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    Home > Recipes > Vegan Salad Recipes

    Healthy-ish Vegan Coleslaw

    Updated: Oct 21, 2023 | Published: Mar 25, 2021 | by Amanda | 1 Comment

    Skip to Recipe

    A super easy vegan coleslaw recipe that comes together in under 10-minutes. Made with homemade vegan mayo plus yoghurt (for a little lightness), this classic salad is perfect for Summer parties, potluck picnics and BBQ's. Plus it's a keto coleslaw, as well as being naturally gluten free.

    A table setting with a large bowl of shredded salad.
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love this Recipe
    • What You'll Need
    • How to Make Vegan Coleslaw
    • Tips For the Best Vegan Slaw
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQ's
    • Make This Recipe
    • Leave a Comment

    Why You'll Love this Recipe

    Coleslaw is a quintessential summer salad and this one is lip-smackingly delicious. It's simple and classic with a little tang from the yoghurt.

    I think you're gonna love it. It's:

    • Ready in minutes,
    • Fuss-free with no weird ingredients
    • Lighter but still creamy
    • Vegan, naturally gluten-free and nut-free
    • Keto-friendly
    • An east make-ahead salad
    • So dang tasty.

    What You'll Need

    Equipment

    You're only going to need a chopping board, a chef's knife or a vegetable knife, a large spoon and a few mixing bowls.

    Ingredients

    Bowls of ingredients for a vegan coleslaw.

    Yoghurt. Making for a lighter salad, I like to add yoghurt to my dressing. I use a creamy natural coconut yoghurt. If you can't get a good natural yoghurt, swap it for vegan sour cream or just use a full cup of vegan mayonnaise.

    Homemade vegan mayo. Of course you can use store-bought but homemade is awesome, easy and cheaper!

    Cabbage.  Green cabbage in coleslaw is the classic but you can add red cabbage too. Red cabbage will bleed colour in to your dressing so I tend to keep it to a minimum. I do love the look of it though so I use 5 cups of green cabbage with 1 cup of red. Savoy and Napa cabbage can also be used.

    Celery seeds. If you can't find celery seeds, you can use celery salt. If you do, don't add the salt listed in the recipe.

    How to Make Vegan Coleslaw

    You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

    To be honest, you don't really need step-by-step instructions. This recipe for vegan coleslaw is crazy simple.

    For a cheeky hack - buy your cabbage and carrots pre-shredded and skip the chopping entirely.

    Step 1: Shred your cabbage and carrots and chop the parsley if you are adding it. Mix the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl until smooth.

    Two food images showing coleslaw being made in a large bowl.

    Step 2 and 3: Add half to two-thirds of the dressing to the cabbage mixture and stir through really well. If the salad is too dry, add more.

    Step 4: For the best results, leave your coleslaw to rest for an hour or so before serving.

    Two food images showing the mixed coleslaw.
    A finished bowl of salad.

    Tips For the Best Vegan Slaw

    • It's worth the effort to hunt down a good vegan yoghurt for this recipe. I use Cocobella natural yoghurt here in Australia. Don't worry, you can't taste the coconut at all 🙂
    • Shred your cabbage in to bite-ish size pieces if you can...it just makes the coleslaw easier to eat.
    • Leave the salad to sit for at least an hour to soften and work its magic.

    Serving Suggestions

    Coleslaw is great with dishes with robust, rich flavours.

    Try it with a BBQ Black Bean Burger, a Jackfruit Burger or my easy Vegan Shawarma.

    You could also serve it with this Lion's Mane Mushroom Steak from Wicked Kitchen or this Veggie Burger from Love and Lemons.

    Recipe FAQ's

    Can I make coleslaw ahead?

    Totally. A classic coleslaw loves a little time to wilt so making it a day ahead is perfect. If you want a crunchy version, you need to make it the same day as you serve it.

    My coleslaw is pink!

    Yeah, that's the red cabbage colour bleeding in to the dressing. Beetroot will do the same thing. You can just use green cabbage or limit the amount of red cabbage added - I use 5 cups of green cabbage to 1 cup of red. It still goes a little pink but not Pepto-pink.

    How long will it last in the fridge?

    Coleslaw keeps well in the fridge in a sealed container for 3 to 4 days.

    Is this vegan coleslaw OK for a keto diet?

    It is. This recipe only has 7g of carbs.

    How do I prevent watery slaw?

    While the coleslaw is resting (or being stored in the fridge), the water from the cabbage is released, thinning the dressing. Having enough dressing will help to prevent watery slaw. I keep any leftover dressing in the fridge to add if needed.

    More salad recipes for you to try.

    • Make Your Own Vegan Kimchi
    • Tofu and noodles in a bowl with greens.
      Lemongrass Tofu Salad
    • A white plate with tomatoes.
      Tomato and Onion Salad
    • Two slices of bread topped with a salad.
      Classic Vegan Chicken Salad

    Sign up to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Insta for all the latest news. If you like this recipe, please check out my cookbook "Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family" It's full of simple, carnivore-approved family recipes.

    Make This Recipe

    Coleslaw in a serving bowl.

    Healthy-ish Vegan Coleslaw Recipe

    A vegan coleslaw recipe that comes together in minutes. Made with mayo and yoghurt, this classic side is perfect for summer parties, potluck and BBQ's.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad | Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free | Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 106kcal
    Author: Amanda Logan

    Ingredients 

    • 6 cups cabbage green and red optional (5 cups green, 1 cup red)
    • 2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
    • ½ cup vegan mayo
    • ½ cup vegan yoghurt
    • 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 and ½ tablespoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon ground celery seed or ¾ teaspoon celery salt (omit any added salt if you are using celery salt)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ⅓ cup chopped parsley optional

    Instructions

    • Quarter the cabbage through the core and then cut out the core. Lay each quarter a flat side and slice thinly in to fine shreds.
    • Add the shredded cabbage, carrots and parsley (optional) to a large salad bowl.
    • In a separate bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, yoghurt, mustard, sugar, apple cider vinegar celery seeds and salt and pepper.
    • Add ½ to ⅔ of the dressing to the shredded cabbage and work it in with clean hands or a big old spoon. If the coleslaw is a little dry, add more dressing.
    • Leave the coleslaw to rest for an hour before serving. Keep any remaining dressing aside to add later if needed. Store the coleslaw in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
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    Notes

    Nutritional breakdown based on 10 side serves. 
    Coleslaw is great with dishes with robust, rich flavours. Try it with my BBQ Black Bean Burger, a Jackfruit Burger or my easy Vegan Shawarma.
    Celery seeds: if you can't find celery seeds, you can use celery salt. If you use celery salt, don't add the salt list in the recipe.
    Tips
    Tip 1: it's worth the effort to hunt down a good vegan yoghurt for this recipe. The salad is creamy and wonderful but doesn't coat your tongue the way mayonnaise can. I use Cocobella natural yoghurt here in Australia.
    Tip 2: shred your cabbage in to bite-ish size pieces if you can...just makes the coleslaw easier to eat.
    Tip 3: add the dressing in batches so that you can control how "wet" it is. While coleslaw is supposed to be creamy, you still want to enjoy the raw vegetables.
    Tip 4: leave the salad to sit for at least an hour to soften and work its magic.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2262IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried It?I'd love to hear your feedback. Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below. Or you can tag @mygoodnesskitchen or hashtag #mygoodnesskitchen on Instagram.
    « Hearty Vegan Bolognese
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    Comments

      5 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    1. Dimitrios BELEGRIS says

      March 31, 2021 at 10:42 pm

      I can't believe this is vegan put it in your burgers, eat it raw. This is unbelievable. Do yourself a favour and try this. Unbelievable. Just good food.

      Reply
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