Red Cabbage Slaw

Try this red cabbage slaw for a brilliantly crunchy, colorful side dish or topping for tacos, tostadas, pulled pork and sandwiches. This easy side dish is ready to eat in about 15 minutes, and while it’s best eaten on the first day, the light coleslaw dressing won’t weigh down the ingredients and will hold up for several days afterward.

Have you noticed how red cabbage has more of a purple hue? So why do they call it red cabbage? Why not purple? Or magenta — (which is what it looks like when you cook it)?

It’s like jumbo shrimp. Who comes up with this stuff?

If we’re basing it solely on appearance, this should be called purple cabbage slaw, but I’ll stick with the traditional “red” since this mayo-free slaw recipe is made with red cabbage.

This crunchy salad tastes tangy, light, and faintly sweet. Despite the jalapeno, it’s not overly spicy.

A good coleslaw can enhance and brighten just about anything. We love red cabbage slaw for tacos, sandwiches and as a side dish for anything grilled or barbecued.

Why you’ll love this red cabbage slaw recipe

• It’s quick and easy to make; ready to eat in 15 minutes.
• Traditional coleslaw uses a combination of white and red cabbage, not the whole head, which means you’ve got plenty of leftover veg lurking in your crisper. With a single color, you won’t have leftovers giving you the hairy eyeball for the next week.
• It’s crunchy, tangy, and bright!
• No mayo in the coleslaw dressing makes it a low-calorie, healthy dish.
• Visually, it’s a stunner. The colors POP and brighten up anything you serve it with.

Ingredients for red cabbage salad

• Red Cabbage
• Jalapenos
• Cilantro
• White Wine Vinegar
• Granulated Sugar
• Celery Seed
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper

There’s more than one way to shred cabbage for coleslaw and all of them are pretty simple, though I do have a preferred method.

Ways to shred red cabbage for slaw:

BOX GRATER (shown above): Cut the cabbage into halves or quarters (depending on how large it is) and hold the core end with you hand. Grate the cabbage against the large holes of a box grater.

FOOD PROCESSOR: Fit your food processor with the shredder attachment. Cut the cabbage into large pieces (discarding the core) and load the chunks into the feeding tube with the machine running.

CHEF’S KNIFE or SANTOKU: Cut the cabbage vertically, then slice each half into quarters. Remove the rigid core and discard. Place a red cabbage quarter flat on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice into thin (1/8 inch)slices.

MANDOLINE – A mandoline makes quick work of thinly slicing the cabbage into perfectly even ribbons, and you can adjust the thickness of the cuts. Just be sure to use a guard to prevent slicing your fingers.

Each of these methods is easy and effective. Using the food processor makes very quick work of shredding the red cabbage, however, I’ve found that both the food processor and box grater almost do too good of a job, because it grates the vegetable almost too finely.

Finely grating will promote faster wilting and so your red cabbage slaw may not stay as crunchy or last for as long as you’d want.

Therefore, I prefer to slice my red cabbage by hand or use a mandoline, so the veggie stays crisper for longer. I also appreciate the look of sliced red cabbage, with its longer, crinkly ribbons and bold white interior. It’s got more character.

Coleslaw without mayo

Vinegar based coleslaw has long been one of my favorite ways to enjoy cabbage.

Why?

• Obviously, it has less fat and calories than its mayonnaise-based counterparts, so its a healthy slaw.
• Because there’s no mayonnaise, its great for cookouts, picnics and barbecues as it can sit out at room temperature (or backyard temps) without spoiling.
• And its so easy to make (literally 2 minutes of hands-on time).

How to make mayonnaise free coleslaw dressing

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, kosher salt, celery seed, black pepper.
2. Add the white wine vinegar and whisk to combine.

See? Easy peasy.

How to make red cabbage slaw:

1. In a large bowl, combine the shredded red cabbage, minced jalapenos, and chopped cilantro.
2. Add the slaw dressing and use a pair of tongs or salad servers to toss the ingredients together and coat the red cabbage. Serve.

Variations:

• Add shredded carrots to the coleslaw mix. (A color combo that’s perfect for Halloween).
• Add 1/3 cup of mayonnaise or sour cream for creamy red cabbage slaw. (Note: the dressing will turn a pink color).
• Add diced or julienned apples (skin-on) for a sweet-tart addition.
• Add golden raisins for a sweet chewy contrast.
• Add a tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce to the dressing for more spice.
• Add diced sweet onions for more crunch or thin sliced red onions for more spice.
• Swap granulated sugar for honey or agave.
• Swap the white wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, or lime juice.
• Don’t have cilantro? Chopped fresh parsley will add a freshness and bright green color.

FAQ’s

What goes with red cabbage slaw?

• Tacos! Try it with chicken soft tacos, fish tacos or shrimp tacos.
• Mahi Mahi Sandwich
• Savory Mexican Shredded Beef
• Instant Pot Pulled Chicken
• Easy Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Tenderloin
• Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes with Ground Turkey Breast
• Caribbean Jerk Smoked Pork
• Smoked Pork Butt
• Sriracha Avocado Turkey Burgers

More coleslaw recipes you’ll love:

• Traditional Southern Coleslaw
• Easy Cilantro Lime Slaw For Fish Tacos & More
• Crunchy Brussel Apple Fennel Slaw
• Quick Asian Cabbage Salad

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