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Side Dish · Australian

Creamy Coleslaw

Classic Aussie barbecue coleslaw with shredded cabbage, carrot and a tangy mayonnaise dressing. Make it an hour ahead so the flavours settle.

Prep
20 min
Total
50 min
Serves
8

Updated

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Ready in 50 min, serves 8.

Total time
50 min
Serves
8
Course
Side Dish
Cuisine
Australian
Ingredients
10
Steps
4

Make ahead / storage: Dressed slaw keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, though it softens as it sits.

Bowl of creamy coleslaw with green and red cabbage, carrot and spring onion and a spoon

Coleslaw lives or dies on the dressing being balanced rather than just creamy. Straight mayonnaise tastes flat and heavy on cabbage, so this dressing cuts it with vinegar and a touch of mustard and sugar, enough to make it taste bright instead of just rich.

Shred the cabbage finely and by hand or with a mandoline rather than a food processor if you can, a processor tends to bruise the cabbage and release water, which waters down the dressing faster. If you've got the time, salt the shredded cabbage lightly and let it sit in a colander for 15 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid before dressing, it noticeably cuts down on sogginess.

Dress the slaw no more than a few hours before serving. Cabbage keeps releasing water once it's coated, and a slaw dressed the night before is usually watery and limp by the time it hits the table, even kept cold.

This one's a plain, reliable base. A handful of chopped apple, sliced spring onion or toasted seeds all sit well on top of it if you want to dress it up, but the version below is the one that goes with everything off the barbecue.

Recipe

Creamy Coleslaw

Prep
20 min
Total
50 min
Serves
8

Ingredients

8 Servings

Slaw

Dressing

Method

  1. Step 1: Combine the white cabbage, red cabbage, carrot and spring onion in a large bowl.

  2. Step 2: Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and a good grind of pepper together in a small bowl or jug until smooth.

  3. Step 3: Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well to coat everything evenly.

    Tip: Use your hands or salad tongs rather than a spoon, it coats the shredded cabbage much more evenly.

  4. Step 4: Taste and add a little more vinegar, sugar or salt if needed, cabbages vary in sweetness so the balance can shift batch to batch. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours, before serving.

Tips

  • For a drier, crunchier slaw, salt the shredded cabbage and leave it in a colander for 15 minutes first, then squeeze out the liquid in a clean tea towel before dressing.
  • Taste the dressing on its own before tossing it through. It should taste a little too sharp by itself, the cabbage mellows it once combined.
  • Keep a spoonful of dressing back if you're making the slaw more than an hour ahead, and stir it through again just before serving to freshen it up.

Variations

  • Dairy-free and vegan: use an egg-free mayonnaise, the rest of the recipe is unchanged.
  • Apple and poppy seed: add a grated green apple and a teaspoon of poppy seeds for extra crunch and a bit of sweetness.
  • Asian-style: swap the apple cider vinegar for rice vinegar, add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, and scatter with toasted sesame seeds, good alongside the chicken satay skewers.

Storage and make-ahead

Dressed slaw keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, though it softens as it sits. Undressed shredded vegetables keep for up to 3 days separately, dress just before serving for the best crunch.

Nutrition per serving, estimated

Calories
160
Protein
2g
Carbs
8g
Fat
14g

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