Sometimes we just need something to be easy right?! How about a super simple vinegar based coleslaw recipe? Red Cabbage Vinegar Slaw is that! Only 10 minutes from start to finish, delicious, versatile, and look how gorgeous! Mayo free, too, with a quick vinegar and oil coleslaw dressing. A few simple ingredients and you have a perfect side for burgers, sandwiches, ribs, or anything else you're having at your picnic. It's even amazing piled high on salad greens!
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Coleslaw is perfect for summer cookouts, and this one is no exception. It takes like summer! But the vegetables we use are readily available and budget-friendly any time of the year, so enjoy this dish all the time!
Red cabbage slaw pairs well with our Quinoa Mushroom Burgers and Lentil Baked Beans!
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Heart Health Benefits of Red Cabbage Vinegar Slaw
Coleslaw isn't terribly unhealthy, but that mayo dressing isn't doing your heart - or your waistline - any favors. That's why this healthy red cabbage coleslaw features a delicious vinegar and oil dressing that's really simple to throw together. But coleslaw's health benefits don't stop with the dressing. Let's talk about that cabbage.
It's just so pretty! Sometimes called red cabbage and sometimes called purple cabbage, there's no denying its beauty. I'm definitely having a moment with this veggie.
Purple cabbage contains anthocyanins, like blueberries. It's also a cruciferous vegetable, so it provides similar health benefits of broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. This group of veggies is known to have anti-cancer properties (1), as well as overall strong antioxidant activity. (If you like purple cabbage, also check out my "Eat the Rainbow" Spinach Salad!)
And the carrots! Besides being low in calories, and high in fiber, carrots are also an excellent source of vitamin A, with a bit of Vitamin K and potassium, to boot. Also, contrary to popular opinion, carrots are not high in sugar. As a root vegetable, they may contain more naturally occurring sugars than veggies like spinach or cucumbers, but their sugar content is on par with the other root vegetables - about the same as sweet potatoes gram-for-gram.
For the dressing, we keep it simple with vinegar, oil, and some herbs.
My go-to oil is olive oil. High in monounsaturated fats, it’s one of the heart healthiest oils you can get. Extra virgin olive oil is considered the best, but it’s not great for cooking. It is, however, perfect for making this vinegar and oil coleslaw dressing! If you want a great all purpose oil, regular olive oil is good. You can also use grapeseed oil or avocado oil. A neutrally flavored oil is usually what you want.
The herbs are also high in nutrition. Herbs and spices are packed with antioxidants (2). So feel free to use herbs and spices liberally!
Ingredients
We use common ingredients that are easy to find to make this red cabbage slaw.
- Red cabbage
- Carrots
- Apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil
- Celery seed
- Dried dill
- Ground pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
If you have a vegetable slicer or shredder, you can make quick work of this recipe! You can also slice the veggie by hand if you don't have one.
- Step 1: Shred the red cabbage.
- Step 2: Shred or grate the carrots.
- Step 3: Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
- Step 4: Pour the dressing over the vegetable, and stir to combine well.
Hint: refrigerate red cabbage coleslaw for at least 30 minutes, or up to a day in advance to allow the flavors to combine well.
Substitutions
Missing something? Try one of these substitutions.
- Cabbage - use green cabbage in place of the red cabbage if needed
- Vinegar - try white balsamic or rice vinegar if you don't have cider vinegar
- Sweetener - any sweetener you like is fine, but if you use a granulated sweetener, make sure it is fully dissolved in the dressing before adding it to the slaw
Equipment
While you can absolutely slice the cabbage and carrots by hand, a slicer or shredder will make the job super fast and easy. So I do recommend one.
Otherwise, you won't need anything other than some standard kitchen tools: measuring spoons, liquid measuring cup, a large bowl and mixing spoon.
Affiliate links in recipe card if needed.
Storage
Store the red cabbage vinegar slaw in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will last about 3-5 days.
This is not freezer friendly.
Pro tip
Make sure to keep the salt out of the dish until the very end! Taste the finished dish and then add salt if you think it needs it. This is a great way to keep your salt intake under control!
FAQs
You will get about 3-5 days out of your coleslaw. That's because the dressing starts to soak into the veggies, and will make them soggy. If you aren't going to eat the coleslaw within a few days, keep the dressing separate from the vegetables until you're ready. You'll get about 7 days, or even more, out of it then!
No. I do not recommend trying to freeze coleslaw. Fresh vegetables in general don't freeze well unless you're going to cook them after they thaw. Freezing breaks down some of the molecular structure of the food, and you'll get really mushy coleslaw when you thaw it. Unfortunately, what you don't eat within about 5 days should be thrown out.
You can shred cabbage in 2 basic ways; with a mandolin slicer or by hand with a good old cutting board and knife.
To shred with a mandolin
Cut your head of cabbage into quarters, through the core. Adjust your mandolin to the thickness you want, and simply slice each cabbage quarter, holding the core with your hand. You'll probably want to discard the core instead of slicing it.
To shred by hand
Cut your head of cabbage into quarters, through the core. Cut on a diagonal to remove the core from each quarter. Now use your knife to slice the cabbage as thin as you like. When you're done you may want to cut the slices in half lengthwise so they'll be easier to eat, but that's your call.
Yes. If you want to make this ultra quick, but still healthy homemade coleslaw, use one whole 16 oz bag of plain coleslaw veggies, and continue making the dressing as per the recipe.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Red Cabbage Vinegar Slaw:
📖 Recipe
Red Cabbage Vinegar Slaw
Ingredients
- ½ head of Red Cabbage, shredded
- 2 large Carrots, julienne or shredded
- ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- (optional) 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup or Honey
- ½ teaspoon Celery Seed
- ½ teaspoon Dried Dill
- ½ teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- Salt to taste, if needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix cabbage and carrots.
- In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, except salt.
- Toss the vegetables with the dressing.
- Taste, and salt, if needed. I find mine does not need either the salt or the sweetener.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate, and will change based on the brand and individual ingredients and amounts you use. This is provided for your convenience only.
Food safety
Safety is our top priority in the kitchen! Always keep these tips in mind.
- Wash hands before touching food, and after touching raw meat, your hair, face, pets, etc.
- Thoroughly wash all produce before cutting and using in this recipe
- Use cutting boards and knives that are thoroughly washed and sanitized, especially if they have been used for raw meat before
- Keep this red cabbage vinegar slaw cold at all times, and discard if out of refrigeration longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour in hot weather)
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