometimes, full throttle deep frying.
And typically, someone sensible suggests that mayo Coleslaw might be too rich with all that meat, shouldn’t we opt for a lighter salad?
And typically (in pre-No-Mayo-Coleslaw-invention days) someone else would huff and puff about how Coleslaw is a classic side for a Southern blow out, and how we’re clearly not counting calories for this meal so why skimp on Slaw?
And so on, back and forth, until the family WhatsApp thread to decide the menu for a “simple” family dinner is many, many swipes long.
There is still much back and forth on family dinner menus. But since the creation of this No Mayo Slaw, there is no back and forth about slaw!
The combination of ingredients in this No Mayo Slaw might be surprising – but it’s addictive! The fennel and caraway seeds are quite subtle, and dill brings a wonderful freshness.
What you need for Coleslaw without Mayonnaise
Here’s what goes in our No Mayo Coleslaw:
Cabbage – any green cabbage works fine here (but not Chinese cabbage which is more delicate so it will get too soggy);
Fennel – shaved thinly so the flavour is quite mild, brings a fabulous freshness to this Slaw;
Dill – this herb is the perfect match in this salad! Use more than you think you need;
Apple – shaved finely, it adds a subtle sweet juiciness. Once dressed, it stops it from going brown (the pictured salad is a day old!);
Caraway seeds – adds pops of minty-aniseed flavour that complement the fennel and dill, but we don’t use much and it is subtle. Yet this is a secret ingredient that makes people pause when they take their first bite, wondering what that flavour is and why it’s so good!
Dressing ingredients – nothing ground breaking here, but note there is a deliberately high ratio of acid to oil. This slaw should be bright, punchy and have backbone to stand up to any rib-sticking main dish. A dainty French leaf salad vinaigrette this ain’t. We also use less salt (1/2 tsp) and more sugar (2 tsp) than you might expect. This is because we like the salad to lean equally sweet and salty, akin to traditional creamy Coleslaw.
How to make No Mayo Coleslaw
Lots of shredding and mandolin action for the vegetables. Then just toss it all together and ideally leave it to wilt for a good hour or two. (Because nobody likes coleslaw with stiff cabbage sprigs sticking out all over the place. We want it floppy and juicy!).
What we serve with No Mayo Slaw
As I mentioned in the opening, we (well, my brother!) created this No Mayo Slaw as a more refreshing alternative to traditional mayonnaise Coleslaw to pair with rich mains. In particular, Southern foods where Coleslaw is a traditional side option:
One of my personal favourite “special treat” dinners is a Fried Chicken Southern Feast. Here is a menu for dishes that we made for a recent family dinner:
Southern Fried Chicken Dinner
Having said that though, the flavour is neutral enough that it will go with anything (non Asian). Delicate enough for fish and prawns, refreshing enough for big roasts.
Also, a couple more serving ideas:
Meal salad – toss through tuna or shredded chicken
In sandwiches – ham, tuna, smoked salmon or gravlax, chicken, avocado
Keeps for days and days!
One of the best things going for this salad is that it keeps for 3 to 4 days, much like creamy Coleslaw. In fact, I think it’s better made the day before, after all the flavours have had a chance to meld together.
So make a big tub of it, and bring it out day after day!! – Nagi x
PS Forgot to mention – if you love creamy slaw but want to skip the heavy mayo version, try a Yogurt Slaw Dressing. It’s very, very good!
Watch how to make it
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Our best No Mayo Coleslaw
Ingredients
Coleslaw:
- 1/4 large head green cabbage (or 1/2 small head) , shredded (~12 cups, Note 1)
- 1 medium fennel bulb , trimmed, halved and shaved at 1.5 mm on a mandolin (Note 2)
- 1 red apple (any kind is fine), halved and thinly sliced (1.5 mm thick)
- 1 cup dill leaves, roughly chopped (about 1 whole bunch)
- 2 tsp caraway seeds (Note 4)
Dressing:
- 2 small clove garlic , minced
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar , or less to taste (Note 6)
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp caster sugar (Note 5)
- 1/2 tsp salt (Note 5)
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dressing: Shake Dressing ingredients in a jar.
- Toss! Place cabbage, fennel, apple and dill in a very large bowl. Pour over Dressing, toss well.
- Sprinkle with caraway seeds then toss again.
- Set aside for at least 1 hour to allow cabbage to wilt. Give it a good toss, then transfer to serving bowl and serve!
- Storage: Keeps perfecty for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Dressing stops apple from going brown. Best to bring to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
A Physio taught me to use tennis balls to loosen tight muscles in my back (ie lying on them on a rug). It will come as no surprise to anyone that the balls keep going missing, and I keep finding them in Dozer’s not-very-clever hiding places – such as buried under cushions and blankets on his bed.
Dozer – that innocent look on your face ain’t fooling anyone!
Really really delicious and fresh without the extra calories from mayo!!
I made this salad twice with Beef ribs for our friends now and twice it impressed them. they are still talking about it) He said its the best coleslow he has even eaten! Thank you! If I ever want to impress my guests-I choose beef ribs with coleslow and corns)Simple yet Impressive!!! THANK YOU!!!!
A nice non-mayo coleslaw which I would recommend as a side to rich meat and creamy potato salad. I found it a little astringent as a side to grilled chicken. My husband enjoyed the complexity of the tastes, especially the caraway seeds! Thanks, Nagi.
Nagi, had this tonight with some bbq pork ribs and chicken wings. The freshness of the slaw was a perfect match to cut through the heaviness of the meat. I’m a convert to no-mayo! x
Would this go well with your buffalo shredded chicken?
Made this for dinner tonight, served in bao/sandwich buns with shredded pork.
Pleasantly surprised all my kids ate it, thought the flavours would err on the unusual side but no complaints. And my oldest daughter loved it.
Thanks for another hit Nagi. Without you I’m sure I would never have shopped for caraway seeds. Thanks for expanding our palates.
Next time I would add more apple, but that’s a personal preference.
Yum yum yum! Didn’t think that amount of dill would work. And Im glad I popped out to buy the caraway seeds. It all worked together to make THE best slaw I’ve had.
Great textures and flavours. Looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. Thank you
Hi Nagi and Dozer! I’m making this coleslaw for a small (socially distanced) party tomorrow. Will the apples brown if I make this now? Thanks! Iris
Hi Iris, I talk about this in the instructions titled “storage” 🙂 N x
OMG this so good! I am so grateful to for sharing your talent everything I make turns out great. I love that your recipes are so forgiving I put brown sugar instead white not sure why saw your video and thought hope it still tastes awesome and of course it did💕
Made this this evening for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had it with salmon which was baked with butter, sour cream and dill, and this slaw was the perfect foil to the richness and fattiness of the salmon. I can see myself making this a lot and as you mention Nagi it would be brilliant with barbecued meats like pulled pork.or ribs.
Thanks for another ripper of a recipe Nagi!
Wow! I just made this and it’s AHmazzzing. Serving with roast pork and roast potatoes for dinner. And I know what I’m having for lunch tomorrow too…
Thanks Nagi and Nagi’s brother!
Just made it tastes great can’t wait till it matures, thanx
Hi Nagi I make a version of this often, just add some cranberries and slices gherkin as well, actually anything in the fridge, even grated a small carrot in. thanks for great recipes !
Yum, sounds great Nicolette! N x
I can’t wait to make this coleslaw Nagi, I love no-mayo coleslaws! (Although let’s be honest, I love mayo coleslaws too! haha) One thing I would LOVE to see from you is a recipe for hot pot broth? I know you specialize in Japanese food and Hot Pot is largely Chinese and/or Korean, but I’d love to see your take on it. I make Hot Pot regularly at home but your recipes are my go-to and I’d love to add your touch to my Hot Pot nights! 🙂
Hi Meredith – everyone has their own version of hot pot – including the Japanese. For some recipes, head to my Mother’s website here: https://japan.recipetineats.com/?s=hot+pot N x
Like everything, I wonder what this would taste like in a spring roll with some rice vermicelli?
I’m going to give this a go with your brisket recipe on the weekend first – then the roll.
Hi Matt, when you say spring roll, I suspect you mean what we call rice paper roll here – I think it will be FAB! N x
For US cooks, 1.5 mm is approx. the width of a US penny. Hope this helps!
Is that how recipes describe how thinly to shave things?? Should I write that in the recipe? 😂 Thanks for your help Janis! N x
That Dozer look says, “What, I thought we shared everything? I would share with you”. Interesting additions of fennel, caraway, and dill to a non-mayo slaw, Not the traditional Southern flavor combo in slaw, but I’ll have to try it. My hubby is a big fan of fennel.
Definitely not traditional, but certainly still a crowd pleaser 🙂 Everyone who tries it always wonders what’s in it! It really does go perfectly with meat heavy / fried Southern foods. N x
Hi Nagi. Could I use dry fennel and dill? If so, how much do you suggest?
Hi Annette! I’m afraid dried fennel won’t have the same effect, I’d just leave fennel out. But for dill, I would probably use 1 tablespoon! It is not the same flavour as using fresh because it has a more earthy flavour, but it will still certainly go well and add a special touch to an otherwise plain cabbage salad 🙂 N x
I think you & your recipes are Delicious! Don’t ever stop beautiful girl & your lovely’s fur babi!!! Great stories & recipes!!!😍🥰xxx
I never intend to! N x
Im so excited you used caraway and dill in this recipe, 2 of my favouite flavours. Making this on the weekend with our bbq. Yummm
I’ve been using caraway a lot in breads and crackers lately too! I’m obsessed 🙂