Coleslaw Recipe (No Mayo) (2024)

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Last Updated September 23rd, 2023 at 10:42 pm by Lisa

This Coleslaw Recipe has a clean vinegar-based dressing and no mayo! It goes great with pulled pork sandwiches or as a classic side dish at potluck summer picnics and BBQ cookouts.

A classic coleslaw recipe is usually loaded with mayonnaise and white sugar. However, this cabbage salad is clean, light, and tangy. This homemade slaw can safely remain at room temperature and balances nicely with any grilled main dish or savory BBQ. And has a crisp, cool, refreshing crunch...

How To Make Coleslaw

For an easy coleslaw recipe, buy pre-shredded cabbage to toss this slaw together fast, or thinly slice some at home. I love using bright purple and green together, it looks so colorful with the orange carrots.

Make a double batch of this healthy coleslaw recipe for large parties. It is an awesome pulled pork coleslaw. And the total time needed to pull it together is just 15 minutes!

Homemade Coleslaw Dressing Ingredients

½cupapple cider vinegar
¾cupextra virgin olive oil
2tablespoonshoney
2teaspoonswhole celery seeds
1teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoonblack cracked pepper

No-Mayo Coleslaw Mix Ingredients

carrots
green cabbage
purple cabbage

PRO TIP: Grab some bagged coleslaw or cabbage salad mix and shredded carrots to save time!

No Mayo Coleslaw Dressing

In a small Mason jar with a fitted lid , combine the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, celery seeds, sea salt, and pepper. Shake until well combined for 1 minute.
Or add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl, and whisk well until combined.

PRO TIP: Make dressings in small jars and pop them right into the fridge to use again that week. It is the best way to mix them with no bowls to wash!

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Coleslaw Cabbage Mixture

On a cutting board, thinly slice green and purple cabbage with a sharp knife. Using a box grater, grate the carrots (or buy pre-grated) and place them in a large bowl. Or shred the cabbage and carrots in a food processor or on a mandoline.
Pour the dressing on the coleslaw mixture of purple and green cabbage and carrots, and toss using tongs. Best if served that day.
Store leftover coleslaw in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last a day or two.

Variations & Optional Dressing Add-Ins

Cole slawis a must-have cookout side dish bestservedwith Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Hamburgers, grilled chicken, Pork Sliders, and barbecue ribs. It also is great for fish tacos and pulled pork tacos. Mix up the ingredients to create your own version of delicious slaw.

Kind of Vinegar: Swap in good champagne vinegar, rice vinegar, or white vinegar, or even add a squeeze of lemon juice into the dressing for a tangy coleslaw.

Cabbage & Carrots: You can buy a premade cabbage mix and shredded carrots at the grocery store and just whip up the dressing to save time.

Crunchy Vegetables: Napa cabbage will work great in this recipe, you can also add green onions (spring onions), Pickled Red Onions (yellow onion is too hot), or red pepper. Any crisp fresh vegetables will work even jicama or celery. Fresh parsley adds nice flavor and color.

Seasonings: Celery seeds make the dressing taste amazing, but you can swap in or add caraway seeds.

Creamy Slaw: You can make this a creamy coleslaw recipe if you wish and add ½ cup of mayonnaise, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt.

Sweetness: You can add some additional granulated sugar to make it sweeter as well.

Spicy Coleslaw: You can up the heat and spiciness with a dash of hot sauce or mix in a sprinkle of a Nashville chicken spice mixture. Or add some good Dijon mustard for great zing.

Pulled Pork Slaw Recipes

Pick one of your favorite pulled pork recipes, and make it your way with a pork butt, or pork shoulder, or try my two recipes below that use pork loin!

This is the best coleslaw for Pulled Pork Sandwiches made with pork loin is so juicy. Top these pulled pork sandwiches with this vinegar coleslaw recipe, Dill Pickle Chips, and tangy barbecue sauce all on a golden bun. This clean colorful salad with crunchy cabbage and carrots is so good with rich succulent pulled pork.

Oven Roasted Pulled Pork cooks at a low temperature and slow, in a long cooking process making the pork roast easy to shred as it becomes tender over the hours. The result: perfectly moist yet slightly caramelized edges, a super savory pulled pork made from pork loin.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Oven Roasted Pulled Pork

Cole Slaw FAQ

So is it Coleslaw? Or Cole Slaw. Well, the correct spelling for this cookout classic is coleslaw. Some people even say, "cold-slaw"! The word's origins are from the Dutch word koolsa. The word cole refers to a crop like cabbage.

What to serve coleslaw recipes with?

Cole Slawwith Pulled Pork is a classic summer dish! Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, BBQ Ribs, and Grilled or BBQ Chicken are also excellent to pair it with.
Other cookout sides and picnic food ideas to serve along with coleslaw are Corn On The Cob, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Macaroni Salad, or Pasta Salads.

Will fresh coleslaw keep overnight?

Yes, but it is best to not mix the dressing with the cabbage. Wait till a couple of hours before your party, pour on the dressing do a quick toss and it's ready!

How long will coleslaw keep fresh?

Thinly sliced cabbage and carrots will last at least 3 days in a well-sealed airtight container. The coleslaw no mayo dressing will last up to 30 days in a sealed Mason jar in the refrigerator.

Which kind of cabbage for coleslaw?

You can use greencabbage, red(purple) cabbage, savoy cabbage,or Napacabbage. For a multi-colored or multi-texturedcoleslaw, use a combination of at least 2 kinds. Buy bags of pre-shredded cabbage, carrots, or coleslaw mix and save time!
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Summer Cookout Side Dishes

These are some of the easiest side dishes for cookouts and picnic food ideas. More easy recipes to serve with this coleslaw without mayo are Corn On The Cob, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, or Macaroni Salad

Pasta Salads or 7 Layer Salad are a wildly popular make-ahead potluck salad, so beautiful and loved by everyone. Mango Jicama Slaw is light, crisp with lime vinaigrette, and goes great with grilled fish and steaks. Mexican Street Corn "Elotes" are slathered with creamy cilantro sauce.

Grilled Corn On The Cob
Bacon Potato Salad
Cowboy Beans
Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe
Easy Pasta Salad
7 Layer Salad
Mango Jicama Slaw
Mexican Street Corn (Authentic Elotes)

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Coleslaw Recipe (No Mayo)

This Coleslaw Recipe has a clean vinegar-based dressing and no mayo! It goes great with pulled pork sandwiches or as a classic side dish at potluck summer picnics and BBQ cookouts. A classic coleslaw recipe is usually loaded with mayonnaise and white sugar. However, this cabbage salad is clean, light, and tangy. This homemade slaw can safely remain at room temperature and balances nicely with any grilled main dish or savory BBQ. And has a crisp, cool, refreshing crunch.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 150kcal

Author Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Mason Jar

Epicurean Non-Slip Cutting Board

Chef Knife

Mason Ball Pint Jar

Mandoline

Ingredients

No Mayo Dressing

½ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons whole celery seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black cracked pepper

Slaw Mix

2 cups carrots (2 large carrots shredded)
2 cups green cabbage thinly sliced
2 cups purple cabbage thinly sliced

Instructions

In a small Mason jar with a fitted lid , combine the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, celery seeds, sea salt, and pepper. Shake until well combined for 1 minute. Or add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl, and whisk well until combined.
On a cutting board, thinly slice green and purple cabbage with a sharp knife. Using a box grater, grate the carrots (or buy pre-grated) and place them in a large bowl. Or shred the cabbage and carrots in a food processor or on a mandoline.
Pour the dressing on the coleslaw mixture of purple and green cabbage and carrots, and toss using tongs. Best if served that day.
Store leftover coleslaw in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last a day or two.

Notes

make-ahead

Keep the dressing in a Mason jar until ready to serve, then pour, toss and serve.

quick prep

You can buy bags of pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix and save time!

cabbage

You can use greencabbage, red(purple) cabbage, savoy cabbageor Napacabbage. For a multi-colored or multi-textured coleslaw, use a combination of at least 2 kinds.

Optional Dressing Add-Ins

You can make this dressing creamy if you wish and add ½ cup of mayonnaise, sour cream, or Greek yogurt.

You can add some additional granulated sugar to make it sweeter as well.

what to serve with coleslaw

Cole Slawis a classic summer side dish bestservedwith Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, BBQ Ribs, and Grilled Chicken.

Other great summer sides to serve along with coleslaw are grilled corn on the cob, potato salad, baked beans, macaroni salad, or pasta salad.

storage & serving

Keep your sliced cabbage chilled, but it is best to not mix the dressing with the cabbage. Wait till a couple of hours before your party, pour on the dressing do a quick toss and it's ready!

Variations & Optional Dressing Add-Ins

Kind of Vinegar: Swap in good champagne vinegar, rice vinegar, or white vinegar, or even add a squeeze of lemon juice into the dressing for a tangy coleslaw.

Cabbage & Carrots: You can buy a premade cabbage mix and shredded carrots at the grocery store and just whip up the dressing to save time.

Seasonings: Celery seeds make the dressing taste amazing, but you can swap in or add caraway seeds.

Creamy Slaw: You can make this a creamy coleslaw recipe if you wish and add ½ cup of mayonnaise, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt.

Sweetness: You can add some additional granulated sugar to make it sweeter as well.

Spicy Coleslaw: You can up the heat and spiciness with a dash of hot sauce or mix in a sprinkle of a Nashville chicken spice mixture. Or add some good Dijon mustard for great zing.

Nutrition

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