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    Southern Coleslaw Recipe

    By April Boller Wright 45 Comments

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    Southern Coleslaw  also known as Cole Slaw is a classic southern side the goes well with bbq. Shredded cabbage, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar,  lemon juice and sugar are just some of the slaw ingredients. Everybody loves how crunchy, creamy ,sweet and tangy it is. 5 mins prep and so tasty and easy! Check out the Pinterest reviews. And don't forget to make this into a meal with instant pot or slow cooker bbq pulled beef sandwiches or my crispy tuna patties!  

    a bowl of creamy southern coleslaw

    Believe in yourself, take on your challenges, dig deep within yourself to conquer fears.
    "Best slaw I have ever eaten!"~Ellie S.

    HOW TO MAKE COLESLAW AND INGREDIENTS

    If you've never made cole slaw before just know it's super easy to make. In the warmer months, while my husband is on the grill making bbq chicken and ribs and whatever else,  I'm usually whipping up a bowl of southern cole slaw and cold mint iced tea <---- stay tuned for that recipe. 

    The first step in making cole slaw is to add mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, a pinch of celery salt, salt and pepper to a small bowl and mix until combines. Secondly, pour the cole slaw dressing into the bowl with the cole slaw.

    Mix well. Lastly, you can either eat it right away or refrigerate it for an hour or two. I actually like to eat it right away. Simple classic and very southern.  Just how I like it. See notes below for more tips and how to make this cole slaw recipe ahead of time.

    WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS?

    • This cole slaw is gorgeous to look at plus. Secondly, it's bursting with crunch, sweet and tangy AND it's a huge crowd pleaser.
    • It will attract your guests because it's bright and colorful and creamy.
    • The contrasting colors are eye catchy.
    • Celery salt gives the slaw a POW factor. A SMALL pinch is ALL you need. 
    • Apple - cider vinegar and lemon juices gives it a bright tangy flavor. 
    • Sugar - balance out the flavors. The sweetness of dressing will have guests coming back for seconds and thirds.

    a bowl of creamy southern coleslaw

    WHAT GOES WELL WITH HOMEMADE COLESLAW

    Cole slaw is usually eaten as a side dish with barbecued meats, fried fish, crispy airy hushpuppies or fried chicken. I like to eat mine a bit differently. By different, I mean, I love it topped on my fish tacos, pulled bbq chicken/brisket or bbq chicken sliders or on top of sandwiches.  This cole slaw perks up any food and it's best topped on bbq chicken sliders with homemade bbq sauce .

    Southern Coleslaw recipe step by step

    SOUTHERN COLESLAW TIPS:

    Make ahead dressing:  Don't mix the cole slaw dressing with the cabbage and veggies. Instead, it's best to make the dressing ahead of time and store covered in the fridge for a couple of hours or until you need it. Stored and covered dressing can be refrigerated for a couple weeks. When you are ready to serve, add the dressing a bit to your vegetables at a time because you may not need to use it all.

    • Leftover dressing  - Use leftover dressing on hot dogs and again, you can top tacos, and bbq meats with cole slaw or serve it on the side.
    • Shortcut Cole slaw - No need to shred a head of cabbage. The bagged kind is quicker and easier. You can usually find bagged cole slaw in 10 to 16 oz bags.
    • Small family - use half a bag of slaw and save the rest for the following day to make a vinaigrette based cole slaw or an Asian slaw to serve with grilled chicken.
    • Vegan - to make this a vegan cole slaw, use your choice of vegan mayonnaise (egg free) and vegan (plant-based) milk. 
    • Variations -  Add sliced green onions, add thin slices of green or red peppers, as a mentioned in the post. Add jalapenos for a touch of heat. 
    • Lightened up cole slaw -Use half sour cream and half regular mayonnaise or light mayonnaise for a healthier option.
    a bowl of creamy southern coleslaw

    Southern Coleslaw Recipe

    April Boller Wright
    Creamy Southern Coleslaw Recipe also known as Cole Slaw with shredded cabbage, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar,  lemon juice and sugar are just some of the dressing ingredients. Everybody loves this crunchy, tangy and creamy 5 minute slaw. So tasty and easy! 
    5 from 23 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Southern American
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 79 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 14 oz bag of coleslaw
    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
    • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 1 pinch celery salt small pinch
    • salt for taste I used about ½ tsp
    • ¼ tsp pepper

    Instructions
     

    • In a small bowl add the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, celery salt, and salt and pepper. Mix to combine. 
    • Pour the dressing into a bowl with the coleslaw. Mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours. 

    Notes

    Cook Tips: 

     
     

    Make ahead dressing:  

    For the best coleslaw, don't mix the dressing with the cabbage, instead, make it ahead of time and store covered in the fridge for a couple of hours or until you need it.
     
    Stored dressing can be refrigerated for a couple weeks. When you are ready to serve, don't add all the coleslaw at once. Add a bit at a time then add more if you want the slaw creamier.
     
     
    • Leftover dressing  - Use leftover dressing on hot dogs and again, you can top tacos, and bbq meats with coleslaw or serve it on the side.  
       
    • Shortcut Coleslaw - No need to shred a head of cabbage. The bagged kind is quicker and easier. You can usually find bagged coleslaw in 10 to 16 oz bags.  
       
    • Small family - use half a bag of slaw and save the rest for the following day to make a vinaigrette based coleslaw to serve with grilled chicken.  
       
    • Vegan - to make this a vegan coleslaw, use your choice of vegan mayonnaise (egg free) and vegan (plant-based) milk. 
    • Variations -  Add sliced green onions, add thin slices of green or red peppers, as a mentioned in the post. Add jalapenos for a touch of heat.   
       
    • Lightened up coleslaw -Use half sour cream and half regular mayonnaise or light mayonnaise for a healthier option. 
     
    Follow Whisk it Real Gud on Instagram 
     
    Recipe was updated 3/4/2019

    Nutrition

    Calories: 79kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 158mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 79IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword creamy coleslaw, creamy coleslaw recipe, southern coleslaw
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    If you think this southern coleslaw recipe looks good save it to your Pinterest Board or share to your Facebook to save this recipe! Let's connect on Pinterest too!

    You may also like these other southern recipes:

    The Perfect Summertime Old Bay Seafood Macaroni Salad

    Easy Buttery Peach Cobbler

    Crispy Tuna Patties 

    Quick Sweet Potato Pie (Video)

    Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Barbecue Pulled Beef 

    Smothered Chicken

    « Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy
    The Best Tangy & Thick Sweet Onion BBQ Sauce »
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    Comments

    1. Kathy

      December 04, 2020 at 4:32 pm

      I love this recipe, so easy and just creamy enough with a little tang. It goes great with pulled pork on a sandwich. My go-to coleslaw. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        December 18, 2020 at 1:59 pm

        Thank you Kathy!! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Nancy Pitts

      September 07, 2020 at 2:19 pm

      Really tasty, just the right amount of zing to it. I made extra dressing to use on salads since it was so good.5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        September 28, 2020 at 3:21 pm

        Thank you Nancy!!

        Reply
    3. Susan Keller

      May 09, 2020 at 4:19 pm

      I'm trying this recipe today. We don't have any lemons so I'm going with orange juice. Wish me luck!

      Reply
      • Susan Keller

        May 09, 2020 at 5:59 pm

        I just made this.YUM! I had small head of cabbage which ended up being 22 oz shredded so I slightly increased the other ingredients. Turned out fine using fresh orange juice instead of lemon juice. Keeping this recipe!5 stars

        Reply
        • April

          May 17, 2020 at 11:17 pm

          Orange juice sounds very interesting! I'm glad it worked out for you! Thanks for the great feedback!
          April My Profile

          Reply
    4. Kari Heron

      March 19, 2019 at 10:55 am

      I love coleslaw. It was my favourite salad as a child and yours takes me back. Love the little specs of red cabbage dotted throughout. Beautiful!

      Reply
      • April

        March 19, 2019 at 11:24 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    5. mike kopchik

      March 12, 2019 at 12:21 pm

      Lemon juice??? How much lemon juice? It's not listed in the ingredients only in directions.

      Reply
      • April

        March 12, 2019 at 12:59 pm

        Hello! Sorry, I just updated the recipe. 1 1/2 tbsp.

        Reply
    6. Maman de sara

      March 11, 2019 at 6:59 pm

      I don’t have a bagged coleslaw right now but I do have a head of cabbage in my fridge. I am going to make this easy recipe tonight as I planned a light easy dinner, thanks for sharing.5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        March 13, 2019 at 1:30 pm

        Thank you so much! Enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Mimi

      March 11, 2019 at 7:40 am

      No wonder everyone loves this coleslaw's texture, taste and feel - it is simply amazing! I would say it is perfect, too, but it is pretty much the same 🙂 Definitely making myself a big bowl of this coleslaw this weekend!
      Mimi My Profile5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        March 11, 2019 at 4:55 pm

        Thank you so much Mimi! I think you'll really enjoy it!

        Reply
    8. Lathiya

      March 10, 2019 at 9:48 pm

      Honestly, I haven't tasted coleslaw before...but your post wants me to try. I had no idea what goes in coleslaw and really happy that ingredients are so simple.5 stars

      Reply
    9. Jori

      March 09, 2019 at 11:19 pm

      I love how quick this is AND you can make the dressing ahead of time. It sounds so crunchy and tasty. Thank you!
      Jori My Profile5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        March 11, 2019 at 4:55 pm

        I can eat a big bowl of this haha! Thank you Jori!

        Reply
    10. Cheese Curd In Paradise

      March 09, 2019 at 11:11 pm

      I love this recipe and I love the creamy dressing on the coleslaw. One of my favorite things to make with this slaw is a fish fry! the freshness is a perfect partner to the fried fish.5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        March 11, 2019 at 4:57 pm

        Yess me too. I wish I had some fish and coleslaw now! Thank you!

        Reply
    11. Celeste

      March 09, 2019 at 10:11 pm

      When I think of coleslaw I think of summer. Growing up in Georgia we used to put it on hot dogs with mustard and it was a must-have with fried chicken. This recipe looks delicious and tasty.

      Reply
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    April Wright Whisk it Real Gud_I'm April and I hope you stay for a while. Being a mom (plus a bonus mom) with kids on the autism spectrum, I need to be super efficient with my time. That’s why I create simple recipes that are delicious and don’t require a lot of steps. On this site you'll find all kinds of easy recipes. Comfort foods, southern recipes, restaurant favorites, salads and ethnic recipes and more! Read more .

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