This is the coleslaw that wins people over. It's bright, tangy, and a little sweet. There's not a spoonful of mayonnaise in sight. It comes together from a bag of slaw mix and pantry staples. A quick salting trick keeps it crisp on day two. Make this Old-Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar the night before your next cookout and watch it disappear first.
When the weather is warm (which is most of the time in Orlando), slaw of all types is one of my favorite sides.
While I love creamy coleslaw, is the no-may versions that I keep coming back to.
The Step You Might Have Skipped Before
If I could teach you one thing today, it'd be this: salt your cabbage first. This is the difference between slaw that stays crunchy and slaw that turns soggy overnight.
Cabbage is mostly water. When you pour a vinegar dressing over raw cabbage, salt and acid start pulling that water out. It ends up diluting your dressing and pooling in the bowl. So we get ahead of it.
Toss the cabbage with a little salt, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, and you'll watch it go from stiff and squeaky to limp and glossy. That's the water leaving on your terms instead of mid-potluck. Give it a quick rinse to wash off the excess salt, then squeeze it dry in a clean kitchen towel or a salad spiiner.
A note if you're using bagged slaw mix, which I usually do: it still works, and it's still worth the ten minutes. Bagged mix is a touch drier than a fresh-cut head to begin with, so you won't squeeze out as much, but I still find it worth the effort.
Let's talk vinegar
If you like things sharper, swap a tablespoon of the cider vinegar for plain white vinegar. Want it mellower? A splash of red wine vinegar will help.. The recipe below is my standard, but vinegar is the one place I'd encourage you to taste and adjust to your own mouth. You want it to make you sit up a little, not wince.
Make it ahead
This is a rare side dish where planning ahead actively makes it better, not just more convenient. Fresh out of the bowl, the dressing is sitting on top of the vegetables. Give it two hours in the fridge (overnight is even better and the flavors marry into something cohesive. Day-two slaw is the good slaw.
That makes this an ideal candidate for meal prep and for any event where you do not want to be tossing a salad while ten people stand in your kitchen. Stir it once more before serving to redistribute the dressing that's settled to the bottom, and you're done.
Step-by-Step
Old-Fashioned Slaw with Vinegar
Ingredients
- 16 ounces coleslaw mix
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 red onion sliced thin
- ⅓ cup dill pickle relish
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup neutral oil avocado, vegetable, light olive oil
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Salt and drain the cabbage
- Place the coleslaw mix in a colander set over a bowl or in the sink. Toss with salt and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cabbage looks wilted and glossy. Rinse briefly under cool water, then squeeze it as dry as you can — a clean kitchen towel works best, or do it by the handful. This is what keeps your slaw crisp instead of watery.
Combine the vegetables
- Place the coleslaw, red onion, and dill pickle relish in a large bowl.
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl, mason jar with lid, or blender, combine the vinegar, oil, sugar, celery salt, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk, shake or process until smooth.
Toss
- Toss the slaw with the dressing.
Chill
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Toss again before serving.
Notes
- Vinegar swap: For a sharper bite, replace 1 tablespoon of the cider vinegar with white vinegar. For something mellower, use red wine vinegar.
- Sweetener swap: Substitute 3 tablespoons honey for the sugar; whisk it in well so it dissolves.
- Storage: Stored airtight in the fridge, this slaw is good for up to 4 days and stays crisp thanks to the salting step.
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