This Blue Cheese Coleslaw recipe is tossed in a creamy homemade dressing. It's perfect for pulled pork or buffalo chicken. An easy side dish!
My new favorite twist on the classic cabbage slaw has to be this Blue Cheese Slaw. It's made with fresh red and green cabbage that's tossed in a homemade creamy dressing made with blue cheese crumbles.
Historically, coleslaw wasn't considered to be a glamorous dish. It was usually found lining the buffet table at a potluck or picnic and almost always laden with copious amounts of an overly sweet calorie-laden dressing.
All that has changed in recent years and I feel like cabbage is finally getting its due. Trendy restaurants all over the country boast delicious hipster-approved menu items like buttermilk fried chicken or Korean braised beef tacos and many of them are topped with some form of coleslaw.
Coleslaw dressings have gotten much more inventive and moved way beyond the monotony of the old days. This is fantastic because cabbage is such a great ingredient. It's cheap, versatile, and you get A LOT out of only one head.
This recipe is easy and tastes great as a side dish or on top of just about anything.
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What Type Of Cabbage Is Best For Coleslaw?
There really is no 'wrong' way to make a coleslaw. It is most commonly made with cabbage but can be prepared with any number of vegetables including fennel, carrots, and broccoli. You can even whip up a batch of apple slaw for a sweeter take on it.
This Blue Cheese Coleslaw is made with both red (or purple) and green (or white) cabbage because I like the pop of color that purple cabbage provides.
You can certainly use Napa or Savoy cabbage if you like but I find that the fresh red and green cabbage has the best crunch.
If you're running low on time you can definitely use pre-cut bagged cabbage as well. This is a great shortcut option that I've used many times. Bagged cabbage may not retain its crunchiness quite as long as fresh cabbage.
This recipe calls for roughly 8 cups of cabbage which equals out to be 1 whole cabbage (red or green) or half of each.
- To shred the cabbage simply remove any dirty or damaged outer leaves and discard. Cut the cabbage(s) in half and thinly shred them with a knife (You can also use a food processor to shred the cabbage). Repeat with the second cabbage if using.
- Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl.
Love cabbage? Don't miss this Cabbage Roll In A Bowl!
Blue Cheese Coleslaw Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to whip up this coleslaw and you might have most of them in your fridge so no need for extra trips to the grocery store (which I always appreciate during the winter months in Minnesota).
Here's what you'll need to make it.
- 8 cups shredded Cabbage (Red or Green)
- ¾ cup Sour Cream
- ¼ cup Mayo
- 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
- ¼ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper
- ½ cup minced fresh herbs like Chives or Parsley (optional)
When I make blue cheese dressing I like to lighten it up with fresh herbs like chives or parsley and this works great during the summer because I've usually got herbs on hand.
Winter is a different story and I'm not making a special trip to the grocery store for 1 package of chives (and I'm guessing you aren't, either).
If you've got some herbs on hand (fresh or dried), feel free to throw them in and if not, the dressing will still taste great!
How To Make Blue Cheese Coleslaw Dressing
This is my 'go-to' blue cheese dressing recipe. It's based on this Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing. I use it as a dipping sauce, salad dressing, and topping for burgers and sandwiches.
If you like blue cheese you'll love this dressing (if Ranch Dressing is more your thing feel free to check out this homemade version).
- Combine ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayo, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until completely combined using a fork or a small whisk.
- Add 1 cup of blue cheese crumbles to the dressing and stir until completely combined.
- Mince ½ cup of fresh herb of choice (or use 1 Tbsp. dried herb of choice) and add it to the dressing. Stir until combined. (This step is optional).
You can play around with the flavors a bit. Feel free to add more Worcestershire if you'd like more of a savory flavor, more lemon if you'd like more tang.
The salt and pepper levels can be adjusted and, of course, you can as much or as little blue cheese as you like.
If you love blue cheese be sure to check out these Grilled Blue Cheese Burgers!
How Long Does Coleslaw Need To Sit Before Serving?
The only thing left to do is to add the dressing to the shredded cabbage and toss to coat.
- Pour as much (or as little) of the dressing over the cabbage and toss until completely combined.
- Place the blue cheese coleslaw in the fridge for an hour or so before serving. (This is not required but the flavors will develop a bit if it sits for awhile).
If you find that you added too much dressing simply shred more cabbage to the slaw. You can also top it with more blue cheese crumbles if you REALLY love blue cheese.
What To Serve With Blue Cheese Coleslaw
This Blue Cheese Coleslaw is PERFECT to serve with anything buffalo-flavored (hello Crockpot Buffalo Chicken)! I love it on grilled buffalo chicken sandwiches, shredded buffalo chicken sliders, or even alongside buffalo chicken wings.
It would be awesome on top of a pulled pork sandwich, a Juicy Lucy burger, or any type of sandwich from a chipotle chicken panini to Dijon chicken grilled cheese to turkey to roast beef.
Blue cheese works great with BBQ flavors like BBQ sweet potatoes, smoky BBQ chicken pizza, and slow cooker BBQ chicken sandwiches.
Other sides to serve it alongside include this marinated tomato salad, dill pickle pasta salad, Southwest potato salad, and Spanish potato salad.
You could sprinkle some cooked chopped bacon over it if you really wanted to take things to the next level.
Can I Freeze Blue Cheese Slaw?
This is a dish that's best eaten fresh so I would not recommend freezing it. The dairy in the dressing would likely separate and the cabbage would wilt and become freezer burnt.
How Long Does Coleslaw Last In The Fridge?
It should last 4-5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The cabbage may lose its crunch a little after it sits for a few days.
Any extra dressing can be stored for 4-5 days in an airtight container and used as a dip for a vegetable platter or alongside a platter of buffalo wings.
This recipe is gluten free AND keto. I know keto is all the rage right now and its suitable for that diet.
Love coleslaw? Check out these recipes!
- Light and Crunchy Coleslaw
- Asian Cabbage Slaw
- Kohlrabi Slaw
- Spicy Cilantro Lime Coleslaw
- Southwest Chipotle Coleslaw
Looking For More Coleslaw Recipes? Don't Miss These!
Classic Vinegar Based Coleslaw
Easy Homemade Coleslaw
Creamy Coleslaw
Tangy Cilantro Jalapeno Lime Coleslaw
Blue Cheese Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 8 cups cabbage red or green
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayo
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ¼ tsp. pepper adjust to taste
- ½ cup fresh herbs or 1 Tbsp. dried herbs such as chives or parsley optional
Instructions
- Remove the dirty or damaged outer leaves from 1-2 heads of cabbage and discard.
- Cut the cabbage(s) in half and cut into thin shreds with a knife. One head of cabbage yields about 8 cups. You can use 1 head red or green or ½ head red and ½ head green.
- Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl.
For The Blue Cheese Dressing:
- Combine ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayo, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until completely combined using a fork or small whisk.
- Add 1 cup of blue cheese crumbles to the dressing and stir until completely combined.
- Mince ½ cup fresh herbs such as chives or parsley (or use 1 Tbsp. dried herbs) and add to the dressing. Stir until combined. (This step is optional).
- Pour as much or as little of the dressing over the cabbage as you like and toss until completely combined.
- Place the coleslaw in the fridge for an hour or so before serving if possible.
Cindy Gordon
We are always looking for new recipes to try as a family. It has helped our kids to expand what they eat being involved in this. We found your recipe and are adding it to next week's menu to try! YUM
Christine
Awesome - I hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
Dianne
Made this last night. Wanted something a little different. This is what we call a keeper. Thank you for sharing the recipe. 🙂
Christine
Hi Dianne - I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the feedback! 🙂