Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe – Try this amazingly delicious and easy to make side dish for a Vinegar Based Coleslaw recipe at your next barbecue or backyard get together!
If you are looking for a ridiculously easy recipe for slaw, then look not further than this Vinegar Based Coleslaw recipe. It definitely seems like vinegar coleslaws has been all the craze in the coleslaw world the last few years.
They’re more flavorful and to me provide way more flavor when either eat by itself or when topped off on a big fat smoked brisket or pork sandwich. One of my favorite coleslaws is done by a local restaurant right here in Chicago called Smoque.
Yes, I said a really good BBQ joint in Chicago and it wasn’t an oxymoron. Believe it or not my favorite BBQ place in the entire country is in Chicago, Green Street Smoked Meats, and I’ve had BBQ in just about every state in the south.
Often times it’s not just the smoked meats that make BBQ so good, it’s all of the side accompaniments. I mean what would BBQ be without cornbread, peach cobbler, baked beans, vinegar based coleslaw, you name it. It would definitely not be the same.
There are few ingredients in this vinegar based coleslaw recipe, with a great sweet and tangy vinegar based dressing that compliments perfectly. It all starts with the vegetables of course.
A bulk of the vegetable comes from a head of green cabbage, and I for one like it shaved super thin, more times than not using a mandolin.
Now just know that when you shave vegetables super thin and apply an acid to it, like vinegar, it’s going to break down faster and become wilted or to put it simply, soggy.
I only say this because if you make this vinegar coleslaw ahead of time and slice the vegetables super thin, it may not be perfect when you go to serve it several hours later or the next day.
If you plan on making it ahead of time I would recommend combing the vegetables and keeping the dressing separate right until you are ready to serve.
Also don’t plan on seasoning it to the end because if you salt the vegetable they will wilt super quick. Yeah that was a lot of explanation on just the first ingredient. Let’s get back to this Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe.
For the rest of the vegetables I use red cabbage and carrots, which I also shave super thin on a mandolin. It’s always weird when a vegetable you’ve eaten your entire life is cut or sliced a bit different than normal that it seems to take on a completely different flavor and is so much more flavorful.
Wonder if it’s just our minds playing tricks on our palettes?? This coleslaw with vinegar dressing is pretty versatile in the simple fact that you can get creative and add other ingredients to it as well.
In addition, the shaved green cabbage, red cabbage and carrots, I add sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, celery seed, salt and pepper and of course the dressing. However, you could add sliced bell peppers, sliced spicy peppers, like jalapeños, or even things like thinly sliced kale or jicama.
Look what I’m trying to tell you is that you are only limited by your own creativity, so have fun with this for crying out loud.
If you don’t want to slice the cabbages and carrots yourself for this vinegar based coleslaw recipe then I suggest buying the pre-made slaw mix, it will work just as well.
I will caution that sometimes those bagged up veggies can have weird things on them to help preserve them and keep them crisp, so I always believe in buying fresh and doing a bit of the labor yourself, I promise it’s not that bad.
I used honey in the recipe, but it can certainly be substituted with 1 tablespoon of sugar, totally up to you. Heck if you are on a total natural ingredient kick you could even use agave nectar.
Making the dressing for a vinegar based coleslaw is actually super easy. A traditional vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Well for me to maximize flavor we have to bring down that oil count to like 2 or even equal at 1 to the vinegar.
This will help make the vinegar based coleslaw taste so much better. Also, remember that oil hates vinegar so add a little mustard in there to help bring them together.
Lastly, and of course, I recommend putting this slaw on top of a pulled pork or chicken sandwich, it’s absolutely delicious!
If you are as infatuated with BBQ and all things coleslaw like I am then you for sure want to try a few other killer coleslaw recipes that I’ve created at: Blue Cheese Coleslaw, Creamy Coleslaw, Vegetable Dill Coleslaw, and an Asian Coleslaw.
Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 thinly sliced head of green cabbage
- 1 cup of thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 whole shredded carrots
- 3 thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon of honey or 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of celery seed
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey and olive oil and set aside. In a separate bowl mix together cabbages, carrots, green onions and celery seed.
- Next, pour a small amount of the dressing on the cabbage mixture and mix together until combined and until desired amount of dressing is achieved.
- Season with salt and pepper, and chill before serving.
Nutrition
Lynlyn says
I love this dressing! It was light and not too sweet as most coleslaw dressings tend to be. I actually only used 1/2 tsp. of sugar but added an apple (sliced into match sticks) and some orange slices. it was light and fruity tasting, a hit with my family.
Andre says
Super excited to try this recipe! If I go the lazy route how much pre bagged coleslaw mix do I need?
Chef Billy Parisi says
At least 1 bag, probably another 1/2 as well.
Brynne says
This looks so similar to the coleslaw my dad always made when I was growing up. He always kept the veggies super simple though, green (and occasionally some red) cabbage, carrots and green onions.
My husband’s family are all very much ‘creamy coleslaw’ people, and I’ve been craving this kind of tangy slaw, but most recipes I’ve found have a very similar ingredient list, but with 1/3 cup of sugar! That’s sure not how dad made it!!!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I’m very much looking forward to it!
Susanne says
So easy and so good! Didn’t change a thing in your recipe. I used honey rather than the white sugar! Went amazing with the ribs I made for dinner! Thank you!
Kim says
Just threw this together in about 5 minutes. If you use pre-shredded cabbage, it’s lightning quick. Don’t buy coleslaw at the store anymore…this is simple, uses ingredients most of us have on hand and tastes fantastic and fresh. Any ingredient can be altered to taste, too.
Cindy Ruff says
What is grainy mustard?
Chef Billy Parisi says
Same as whole grain.
Jan says
Want to make this for a family get-together, but one family member is allergic to mustard. Any suggestions?
Chef Billy Parisi says
It’d be ok if you don’t use it. It’s really used to help emulsify the vinaigrette, you’ll be ok with out it.
Rachael says
This is exactly what I was looking for, Billy! Thank you! Question…I was thinking of adding apples to this and am wondering if a honey mustard might work. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Chef Billy Parisi says
I think both could totally work and would make it a really cool fall style coleslaw!
Jo says
It’s Thanksgiving day and just my husband and I so we decided to do a fish fry and shrimp fry instead of the traditional turkey day dinner. This was a great addition to our fresh steamed veggie sides and roasted potatoes.
I love this recipe but would like to know what mandoline are you using?
Thanks for the great recipe, easy, adaptable and lots of health you ingredients.
Chef Billy Parisi says
Thanks so much and so happy this worked out for you. It’s an oxo, and I think this is the one –>> https://amzn.to/2KpcdLl
Lisa says
This is delicious and not too sweet. I’ve made exactly as written and with shredded chicken and sliced almonds for a main course. Everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing.
Chef Billy Parisi says
So glad it worked out for you!
Bill says
Salt the shredded cabbage until it sheds some water than rinse it in a colander and it won’t go soggy.
Tonya Sutter says
To begin with, creamy coleslaw is gross.
This coleslaw is so stinkin good. Crunchy, fresh, and pretty. What were we all ever doing wo apple cider vinegar?
Thank You!!!
Chef Billy Parisi says
awesome Tonya, so glad you liked it!
WILLIAM TOOMBS says
I found a slaw simular to this recipe at a local barbque place and love it. This one sounds like one I have to try.
What exactly is grainy mustard or what do you recommend?
Chef Billy Parisi says
just whole grain mustard.
rodney robinson says
If you leave out the green onion and mustard, and swap white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar, and swap vegetable oil for the olive oil, but everything else the same, I am pretty much 99% dead certain this is the recipe for a slaw that is sold in 100s of locations of a chain BBQ joint called Bill MIller’s BBQ that is HQ’d in San Antonio Texas.
This richer version is interesting, but I have been looking for a copy cat recipe of the Bill Miller’s BBQ chain’s slaw for a while now that I have an adjustable pro mandolin….and I think I’ll find a match for theirs first….and then try this one as well.
Now…how to adapt this into an asian slaw….hmmmmm…..rice wine vinegar and sesame oil for the apple cider vinegar and olive oil….try it with and without the mustard….maybe a tny bit of chinese mustard….and a little red chile flake…..okay…that’s next.
Thanks for the recipe.
Chef Billy Parisi says
Thanks for checking it out!
John Coleman says
very good, I don’t like Green Onion, so I didn’t put that in.
Chef Billy Parisi says
No problem, glad it worked!!