Light and Crunchy Coleslaw

This Light and Crunchy Coleslaw recipe is full of fresh cabbage and carrots. It's the perfect gluten free addition to a summer picnic or BBQ!

You can eat this Light Crunchy Coleslaw on its own, as a side dish, or use it to top a sandwich. I think this recipe just may bring out the inner cabbage-lover in you!

I'm going to come out and say it - I love coleslaw. Mostly because I love cabbage. Cabbage tends to get overlooked as a vegetable. Which is unfortunate because it's incredibly versatile and it has tons of flavor.

You can steam it, saute it, or stuff it. I've even seen cabbage baked into cookies (although I personally believe that cabbage has no place in desserts). It's cheap, hearty, and super good for you.

When I make coleslaw, I love to highlight the flavor of the cabbage - Not mask it with cups of mayonnaise.

It's just the thing served alongside burgers or used to top BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

Jump to:

• Prepare The Cabbage
• How To Make Coleslaw From Scratch
• How To Make Coleslaw Dressing
• Assemble The Cabbage Slaw
• What Goes Well With Coleslaw?
• How Long Does It Last In The Fridge?
• Light and Crunchy Coleslaw

Prepare The Cabbage

The key to a good coleslaw is to use fresh cabbage.

You can use pre-packaged cabbage as well but I definitely recommend using fresh if you can find it. Especially during the late summer when cabbage is in season.

This recipe calls for 8 heaping cups of chopped cabbage - 4 cups of red and 4 cups of green. This amounts to roughly ½ head each of red and green cabbage.

You can use all red or all green but I love the color you get from mixing the two.

1. The cabbage can be chopped in a food processor or with a knife. I actually prefer to chop cabbage with a knife but either way works fine.
2. Simply chop the cabbage into small slices or throw the cabbage into the food processor.

If you love cabbage be sure to check out this Cabbage Roll In A Bowl!

How To Make Coleslaw From Scratch

I love to add fresh carrots to coleslaw in order to give it a little bit of sweetness.

Simply grate 1-2 large carrots using a box grater. You can use pre-grated carrots as well but grating carrots on that box grater gives you a nice little arm workout.

You want to end up with about 2 cups of fresh carrots.

Carrots can also be shredded using a food processor.

Throw all the vegetables into a large bowl once they are all chopped.

How To Make Coleslaw Dressing

Next up is the dressing for the slaw. The ingredients in this dressing that really highlight the flavor of the cabbage are the Dijon mustard and the celery seed.

I'm not sure who first thought to add celery seed to coleslaw but that person is a genius.

1. Combine ½ mayo, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper, and 1 ½ tsp. celery seeds in a small bowl.
2. Whisk to combine completely. That's all there is to it!

Assemble The Cabbage Slaw

The trick with coleslaw is to get all the cabbage coated in the dressing.

1. Add a quarter of the vegetables to a large bowl along with a quarter of the dressing.
2. Mix together until the vegetables are coated.
3. Repeat with another quarter of the vegetables and the dressing.
4. Do this two more times until all of the cabbage is completely coated.
5. Garnish with another pinch of celery seed and fresh herbs if desired.

What Goes Well With Coleslaw?

You might find yourself like me adding coleslaw to your tacos, wraps, and sandwiches like this Turkey Rachel Sandwich.

It's such a great side dish - I love to bring a bowl of coleslaw to a summer BBQ, potluck, or picnic. It's perfect with any type of grilled meats such as ribs, pork, or brisket.

I love it paired with BBQ sauce (like in these BBQ Chicken Sloppy Joes) - The light and tangy flavors of the dressing help to cut the richness of the thick sauce.

It's perfect served alongside grilled burgers like this Juicy Lucy Burger, Grilled Blue Cheese Burgers, or Southwest Burgers!

If you'd like to keep things vegetarian these BBQ Sweet Potatoes are a great option.

Don't need this much coleslaw?

Simply cut the recipe in half if you'd like a smaller amount.

How Long Does It Last In The Fridge?

This coleslaw lasts 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I would not recommend freezing it as it contains mayo. It is best eaten fresh or within a few days.

Do not leave it out in the sun for more than an hour or so if serving at an outdoor BBQ or picnic, as it contains mayo.

I'm telling you, the crunch of the cabbage makes this slaw something you'll keep coming back to. This coleslaw recipe is gluten free as well!

I still stand by conviction that cabbage does not belong in desserts but it's a welcome addition to almost everything else.

Looking for more summer side dishes? Check out these recipes!

• Blue Cheese Coleslaw
• Ginger Miso Slaw
• Southwest Chipotle Coleslaw
• Kohlrabi Slaw
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
• Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
• Mediterranean Potato Salad
• Spanish Potato Salad with Olives
• Chipotle Potato Salad

Love Coleslaw? Don't Miss These Recipes!

Sweet Poppy Seed Coleslaw

Easy Southern Coleslaw

Tangy Pickle Coleslaw