Red cabbage slaw is an ultra-crisp and creamy slaw with shredded red cabbage, grated carrots, and a creamy and tangy dressing to coat it all.
This vibrant side dish will surely make you fall in love with healthful and colorful red cabbage.
Table of Contents
Our red cabbage slaw recipe is as delicious as a classic coleslaw recipe, but it’s made with shredded red cabbage; without the green cabbage.
To make it extra tasty, we add shredded carrots to add sweetness and a touch of parsley for freshness.
We then add tangy and creamy dressing made with our vegan mayo (any other mayo works) and Greek-style yogurt (non-dairy yogurt works too).
The yogurt is a game changer because it allows us to make a dressing that is healthier than a 100% mayo dressing while retaining a creamy-dreamy texture and tangy flavor.
This red cabbage slaw is perfect for any special occasion like summer cookouts and barbecues, Halloween celebrations, Thanksgiving, or winter holidays.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Red cabbage
Red or purple cabbage is our favorite type for slaws because it’s super crunchy and packed with incredible antioxidants.
Substitute green cabbage for red.
Carrots
Carrots add crunch, sweetness, and bright orange color.
Parsley
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley adds freshness to the slaw.
Substitute cilantro for parsley.
Red cabbage slaw dressing
- Mayo: we use our vegan mayo, but you can use your favorite mayo brand.
- Greek yogurt: substitute non-dairy yogurt as long as it’s unsweetened.
- Vinegar: use apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar. Substitute lemon juice or lime juice for vinegar.
- Mustard: yellow mustard or Dijon mustard.
- Maple syrup: we love the dressing with a hint of sweetness. Substitute sugar or honey for maple syrup.
- Salt and black pepper.
Add-ins (optional)
- Red onion: thinly sliced.
- Celery seeds
- Raisins or cranberries.
- Walnuts, candied walnuts, or pecans.
- Green apples or red apples.
How to make red cabbage slaw
Make the dressing by whisking together mayonnaise, Greek-style yogurt, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
Cut the red cabbage in half, then in half again to have four pieces.
Thinly slice the cabbage with a sharp knife, a mandoline slicer, or a food processor with a slicing disk attachment.
To a large mixing bowl, add the red cabbage, carrots grated with the large holes of a box grater, finely chopped parsley, and the dressing.
Toss until well combined and serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Variations
Purple cabbage slaw with walnuts and cranberries
Cranberries and walnuts complement the red cabbage wonderfully, making this purple cabbage coleslaw ideal for special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
To make it, add 1/3 cup of dry cranberries or raisins and 1/3 cup of crushed walnuts to our recipe. If you want something even more unique, try adding candied walnuts instead.
Classic coleslaw
Classic coleslaw combines purple and green cabbage to create a combination of textures and colors, making this dish irresistible.
Check out our coleslaw recipe.
Vegan coleslaw
Vegan coleslaw is easy. Follow our coleslaw recipe, and use vegan mayo mixed with unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt or vegan sour cream for the dressing. All other ingredients stay the same.
The result is a creamy, tangy, and crisp slaw as delicious as the original. Serve it with our BBQ tofu; it’s out of this world!
No mayo coleslaw
Coleslaw without mayonnaise is not as creamy as classic coleslaw, but it’s still plenty delicious.
To make this healthy coleslaw alternative, we recommend a simple vinaigrette dressing with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and black pepper.
Check out our no-mayo coleslaw recipe (coming soon).
Serving suggestions
As a side dish
Red cabbage slaw is typically served with fish tacos, grilled chicken, and sandwiches.
However, we encourage you to try it with our grilled tofu or BBQ tofu with a rich and punchy barbecue sauce (coming soon).
Storage
Make ahead: we recommend mixing the dressing and the cabbage up to 3 hours before serving to avoid losing its crunch.
Refrigerator: store red cabbage slaw in the fridge for 2 – 3 days, ideally in an airtight container. The salad will lose some of its crunch as time passes.
Freezer: we don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Questions
There are several ways of shredding or cutting red cabbage for coleslaw.
You can use a chef’s knife and thinly slice the cabbage julienne (thin strips) on a cutting board.
You can also use a food processor with a slicing disk attachment. That’s the fastest way if you don’t have much practice with a chef’s knife.
You can also use a mandoline slicer, making sure you use a hand guard to protect yourself from accidentally cutting yourself.
We don’t recommend using a box grater to shred the cabbage for coleslaw.
Yes, eating red cabbage raw is safe and will nourish you with plenty of antioxidants and plant compounds.
Coleslaw is the name of a dish, more precisely, a salad made with cabbage, while cabbage is a vegetable and an ingredient in coleslaw.
Yes, you can mix red and white cabbage in a slaw recipe.
More recipes with cabbage
More creamy salads
For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.
Red Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- 5 cups (15 ounces) red cabbage thinly cut with a knife, mandoline slicer, or food processor
- 2 carrots grated with large holes
- 1 handful parsley finely chopped
Red cabbage slaw dressing
- ⅓ cup vegan mayo or regular mayo
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing by whisking together ⅓ cup vegan mayo, ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
- Cut the red cabbage in half, then in half again to have four pieces.Thinly slice the cabbage with a sharp knife, a mandoline slicer, or a food processor with a slicing disk attachment. You need about 5 cups (15 ounces) red cabbage.
- To a large mixing bowl, add red cabbage, 2 carrots (grated), 1 handful parsley (chopped)
- Toss until well combined and serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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This is the first time I have ever made coleslaw and it turned out really nice and was easy to make. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Brian,
That’s wonderful news, I am so happy you had a good first coleslaw. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a rating and a comment. Happy Sunday!