Vegan Coleslaw
This easy vegan coleslaw recipe tastes just like the classic! Creamy vegan coleslaw dressing gets whisked together and drizzled over shredded cabbage and carrots for the perfect side dish for a BBQ.
School is out and suddenly summer is in full swing. The weather has been hot and sunny, which makes me so happy since we are usually hit with the notorious “June Gloom.” Summer has me craving BBQ. It’s funny how that happens. It seems like it’s not just me – I’ve gotten a lot of requests for vegetarian and vegan BBQ recipes lately. While I typically try to share recipes that are on the more creative side, this week we have some standard American classics for summer BBQs. Sometimes my simplest recipes are the biggest hits – like my homemade salsa!
I’ll be sharing back-to-back classic side dishes this week, starting with this vegan coleslaw recipe. Coleslaw is one of those things I don’t make very often, but is so quick and easy, I wonder why I don’t. It’s an American BBQ staple and possibly a little more kid-friendly than the average salad. Have you ever made your own coleslaw? This vegan coleslaw is done in about 5 minutes. It’s creamy, a little sweet, and a little tangy. Coleslaw is like the comfort food of salads. Serve it with veggie dogs (I used Field Roast), baked beans, watermelon, and corn like I did, or your favorite dishes. Veggie Kabobs with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce would go nicely too.
Vegan Coleslaw Dressing
Classic coleslaw has two basic components: shredded cabbage and a creamy coleslaw dressing. Coleslaw dressing gets its creaminess from a mayonnaise base. Making a dairy-free and egg-free coleslaw is very easy to do if you can find vegan mayo. I just check the back of the jar and choose the ingredient list I’m most comfortable with. If you are a mayo-hater, I think you could make a coleslaw using yogurt (you’d want to omit or reduce the tangy vinegar though) or some pureed avocado. I haven’t tried those myself though! This vegan coleslaw dressing is made with creamy vegan mayonnaise, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.
For the cabbage base, you can shred green cabbage and a carrot or buy pre-shredded slaw mix. Here I used Trader Joe’s Organic Shredded Green & Red Cabbage with Carrots. The purple cabbage adds such nice color. I also really like their broccoli slaw, but we’re keeping this post classic so I’ll save that one for another day.
Whisk the coleslaw dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and place the cabbage and carrots in a larger bowl. This all takes literally 2 minutes!
Pour your vegan coleslaw dressing over the slaw and mix in!
Ways to Use Coleslaw
Classic coleslaw is perfect as a side, of course, but there are other ways you can use it too.
- Top veggie burgers or Jackfruit Sliders
- Use in wraps and sandwiches
Creative Coleslaw Recipes
Craving something different? Try these!
- Asian Cabbage Salad with Ginger Dressing
- Easy Mexican Coleslaw on FoodieCrush
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts Slaw on Cookie and Kate
- Cuban Slaw from Wholefully
Vegan Coleslaw
This easy creamy vegan coleslaw tastes just like the classic and goes well with all your favorite dinner recipes and BBQ dishes.
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded cabbage (or 1 9-oz. bag)*
- 1 shredded carrot*
- 1/2-1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the shredded cabbage and carrot into a salad bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. I like to start with a small amount of syrup (1/2 tablespoon) and gradually sweeten to taste. You can always add more, but you can't take any out.
- Pour the coleslaw dressing over the slaw and toss to combine.
Notes
*I used a 9-oz. bag of Organic Shredded Green & Red Cabbage with Orange Carrots from Trader Joe's. You can use this instead of the cabbage and carrot. This recipe makes a smaller family sized amount. Double for parties. Make ahead tip: coleslaw can be made up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated. Nutrition information is approximate and calculated by a third party app. I am not a nutritionist and can't guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition facts, please calculate again with your exact ingredients.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1/4 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 68Carbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g
I made this and it was very tasty. Instead of salt and pepper, I used Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning and it worked perfectly!