Description
A crisp, tangy, and creamy Southern coleslaw made with fresh hand-shredded cabbage and a light buttermilk dressing. This recipe avoids soggy textures by salting the cabbage first and allows flavors to meld for the best taste.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium head green cabbage (2–3 lbs), shredded
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup full-fat mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1–2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more for salting cabbage)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Remove outer leaves from cabbage, cut in half, remove core, and shred cabbage into thin strips.
- Place shredded cabbage and grated carrots in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and toss to distribute. Let sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess water.
- Transfer cabbage to a colander, rinse quickly under cold water to remove excess salt, and drain well, squeezing out liquid until damp but not dripping.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, and cayenne until smooth.
- Place drained cabbage and carrots back in the large mixing bowl. Add sliced red onion.
- Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss thoroughly with tongs or large spoons until evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
Salting the cabbage is crucial to prevent watery slaw. The slaw tastes better after chilling as flavors meld. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze as texture will suffer. For a vegan version, use vegan mayo and coconut yogurt.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 280
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 2
Keywords: coleslaw, southern coleslaw, buttermilk coleslaw, creamy slaw, side dish, barbecue side, easy recipe, 15 minute recipe