Just a great, creamy, traditional Coleslaw recipe with a terrific homemade Coleslaw dressing. Everything you want, none of the unnecessary extras. A staple for that’s even better the next day!
For a healthier version with no mayo, make this Cole slaw with a Creamy Yogurt Coleslaw Dressing (it’s so good!) OR try the RecipeTin No Mayo Coleslaw.
Coleslaw recipe in a snap
-
Type of cabbage for Coleslaw – green cabbage is the classic. Red cabbage is great too (but will bleed colour slightly), savoy and Napa cabbage can also be used.
-
How long does Coleslaw last? Up to 5 days in the fridge.
-
What’s in Coleslaw Dressing? Mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, vinegar, mustard, celery salt and sugar.
-
Why does my Coleslaw get watery? Because you didn’t use enough dressing. The Dressing extracts water from the cabbage which thins the dressing. You need to start with plenty of thick Coleslaw Dressing which is then thinned out when the cabbage wilts and leaches water.
-
How much Coleslaw to make per person? 1/2 a head of cabbage will make enough for 10 people as a side for a meal, or 15 people at a large gathering with plenty of other food on the buffet. So for 100 people, you will need 5 heads of cabbage as a side for a meal, or 3 1/2 heads as part of a larger buffet.
A great Coleslaw doesn’t need a ton of ingredients.
All you need is cabbage, carrot and a terrific Coleslaw dressing for this summertime classic. Along with Macaroni Salad and Caprese Salad, this is the salad we take to gatherings, that we lay out on buffets – because we know it’s a sure thing!
It lasts for days in the fridge so we have a great standby side for dinners and quick additions to lunchboxes. A traditional Coleslaw recipe is a classic that will never go out of fashion!
Coleslaw dressing
I’m a firm believer that Coleslaw should be JUICY. Just like it’s served up at KFC and other popular takeout chains. And juicy means plenty of dressing!
I like BUT if you just load up your dressing with tons of mayo, it weighs it down with too much fat, making the Cole slaw excessively rich and soaking the cabbage to the point of being soggy mush.
So I like to make plenty of dressing with a combination of both mayonnaise and sour cream, plus mustard and celery salt for flavour, and vinegar to cut through the richness.
Why does my Coleslaw get watery?
Most likely because you are not using enough dressing. Coleslaw is meant to be set aside to wilt before serving, during which time water is extracted from the cabbage which thins the dressing.
So you need to ensure there’s enough Dressing otherwise your Coleslaw becomes watery!
Key Tip: Give it time
To achieve that perfect Coleslaw texture, it needs time to soften so you don’t have stiff prints of cabbage poking out all over the place. At least 20 minutes, better at 2 hours or overnight.
The salt and sugar in the dressing draws out the moisture from the cabbage, thinning out the rich dressing and making the Coleslaw ultra juicy, as well as giving time for the flavours to meld.
Serve this with BBQ Pulled Pork (make sliders!), BBQ Brisket or these terrific sticky Country-Style Chicken Thighs with a side of steamed corn for a summer cookout indoors! – Nagi x
MORE SUMMER SALADS to take to gatherings
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Potato Salad and Lemon Potato Salad
- Pearl Couscous Salad <– personal fave!
- Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
- 12 Minute Sun Dried Tomato Couscous Salad
-
Browse all Pasta Salads and Rice Salad
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 7 cups green cabbage , finely shredded (Note 1)
- 1 medium carrot , shredded (1 1/2 cups)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (or other whole egg mayo)
- 1/2 cup sour cream or yoghurt, full fat is best
- 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or sub with white wine vinegar)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 3/4 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tso black pepper
Instructions
- Mix Dressing ingredients together.
- Place cabbage and carrot in a bowl. Pour over Dressing, toss well. Set aside for at least 20 minutes before serving, preferably 2 hours - this will make the cabbage go limp as it should, and also draw moisture out of the cabbage and carrot to thin out the dressing. Overnight is even better!
- Toss well before serving.
Recipe Notes:
Add chopped or sliced onions
Add shallots/scallions finely sliced on the diagonal
Swap out some of the green cabbage for red cabbage (love the colour)
Granny smith apples cut into batons (YUM that would be fantastic!) 4. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings.
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Flashback: when he was a puppy and couldn’t get down stairs….
Oh my gosh so light and delicious and those in my fam who never liked heavy slaw before just loved this lighter version yum yum
I’m so glad it was a hit Caron! N x
Hi Nagi, thank you so much! This is the best coleslaw recipe I have ever tried. I never leave comments, this is the first. This was spot on! No changes!
Great JoAnn! N x
Hello Nagi , if I made the dates I dint need to mix the Mayo ………
Hi Nagi, would it be better to salt and let the cabbage leech out water before mixing in the dressing?
I don’t bother Mae, the dressing is quite thick so the excess water loosens it slightly – N x
Perfect accompaniment for the pulled pork- thanks for your fabulous recipes Nagi!
I had a full Thanksgiving dinner based on your recipes and Coleslaw was one of them. Absolutely delicious!
Delicious! My go to coleslaw dressing recipe now, made it several times.
Wahoo! That’s great Alexis!
This is a really delicious coleslaw, all the flavours blend so nicely. This will be my go to recipe from now in.
I’m so glad you love it Annette!
OMG that dressing is amazing!!! It’s now in my book of secret recipes and I will be using it for years to come. Thank you xx
This is a really delicious coleslaw, all the flavours blend so nicely. This will be my go to recipe from now in.
It’s just a staple isn’t it ALison!? I’m so happy you love it! – N x
Can I sub the cabbage and carrot for the pre-shredded bags? I don’t have the time? If so should I buy 1 or 2?
Sure can Brittany – the amount equals about 8 cups worth, so whatever amount in the bags that equals 8 cups. – N x
Can celery salt be substituted if it’s not in my pantry?
I used 1/2 tsp celery seed and 1/2 tsp regular salt in place. The celery seed or celery salt really is an important flavor in the dressing, so you don’t want to leave that out if possible.
This is my best coleslaw to date. Made it dairy free. No Yogurt. Chopped it in the blender for speed. Was wonderful. My new standard. Thanks.
Perfect!
Amazing! Perfect sweet/acidic/ salty combo! I made it to serve with your bbq brisket recipe. Can’t wait to try other recipes! Thanks again! And love the Dozer puppy pics! I too have a golden/lab. Best furry friends ever!
This was made with Savoy Cabbage. I did not have celery salt used celery seeds and it was amazing. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it Denise!!
This is absolutely a keeper.
Other people’s recipes just don’t live up to their ratings..I tried,silly me , sorry Nagi 😄.
I will never buy shop bought coleslaw ever again.
Ps,gonna try your Reuben sandwich looks amazing!!
Have a great weekend Nagi.
Phil x
You’re converted now Phil!!!
Great dressing! I find normal salt works great too and it def reminds me of KFC coleslaw, but much better for you. I love crunchy coleslaw so I make a big batch of the mayo and cabbage and leave both in the fridge for the week and dress it when I need it, it also stops the red cabbage from bleeding.
I made this with your brisket recipe and it was a huge hit! Wonderful and creamy :).
A perfect combo!!
I plan on trying this in the future. I noticed a typo on the last ingredient: 1/4 “tso” black pepper….I think you mean “tsp”
You don’t need to post this comment as I just wanted to bring this to your attention. Have been enjoying the recipes I’ve tried. Thank you for sharing…and Happy Holidays!
Thanks so much, I’ll have this changed!
Thank you Nagi, This really is a classic delicious coleslaw. Yummy!!!
Thanks so much Claire
Hi Nagi, love most of your recipes and have been cooking up a storm since your newsletters began arriving. Love the newsletters too. It is like being in the kitchen with you. Happy Christmas to youcandvyours and a big hug for Dozer.😊