Creamy Coleslaw

The back screen door banged shut four times in five minutes while I tried to keep track of the dressing measurements on the counter. Making a good batch of creamy coleslaw at home comes down to getting the dressing right in its own bowl before it ever touches the cabbage.

I’ve found that whisking the wet and dry ingredients ahead of time prevents the clumps that ruin a summer side dish.

Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 0 minutes · Total: 20 minutes · Serves: 6

How do you fix watery coleslaw? If your coleslaw has sat and gone watery, drain the liquid from the bowl and re-toss the cabbage with two to three tablespoons of freshly made dressing.

Cabbage naturally gives off water over time, and replacing the dressing is the best way to bring back the flavor without adding more mayonnaise to a wet bowl.

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What You’ll Need

• 4 cups green cabbage, sliced thin (about 12 oz)
• 1 cup red cabbage, sliced thin (about 3 oz)
• 2 carrots, grated on the large holes
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard

Picking the Right Ingredients

The choice of second dairy liquid changes the texture and flavor slightly, even though buttermilk, sour cream, and Greek yogurt all work at the three tablespoon measurement. Buttermilk and sour cream add their own natural tang, while Greek yogurt keeps the sauce a bit leaner.

Nico’s Recipes also uses mayonnaise and yogurt in equal parts for a lighter dressing option.

Red cabbage appears in only one of the classic sources, but I like using it because it adds a pop of bright color to the bowl. It does tend to bleed its color into the dressing if the salad sits too long in the fridge.

Celery seed brings that classic deli flavor, though you can leave it out if you don’t keep it in your spice cabinet.

None of the original sources give a definitive cabbage quantity except for the proportions pulled from Nico’s Recipes, so I stick strictly to those ratios. The yield of six servings is an estimate based on five total cups of shredded vegetables.

Always slice the cabbage as thin as you can with a knife or mandoline to get that classic deli texture.

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Whisk the dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt, and prepared mustard in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Chill the mixture. Place the bowl of dressing in the refrigerator to let the flavors blend while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
3. Slice the vegetables. Cut the green cabbage and red cabbage as thin as possible with a sharp knife, and grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater until you have the correct amounts.
4. Mix the slaw. Toss the sliced green cabbage, red cabbage, and grated carrots together in a large mixing bowl until they are evenly distributed.
5. Dress the salad. Pour the chilled dressing over the vegetables right before serving and toss well until every piece is coated and glossy.

How to Store It

Store leftover coleslaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days, as noted by Hungry Mom Cooking. The cabbage will continue to soften and release moisture the longer it sits in the dressing.

Stir the mixture well before serving any leftovers from the fridge. Do not attempt to freeze creamy coleslaw because mayonnaise-based dressings and raw cabbage break down completely and turn watery upon thawing.

More From My Kitchen

• Classic Broccoli Salad
• Classic Potato Salad (Make-Ahead)
• Beef Enchiladas with Chili Gravy
• Bubbling Blackberry Cobbler
• Bubbling Blueberry Cobbler
• Buttery Classic French Toast
• Chewy Homemade Bagels
• Chewy Snickerdoodles
• Cinnamon Apple Muffins (with Crumb Topping)
• Classic Apple Crisp

Creamy Coleslaw

Recipe by Daisy MerrittCourse: Side DishCuisine: American

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups green cabbage, sliced thin (about 12 oz)

• 1 cup red cabbage, sliced thin (about 3 oz)

• 2 carrots, grated on the large holes

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise

• 3 tablespoons buttermilk, sour cream, or Greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon celery seed

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard

Directions

• Whisk the dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt, and prepared mustard in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves completely.
• Chill the mixture. Place the bowl of dressing in the refrigerator to let the flavors blend while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
• Slice the vegetables. Cut the green cabbage and red cabbage as thin as possible with a sharp knife, and grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater until you have the correct amounts.
• Mix the slaw. Toss the sliced green cabbage, red cabbage, and grated carrots together in a large mixing bowl until they are evenly distributed.
• Dress the salad. Pour the chilled dressing over the vegetables right before serving and toss well until every piece is coated and glossy.