Sweet, tangy, colorful, and delicious – Red Cabbage Slaw is perfect for any occasion. Try it today!
Red cabbage slaw makes such a pretty and colorful statement on any table. Strands of purple cabbage and orange carrots are the perfect backdrop to specks of fresh green parsley. Aside from the visual brightness of this dish, the taste is light and fresh, with a hint of sweetness to balance the tang of the vinegar.
I love slaw — always have and always will. While my favorite version is chopped, sweet coleslaw, there are not many I will turn away except those with celery seeds. Yes, I know celery seeds are highly popular in coleslaw. However, ever since that one time when I bit into one that was stuck in my teeth about an hour after eating, I have shied away from them. I’ll never forget how that bitter taste stayed with me for what seemed like an eternity.
Is There a Difference Between Slaw and Coleslaw?
The words “slaw” and “coleslaw” are often used interchangeably to describe the familiar salad of shredded cabbage. However, there is a difference between the two that most people probably don’t know— I didn’t until I looked it up. Slaw can be any salad of chopped or shredded raw vegetables. These veggies might include shredded broccoli, jicama, carrots, Brussels sprouts, celery, peppers, cabbage, and more.
Coleslaw is a dish that features cabbage as a primary ingredient, including green, Napa, savoy, red (purple), or bok choy. I had no idea that bok choy was in that category. Slaw or coleslaw can feature vinegar-only dressings or creamier versions incorporating mayonnaise, yogurt, or sour cream.
Why You Should Shred and Not Chop Carrots for This Recipe
Unlike some coleslaw recipes that call for chopped or grated carrots, red cabbage strands look best alongside matchstick carrots. Because you do not use a mix of green and red cabbage in this recipe, you want the appearance of the long carrot strands for contrast. Shredding the carrots provides a uniform appearance in the dish. You can use a julienne peeler, which is similar to a veggie peeler but shreds the vegetables instead. A box grater with large holes can also offer longer shreds when you angle the carrots against it.
How to Make Ahead and Store
You can shred your veggies and make the dressing a day ahead, combining it when ready to serve. You can also mix everything in advance. However, I would not add the dressing more than 1 day in advance, as the carrots and cabbage will start to soften.
Once assembled, cabbage slaw will be good for 3 days at most before it starts to become soggy. Remember to stir the salad before each serving to remix the ingredients that might settle to the bottom of the bowl.
Serving Suggestions
I like to put red cabbage slaw on top of these Slow-Cooker Salsa Verde Beef Tacos, as it is the perfect counterpoint to the flavor of the green tomatillos in the salsa. This slaw also goes well with these Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sliders. If you like slaw but want something that goes great with Tex-Mex meals, try this Mexican Coleslaw recipe. It’s so good.
Red Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- 1/2 head red cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the thinly sliced red cabbage and shredded carrots.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage and carrots. Toss well to ensure all the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Add the chopped parsley to the slaw and toss again to distribute.
- Allow the slaw to sit for about 10 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld together.
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