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Recipes » Courses » Side Dishes » Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe

Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe

Posted on August 14, 2019 By Chef Billy Parisi

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Try this amazingly delicious and easy to make side dish for a Vinegar Based Coleslaw recipe at your next barbecue or backyard get together!

vinegar based coleslaw recipe in a bowl with apple cider vinegar

If you’re looking for a ridiculously easy recipe for slaw, then look no further than this one.  It seems like vinegar coleslaw has been all the craze in the BBQ world in the last few years.  This tangy vegetable slaw is perfect when eaten by itself or when topped off on a smoked pulled pork or smoked brisket sandwich.

What Is Vinegar Coleslaw

It’s a simple recipe consisting of a sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing tossed with shredded vegetables and is served up as a side dish or on top of Barbecue style sandwiches.

Is It Bad For You

The pre-made store-bought version is loaded up with sugar and fat, however, this sweet and tangy homemade version is dairy-free and packed with fresh hand-cut vegetables that are low in calories.

What Kind of Vegetables Can I Use

In a standard slaw, the most common vegetables are green cabbage and onions.  Here is what I like to put into my recipe as it will add more flavor:

  • Green Cabbage
  • Red Cabbage
  • Red Onion
  • Carrots
  • Green Onions
  • Cilantro

However, you could add these ingredients:

  • Sliced red, green, yellow or orange bell peppers
  • Sliced spicy peppers, like jalapeños
  • Thinly sliced kale or jicama.

Slicing the Vegetables

There are few ingredients in this recipe, along with the sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing and it all starts with slicing the vegetables.

If you do not have a mandolin it is completely fine to slice things using a chef knife.  My rule of thumb for using a mandolin is when you start to get nervous you might cut yourself, just stop.

Slice the green cabbage in half and remove the core.  Slice in half again and then thinly slice it on a mandolin or using a very sharp chef knife.

coring and slicing green cabbage on a mandolin

Next, Slice the red cabbage in half and remove the core using a knife.  Slice in half again and then thinly slice it on a mandolin or using a very sharp chef knife.

slicing red cabbage in half and then thinly slicing

Next, peel the carrots and thinly slice on a mandolin using the shredded blade attachment.

shredded peeled carrots on a mandoln

Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing

Making the dressing for a vinegar coleslaw is very 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 to 1 to the vinegar which will make the coleslaw much more flavorful.

  • Add the vinegar, mustard, and sugar to a bowl.
  • Whisk while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until emulsified and then finish with celery seed, salt, and pepper.

making the vinegar based dressing for coleslawe

How to Make Vinegar Coleslaw

  1. Add the vegetables to a large bowl.
  2. Season with celery seed, salt, and pepper.

adding in vegetables to a bowl and seasoning them

  1. Pour in the dressing.
  2. Toss using some tongs.

adding in dressing to a bowl of vegetables

Making It Ahead of Time

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 combining the vegetables and keeping the dressing separate right until you are ready to serve.

Recipe Chef Notes + Tips

How to Store: It is best to store this vinegar coleslaw recipe undressed and unseasoned covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  It can stay in the refrigerator undressed and unseasoned for up to 5 days.  When ready to serve simply pour the vinaigrette over top, season with salt and pepper, toss and serve. 

Also if you want to make it ahead of time, don’t plan on seasoning it to the end because if you salt the vegetable they will wilt super quick.

Now just know that when you shave vegetables super thin like I did in this recipe and apply an acid to it, like vinegar, it’s going to break down faster and become wilted or to put it simply, soggy.

You can substitute honey or agave for sugar in this recipe.

To save some time, If you don’t want to slice the cabbages and carrots yourself, then I suggest buying the pre-made slaw mix, it will work just as well.

vinegar slaw in a bow with green onions and carrots

Serve It With These BBQ Recipes

  • Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich
  • Smoked Chicken BBQ
  • Blue Cheese Coleslaw
  • Creamy Coleslaw
  • Vegetable Dill Coleslaw
  • Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Pinterest and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!

Video

Print Recipe
4.98 from 46 votes

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!
Prep Time20 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 63kcal
Author: Chef Billy Parisi

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 until combined and until the desired amount of dressing is achieved.
  • Season with salt and pepper, and chill before serving.

Notes

Chef Notes:
  • Make Ahead: 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 combining the vegetables and keeping the dressing separate right until you are ready to serve.
  • How to Store: It is best to store this coleslaw recipe undressed and unseasoned covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  It can stay in the refrigerator undressed and unseasoned for up to 3 days.  When ready to serve simply pour the vinaigrette over top, season with salt and pepper, toss and serve. 
  • Now just know that when you shave vegetables super thin like I did in this recipe and apply an acid to it, like vinegar, it’s going to break down faster and become wilted or to put it simply, soggy.
  • You can substitute honey or agave for sugar in this recipe.
  • To save some time, If you don't want to slice the cabbages and carrots yourself, then I suggest buying the pre-made slaw mix, it will work just as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1850IU | Vitamin C: 19.2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe was last modified: July 7th, 2020 by Chef Billy Parisi

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Comments

  1. Kathy says

    February 27, 2021 at 10:18 am

    5 stars
    I had a request for cabbage salad which I recalled my mom made with oil, vinegar, and celery seed. Your recipe did not disappoint, however I used sweet yellow onion (preference), rice wine vinegar (my go to), and more sugar (just a memory thing). The mustard is a must while I don’t think she used. Also, your Notes are an important addendum for prepping and storage. Lastly, dress sparingly to start as the dressing has great flavor that goes a long way. A simple recipe with a great return on flavor.

    Reply
  2. Heather Schmidt says

    February 23, 2021 at 7:27 pm

    5 stars
    I halved the dressing recipe based on how much cabbage I had on hand… I dressed and let it sit for about an hour and a half. It was fantastic! The flavor was excellent. This will be my new go to slaw recipe!

    Reply
  3. Terri says

    February 21, 2021 at 4:09 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight to put on pulled bbq pork sandwiches. Perfect!!!

    Reply
  4. Cathy says

    February 07, 2021 at 12:04 am

    Like your way of teaching . Very simple to understand and follow. Will suggest to open a culinary school or master class .
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      February 22, 2021 at 1:36 pm

      you’re too kind thank you.

      Reply
  5. Ann says

    January 30, 2021 at 7:01 pm

    5 stars
    So simple, fresh and flavourful. Will definitely make this again.

    Reply
  6. Kendra says

    January 23, 2021 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    Love simplicity, freshness and crunch of this slaw.

    Reply
  7. Jill says

    July 20, 2020 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    I made this as a side to go with a roasted whole pig and it was a huge hit! Perfectly crunchy and just the right amount of acid.

    Reply
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I’m Billy Parisi and thanks for checking out my site! I’m a culinary school grad that spent 15 years in the restaurant industry as a line cook, sous chef and executive chef. Now I write recipes, take pictures of’em, shoot some video, occasionally hosting on TV, checking out the latest fashion, hangin with my wife and daughter and watching a whole bunch of college sports. Hope you enjoy my twists on classics as well as new innovations! Read More…

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