Classic Creamy Cole Slaw

This Classic Creamy Cole Slaw pairs well with just about everything from fish to roast beef to hot dogs over the campfire. It tastes great for several days and travels really well, so it’s a great dish to make the day before you take it to a party.

You can use any combination of cabbages you like in this creamy Cole Slaw. I prefer green cabbage and red (purple) cabbage along with some shredded carrots. Not only do they taste really good, but they also look pretty, too. Utilizing bagged pre-shredded cabbage is a time saver if you want a shortcut.

A mandoline makes short work of shredding the cabbage. I prefer using it t hand cutting or shredding it in the food processor – especially if you want long thin shreds. I find cabbage shredded in the food processor to be too choppy for this recipe, but that only my preference. You make it how your family likes it. Here’s my favorite mandoline, a Borner.

Remove the tough core from your cabbage. I first cut my cabbage into manageable wedges, then slice out the core at an angle.

Place all your shredded cabbage, carrots and parsley in a large bowl and toss with your hands.

Making the Cole Slaw Dressing

The dressing for the Classic Creamy Cole Slaw is very flexible. In fact, I rarely measure when making it and have likely never make it the same way twice. Place your dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Adjust seasoning to your tastes.

You’ll need a good bit of salt to properly season that big bowl of cabbage, so don’t worry if the dressing tastes a bit too salty directly on your tongue. It will be thinned out over all the vegetables.

Today I’ve used rice vinegar, but you can use any light-colored vinegar you prefer – apple cider, white, a fruity white balsamic – whatever you like. I find rice vinegar useful for so much more than Asian cooking. It has a lovely light flavor. Any extra dressing is great on salads, too.

Using a rubber spatula, smear about 2/3 of the mixed dressing over the bowl of tossed vegetables. Fold the dressing into the cabbage until it’s evenly distributed.

Judge from there how much more dressing you want to use – you may like it lightly or heavily dressed, your choice. Add the rest as desired.

I prefer to refrigerate this Cole Slaw in a separate container (or the bowl I mixed it in) until I want to serve it, that way I can more easily stir it up before placing it in a serving bowl.

The salt and sugar in the dressing will extract some water from the vegetables and will thin the dressing; you’ll need to stir that accumulated liquid back in.

Creamy Cole Slaw Tips:

• You can prep your vegetables and make your dressing several days ahead and store them separately in the fridge. Red cabbage will bleed pink into the dressing if it’s left overnight.
• If you want a crisper texture to your cabbage and no dressing accumulation at the bottom of the bowl, you can salt your cabbage first. In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with 1 teaspoon salt and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes. Place in a colander, rinse and drain well. You can dry it some with paper towels. Warning: It might reduce your cabbage volume down quite a bit.
• You can substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but fat-free yogurt will yield a more watery slaw.
• This recipe is super flexible. Use whatever kinds of vegetables you like. Hate mayo? Use all sour cream. Or vice versa. Substitute light mayo and sour cream. Give it a Tex Mex flair with cumin, hot sauce, and cilantro.

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Classic Creamy Cole Slaw

Prep Time30 mins

Resting time1 hr

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 6 cups shredded green cabbage (or 1.5 lbs bagged shredded cabbage)
• 1 1/2-2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1-2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Creamy Cole Slaw Dressing

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or other light vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 Tablespoon grainy mustard

Instructions

• In a large bowl, place the shredded cabbage, carrots, onion and parsley. Toss together with your hands.
• In a medium bowl, mix together all the slaw dressing ingredients.  Let sit a few minutes to allow the sugar and salt to dissolve. Taste for balance and adjust to your liking.
  
• Smear approximately 2/3 of the dressing over the top of the mixed cabbage.  Fold to mix well.  Add as much remaining dressing as you desire.
• Allow the dressed slaw to sit for at least an hour before serving. 

Notes

• This Cole Slaw keeps for several days.  If using red cabbage, be aware that the red color might bleed into the dressing overnight, so it’s best mixed the day it’s served.
• You can prep the vegetables and dressing ahead separately, just mix a few hours before you want to serve it.