~ Texas Homesteader ~
Creamy Homemade Coleslaw is a classic side that goes perfectly with your BBQ. Crunchy, creamy & delicious, it’s easy to make and requires only a few simple ingredients.
I’m sharing an easy-to-follow coleslaw recipe you don’t want to miss.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh cabbage when it’s in season (and CHEAP) is to make homemade coleslaw.
What Is Coleslaw Made With?
The base ingredients for coleslaw are simple & few:
Shredded or chopped cabbage
Shredded or chopped carrots
Mayonnaise (or salad dressing)
Vinegar
Sugar
Celery Seed
Truly it’s that simple – shred cabbage & carrots, mix in with other ingredients & refrigerate. Done & DONE!
Should You Shred Or Chop Cabbage For Coleslaw?
Some like their coleslaw cabbage chopped, others prefer it shredded. I’ve served it both ways and both are good, but we prefer it shredded.
There are many ways to turn that head of cabbage into small pieces for coleslaw:
Sharp Knife – Use a knife to cut cabbage in half, remove the core, then cut each half into thin rings. Finally, chop rings into small pieces. This is the most time-consuming method, but effective.
Manual Food Chopper – Using my grandmother’s vintage WearEver food chopper is my preference. It’s super fast and chops the cabbage perfectly.
Mandoline – My mandoline has a slicer and shredder blades too. For safety be sure to use the guard to keep your hands away from the blades.
Box Grater – Some shred cabbage by rubbing it along the grating surface. But IMO even with the largest holes this method grates the cabbage too finely for our tastes.
So just choose the texture you desire for your homemade coleslaw.
Our Favorite Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
To make my coleslaw I start by chopping or shredding about 4 cups of cabbage. You can mix regular with purple cabbage for extra color if you like. But I usually just use regular cabbage for mine.
Then I chop or shred some carrots and mix them in. I shoot for about ½ cup which is maybe 1 or 2 medium carrots (or a fistful of baby carrots).
But to be honest I often go heavy on the carrots since that’s how we enjoy it. No rules here, y’all!
Simple Homemade Creamy Coleslaw Dressing Recipe
Now it’s time to make that creamy coleslaw dressing. Don’t worry, it’s easy! I found this recipe over at Spend With Pennies .
To make the creamy coleslaw dressing I simply blend together 5 ingredients:
½ cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar (can substitute with honey)
½ teaspoon celery seeds
At this point you can add salt & pepper to taste if you like, or leave it out if you’re trying to stick to a low sodium diet.
I’ll typically add between ½ to ¾ teaspoon each to suit RancherMan’s tastes.
What Add-Ins Can You Use For Coleslaw?
Just like with a garden salad, the sky’s the limit when customizing your homemade coleslaw.
There are lots of flavorful add-ins you can add to make your homemade coleslaw uniquely your own:
Substitute a cup of regular cabbage for purple cabbage to add color
2 Tablespoons Minced Onion adds savory notes
1 minced clove of garlic adds savory notes
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard adds zing
1 teaspoon honey adds sweetness
Garnish with 1 Tablespoon minced chives for color
Coleslaw Homemade Ingredient Substitutions:
I make my own Homemade Mayonnaise (since it’s so easy – only oil, egg, lemon juice, salt/pepper and a tiny squirt of mustard).
But of course you can use purchased mayonnaise or even creamy dressing such as Miracle Whip.
And I often use my own homemade Pineapple Vinegar for the citrus testiness it offers in place of the apple cider vinegar.
Feel free to change ingredients up to suit your family’s tastes!
Preparing The Coleslaw
To make the coleslaw I just make the creamy sauce, shred the cabbage and carrots & blend everything together.
You can store it in a lidded container in the refrigerator. Y’all know I like to Store Food In Glass.
This coleslaw recipe just fits in a large-mouth quart jar if I press it in snugly. And when food is stored in see-through glass it’s more likely to be seen and enjoyed instead of looked over & having it go bad.
Plus a quart jar has a very small physical footprint in the refrigerator. This is extra important with our small-sized refrigerator’s space restrictions.
Can You Eat Your Coleslaw Right Away?
Now that your coleslaw’s mixed you can enjoy it right now. But it’s best to allow the flavors to blend in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours. I find it’s even better if it’s placed in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying.
Plus an overnight stint in the refrigerator helps the chopped cabbage to soften a bit so it’s not quite as crunchy.
What Food Goes Best With Coleslaw?
Coleslaw is a great addition to many foods. Such as:
A creamy side dish for Fried Chicken (I use my air fryer for fried chicken)
Topping Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches
Side dish with Grilled Hamburgers
Pork Roast or perhaps Pepperoncini Roast side.
Serve with fried fish or shrimp
Are you ready to make your own homemade creamy coleslaw? The recipe I use is below:
Did you make this Creamy Coleslaw? Please rate the recipe in your comment below!
Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
This creamy coleslaw recipe is simple yet delicious. Easy to make it the day before your cookout and have a tasty side ready to go when you are! #TexasHomesteader
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Chopped or shredded fresh cabbage
- 1/2 Cup Chopped or shredded carrots, (about 1 medium)
Creamy Coleslaw Dressing
-
½
Cup
Mayonnaise/dressing
- 1 Tablespoon Distilled white vinegar (I often substitute with dill pickle juice instead for less vinegar zing)
- ½ Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Celery seed
- Optional Salt & pepper to taste, (I start with ½ teaspoon, up to ¾ teaspoon each)
Instructions
-
Combine ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon celery seed. Add salt & pepper to taste if desired. Stir to thoroughly combine and set aside.
-
In separate bowl add 4 cups shredded cabbage and ½ cup shredded carrots. Add creamy dressing & toss to coat vegetables completely.
-
Place lid on top of bowl & refrigerate coleslaw. Best to refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving (preferably overnight)
Recipe Notes
NOTES:
Add-Ins or substitutions:
Substitute a cup of regular cabbage for purple cabbage to add color
2 Tablespoons Minced Onion adds savory notes
1 minced clove of garlic adds savory notes
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard adds zing
1 teaspoon honey adds sweetness
Garnish with 1 Tablespoon minced chives for color
Coleslaw Notes:
-
- Allowing the coleslaw to rest at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator helps the flavors to blend. It’s best to make the coleslaw the day before and allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight, which will also help soften the cabbage for a less crunchy coleslaw.
- Shredding instead of chopping the cabbage will reduce crunchiness.
~TxH~
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- Buttered Rice w/Fresh Sage & Garlic
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- RancherMan’s Green-Bean Casserole
- Cooking Dry Pinto Beans in An Instant Pot
- Fun Flavor Variations For Plain Pinto Beans
- Black-Eyed Peas With Rotel Tomatoes
Vegetables
- Roasted Vegetables
- Fried Okra Fritters
- Simple Homemade Creamy Coleslaw
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This is the recipe I use when making homemade coleslaw – so easy! A little pickle juice in place of the white vinegar takes away some of the stronger vinegar flavor. I like to make it a day or so ahead to allow the cabbage to lose some of its heavy crunch. It’s nice to have this cooler dish on a hot summer day.
The coleslaw recipe: 4 cups of cabbage, you mix 3 cups with the dressing. What do you do with the other cup???
Thank, Bob Davis
OMGoodness Bobby – no matter how many times you proof a post (can you say about a million??!) there’s still a typo that slips through from time to time. The recipe uses 4 cups total of shredded cabbage. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention, it’s been corrected.
Using pickle juice in slaw I learned from my late aunt many years ago and have been adding to my slaw ever since.
She would use either dill pickle or bread & butter pickle juice. If the juice was running law in jar of pickles, she would top it off with vinegar, letting it sit for a few days or weeks before using again. After all, in canning pickles, what does one use……….vinegar. :}
Love creamy Coleslaw, especially with fried catfish, French Fries, HM hush puppies and cornbread on the side. Very seldom do I make coleslaw the same; depends what I have on hand t the time.
I use lots of carrots; small bag of the match stix carrots; roughly chopped.
I use pickle juice (mostly juice from Bread & Butter pickle jar). Diced pickle as well.
In place of honey, I use just a pinch of sugar. Small splash of lemon juice.
If I have on hand at the time; will add small portion of sour cream along with small portion of heavy cream. Using 1 t. garlic powder, grated onion and of course at least 1 T. celery seed
Slaw is best if made day before and sits in fridge overnight.
Thing to do is make slaw according to your liking.
OOH, I love the idea of using pickle juice in place of vinegar, I might try that. And you’re so right Colleen, Coleslaw is so adaptable you can make it according to your liking. Gotta love a dish like that! ~TxH~