This is my favorite homemade creamy crunchy coleslaw recipe. It only takes 20 minutes to make and it’s the perfect side dish for any meal.
How do you make the best coleslaw from scratch? Actually, very easily! This recipe is super quick and easy to do. I’ll never bother with store bought coleslaw again, now that I know it can be made healthier and faster.
That being said, if you want to make it even quicker, you could buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots and make the dressing in advance. You’ll have a full bowl of fresh crunchy coleslaw for the family in five minutes and your secret is safe with me.
It’s crazy to think that way back in the 1700’s, Dutch people brought coleslaw to American shores. Their dish was originally called koolsla, ‘kool’ meaning cabbage and ‘sla’ meaning salad. Any recipe that is around that long deserves some love and attention.
Alternatives for a Homemade Creamy Crunchy Coleslaw
If you have already made a classic coleslaw and you are looking for something different to spice up your recipe, try using different combinations of green cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage or Napa cabbage for crunch or flavor.
Alternatively, chop up an apple, sprinkle some almonds and seeds and use corn or broccoli as the main vegetable ingredient.
Healthy alternatives
- For the vinegar element, you could try using apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. It will bring a different layer of flavor but it’s also reportedly good for your gut health.
- You could use extra virgin olive oil, natural yogurt or Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise to make your coleslaw creamy.
- If you are currently not eating dairy products, try out some dairy free mayonnaise as a replacement.
- It is also much healthier to make your own homemade mayonnaise. Sometimes it’s comforting to know what is in your food: free range eggs, your favorite oil and no preservatives.
Serving Suggestions for Homemade Creamy Crunchy Coleslaw
Combine your freshly made coleslaw with a yummy sandwich, salad, hot dog, burger or serve it with a spicy meat dish like peri peri chicken.
Storage Options
You can pre shred the vegetables the day before and leave them in a zip lock bag in the fridge to keep them fresh and crunchy. Only combine the vegetables with the dressing on the day of serving as they will start to loose their crunchy texture once mixed.
You can store homemade coleslaw in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the fridge. I wouldn’t recommend freezing coleslaw as when it defrosts it will be quite watery.
Homemade Creamy Crunchy Coleslaw
Ingredients
- ½ medium Green Cabbage remove the older damaged outer leaves
- 2 medium Carrots peeled, grated
- 15 g Parsley roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- Pinch of Granulated Sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Cut out the core of the cabbage and finely shred/chop the rest. Place it into a large bowl.
- Wash, peel and shred the carrots and add them with the chopped parsley to the bowl with the cabbage.
- Add the vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper to a small jug and mix well. Taste and if you would like it sweeter, add a pinch of sugar and mix.
- Pour half the dressing into the bowl with the cabbage mixture and mix well. Taste and if you find it dry, add more dressing in. Mix well.
- Serve with burgers, sandwiches or bbq meats like chicken or pork. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are trying to be healthier then replace the mayonnaise with natural yogurt, olive oil or Greek yogurt.
- Coleslaw is at its best when made fresh. The longer it sits in its dressing, the soggier it will get.
- Half a medium cabbage is about 450g/16 ounces.
- If you have spare dressing, keep it in the fridge for salads or more coleslaw.
