Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe

I love a simple recipe that does double duty. This red cabbage slaw recipe is perfect as a side dish for barbecue and other main courses.

But if you have leftovers, it doesn’t have to go to waste! Mixed with just a few extra ingredients, this side dish becomes a main course all on its own with some very nice flavor!

This super easy recipe is basically a coleslaw recipe, but with some minor adjustments. You could add one or two large carrots to this if you shred them, to make this more like traditional coleslaw. But I skipped that. I kept it minimal with simple ingredients, and this allows this crunchy slaw to be far more than just a side dish.

Tangy Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe

There are two reasons you might want to make a change to this great recipe.

1. You don’t want the fat content from the mayo.
2. You enjoy a tangier taste in your slaw, but still want a creamy dressing.

In either case, you can easily make any of the following changes to the coleslaw dressing:

• Use plain Greek yogurt instead of the mayo.
• Add 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Add 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• Add 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice or lemon juice
• Add a few slices of sliced green onions

The Greek yogurt, mustard and citrus will combine nicely to give you a tangy dressing. You can easily adjust the level of tanginess by adding a bit of sweetener to taste.

Cabbage Pasta Dinner

I had a fair amount of this left over because Mini Chef isn’t the biggest fan of coleslaw or cabbage in general. So I cooked a 1/2 pound of red lentil pasta in salted water, and four slices of turkey bacon in my air fryer. I then chopped those into bacon bits. I tossed all that together and it made a very filling and very tasty pasta dinner!

Ingredient Checklist

4 cups red cabbage – a.k.a. purple cabbage. This is approximately half of a medium red cabbage. Slice this very thin for better texture. You can use green cabbage if you prefer, either mixed with red cabbage 50/50, or substitute it completely. You can also purchase pre- shredded cabbage to make life easier. Avoid other cabbages such as napa cabbage. They won’t work well here.

1 cup red onions – Chopped fine.

⅓ cup mayonnaise – You can make your own homemade mayonnaise, or purchase the cleanest you can find.

2 tbsp. maple syrup – Use the real stuff.

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar – Regular white vinegar works too, but ACV is better for flavor.

2 tsp. garlic powder – Garlic granules work well too.

1 tsp. celery seeds – Simply omit if you don’t have them or can’t find some.

½ tsp. ground black pepper – The finer the grind, the better.

½ tsp. salt – I used ¾ teaspoon salt. But I also used pink Himalayan salt. If you use a regular, white salt, stick to the ½ teaspoon.

How To Make Red Cabbage Slaw

Combine cabbage with all other ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Use the cabbage mixture as either a side dish, or a main event. Read on to find out how!

How To Serve Red Cabbage Slaw

Here are some ideas for how to eat red cabbage slaw.

1. By itself as a side dish
2. On burgers or sliders
3. On a pulled pork sandwich
4. On fish tacos
5. Mixed with pasta
6. Mixed with rice
7. Mixed with quinoa

How To Store Red Cabbage Slaw

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

Recipe Supplies

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At the very least, you’ll need a good, sharp knife to slice the cabbage thin and even. However, to save time, you can also use a food processor with a slice or shred attachment. And lastly, you’ll need a good mixing bowl to toss it all together.

More Slaw Recipes

• Easy Coleslaw
• Broccoli Slaw
• Mexican Cabbage Slaw
• Bacon Slaw

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Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe