Coleslaw is a famously simple dish, with a name derived from the inauspicious Dutch koolsla, literally just meaning “cabbage salad.” That hasnt stopped it from being an American staple, with plenty of regional variations developing across the U.S. as it went from an import to a local staple. While that simplicity can be deceptive, it presents myriad opportunities for the at-home gourmand to punch it up, and avoid the common issues that turn a coleslaw subpar.
Shredded cabbage tossed with dressing is only the start of what you can do with what looks like a wholly unassuming side dish. Were at least 200 years on since the salads name was Anglicized, and that has given the world plenty of time to iterate, evolve, and play with various additions, enhancements, and whole new flavor profiles. From celebrity chefs to at-home experimenters, from out-of-print cookbooks to globe-bestriding fast food titans, we at Mashed went looking for the most effective and exciting methods for improving on the crunchy confetti. So for your next backyard barbecue, heres what we found.
Add a twist with Sriracha
Oh, Sriracha. The sauce has a long and fascinating history that we cant go into here, but theres no doubt that its become a craze among spice lovers since it began making its way to Asian restaurants in the U.S. in the 1980s. So when it came time to remix Bobby Flays precision-tooled recipe for a classic coleslaw, Susan Olayinka decided to kick it up a notch with the beloved rooster sauce.
Flays recipe aims squarely at the mild, creamy sort of coleslaw were all used to, but adds a tablespoon of dry mustard powder to achieve some spice. Olaynika dials that spice up, and balances it with sweetness by way of pineapple juice, so her variation is an exemplar to draw on for a sweet-and-spicy play on the shredded cabbage dish, adding even more complexity and contrast to the classic coleslaws flavor profile. Just be sure to get the real deal. Sriracha is often imitated, but Huy Fong Foods original sauce — identifiable by the rooster logo and ribbed green bottle cap — is never duplicated.
Combine different kinds of cabbage
All cabbages come from distinct cultivars of the same plant, Brassica oleracea. In fact, a lot of vegetables do. Thousands of years of selective breeding and grafting have turned one plant into broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, and of course, countless types of cabbages. Its a classic maneuver to combine red and green cabbages in coleslaw, as recipe developer and registered dietician Kristen Carli did when she made a “traditional” coleslaw recipe for Mashed in 2021.
The mild and subtle sweetness of green cabbage and the peppery and hearty flavor of red cabbage combine to give the dish some spice with its crisp and light flavor. And thats just the start; throwing in Napa cabbage can mild out a zestier salad, adding a slight bitterness and giving a more satisfying crunch with the thicker central rib adorning its leaves. And just like how different pasta shapes are built for different sauces, entirely different varieties of B. oleracea can interact and hold their dressing differently.
Broccoli slaws made from shredded stalks are common, but entire chopped florets can hold plenty of any mayonnaise-based coleslaw dressing and deliver it to your (and your guests) tongue with added punch.
Onions add sweetness and acidity, two of the base flavors that make up everything we taste. However, it bears recognition that coleslaw is a standout side with Southern-style barbecue, and is often meant to add something cool and light to balance out the bold, spicy and tangy flavors of whatever youve got on the grill.
Coleslaw starts as cabbage, one of the most mild vegetables you can find in the produce section, so when adding onions — which are nothing if not strong to the senses — remember that a little goes a long way. For guidance, we looked to KFCs coleslaw. The fast food giant took a regional variety of fried chicken and ran with it until it grew a global empire. Its house style of coleslaw is finely-chopped, and our recipe reverse-engineers made sure they applied as much as possible to the onion, making it an integral flavor boost without ever being detectable on its own. Two tablespoons of finely-minced yellow onion for an entire head of green cabbage was all it took to match the flavor of the franchise favorite, but consider the effects you can have on your coleslaw with sweet onions, red onions, and scallions.
Coleslaw Recipe | How to Make Coleslaw Salad
FAQ
How do you enhance store bought coleslaw?
How do you fix bland coleslaw?
How far in advance should you dress coleslaw?
How do you take the bitterness out of coleslaw?
How to make coleslaw healthy at home?
Here are my step-by-step instructions on how to make coleslaw healthy at home! 1. First, place all of the colorful veggies and apple matchsticks in a small bowl. 2. Now add all of the wet ingredients and non-fat Greek yogurt. 3. Mix all together until you have creamy coleslaw. 4.
What can you add to coleslaw?
Creative mix-ins to add crunch to coleslaw range from crunchy veggies and crispy noodles to bacon, flaky salt, and even fruit. Nuts make a great addition to slaw; there are many different kinds to choose from, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts, and salted and roasted nuts will impart even more flavor.
Can you add too much coleslaw?
Use caution, and don’t add too much; it’s easy to overdo it with unpalatable results. If you do add too much and your coleslaw tastes unpleasant or acidic, there are some ways you can balance it out. If you have extra, add more cabbage or veggies so the dressing will spread out more.
Can you add vinegar to coleslaw?
Most coleslaw dressings call for vinegar; some prefer red wine vinegar, while others swear by apple cider, white wine, or rice wine vinegar. Each variety of the ingredient will add a slightly different touch, but more important is the quantity. Use caution, and don’t add too much; it’s easy to overdo it with unpalatable results.