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’re looking for a ridiculously easy recipe for slaw, then look not further than this one. It definitely seems like vinegar coleslaw has been all the craze in the BBQ world 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 is 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 thing 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 i on a mandolin or using a very sharp chef knife.
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.
Next, peel the carrots and thinly slice on a mandolin using the shredded blade attachment.
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.
How To Make Vinegar Coleslaw
- Add the vegetables to a large bowl.
- Season with celery seed, salt and pepper.
- Pour in the dressing.
- Toss using some tongs.
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 un seasoned 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.
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
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.
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 un seasoned 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.
Joy Bradley says
So yummy! I did cheat and used the bagged prechopped coleslaw (red and green cabbage and carrots) I used two bags and doubled the rest of the ingredients by following the recipe SOOOOO GOOD! My daughter who is allergic to dairy and my daughter who doesn’t eat eggs were both so happy to have a delicious coleslaw they didn’t have to worry about. Thank you.
Chef Billy Parisi says
LOVE this! Thanks for trying.
Patrice Coleman says
Loved it! Now it is a staple for all of my bbq’s going forward!!
Deb says
We are having a party for about 80 people and will be serving pulled pork sandwiches. This looks like the perfect coleslaw recipe (no mayonnaise to spoil!). How far in advance can you make this and how long will it keep? Thanks!
Chef Billy Parisi says
you can make it a day in advance but do not toss it in the dressing or season it with salt and pepper until 20-30 minutes before serving it.
Kerry says
Great recipe–was looking for one with less sugar than the one I used to make and this one is a keeper. WIll try adding some minced bell pepper and maybe sub vidalia onion next time for added sweetness, but love it as written too.
Now I just need my husband to pull the pork butt off the smoker and dinner will be ready!
Judy from Arkansas says
This was absolutely perfect!! And I love cooking and trying out new recipes. This was most definitely by far the best oil and vinegar slaw I have ever tasted. I only subbed one ingredient-stevia instead of honey and I don’t think I missed a thing, delicious!!
Sherry says
Exactly what I was looking for! Having a BBQ where half coming eat meat and the other half are vegetarians/vegans. This will go great with the pork BBQ sandwiches and the other sides that are for everyone. Thank you!
Trudy Hendrickson says
Could you use stevia instead of sugar ? Can’t wait to try it based on the great reviews ‘
Chef Billy Parisi says
you could try, I just can’t guarantee what it will taste like or recommend an amount for you.
Phillip says
I liked this recipe. I used a whole grain spicy brown mustard and added some finely sliced ginger for an extra bite. What is the protein content of this? or is there truly none for your recipe?
Chef Billy Parisi says
Man that sounds good! There actually may be none…
Anne says
To add a little extra to my comment: I used Grey Poupon Country Grain Mustard. It has a sharper bite then the whole seeded GP mustard. I followed the recipe exactly. But added another teaspoon of sugar after the finish. My 3 spring onions were on the very skinny side. I think less onion was a good thing for us. This coleslaw is going on some bbq pork sandwiches. No offense to creamy coleslaw people because it is a good thing too, this is just a different take on coleslaw. We have food allergies, so eggs and mayo are out. (However, creamy can be done with adding beloved apple cider vinegar to sour cream, let it sit, and then make regular creamy coleslaw: for the diehard allergic creamy coleslaw lover.)
Anne says
Vinegary, mustardy yum. I needed to add a touch more sugar to satisfy my kids but fantastic.
Chris says
Very excellent. Goes great with crab cakes!s
Chef Billy Parisi says
awesome!
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!!
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!
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.
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!
Bill says
Salt the shredded cabbage until it sheds some water than rinse it in a colander and it won’t go soggy.