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This sweet and tangy vinegar coleslaw makes a great accompaniment to rich barbecue.
By
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated June 06, 2023
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Why It Works
- A sugar-and-salt mixture purges the cabbage of excess moisture, leaving it tender, but still crunchy and well-seasoned.
- An equal amount of vinegar and sugar gives this slaw a tangy and sweet character.
- Celery seeds add a light celery flavor and some pleasing texture.
Growing up, I assumed that coleslaw was some sort of joke. Why would I ever want that sorry little paper cup of tough, bland cabbage? You know, the kind that comes as a paltry afterthought with your towering sandwich at the local Greek diner? I always figured it was just a steady, meticulous way to rid the world of a vegetable no one really wanted, one sandwich at a time.
And that was pretty much my view for over a decade, right up until I found the Gospel of Barbecue. With the great tradition of smoked meats, I was presented with coleslaw alongside pulled pork, ribs, and brisket, served in portions that made it seem like something you'd actually want to eat—and best of all, it was!
Good coleslaw provides a light and fresh contrast to heavy, barbecued meats, with a tang that manages to cut through (at least some) of the deliciously greasy fat. So I stopped shying away from slaw and started to embrace it, getting to know a range of variations that have turned me from an uncompromising hater to a full-on lover of all things cabbage salad.
Over the years, I've experimented with making slaw at home, but I never really thought I was killing it until Kenji gave coleslaw the Food-Lab treatment last summer. The trick is to purge your slaw vegetables of all excess moisture, leaving behind a well-seasoned mix that's nice and tender with just the right amount of crunch. The process itself requires simply mixing the shredded vegetables with sugar and salt for about five minutes before giving it a good rinse and a ride in the salad spinner.
Now that I've got that perfect traditional slaw down pat, I've shifted my efforts to varying the dressing flavors. Here is a classic vinegar slaw, but there are variations. There’s Lexington-style red slaw, mustard slaw, tangy apple slaw, and spicy slaw with a kick.
Vinegar slaw was my gateway slaw, the first I ever remember really loving. We met at the second Big Apple Block Party in New York back in 2004 and, while I can't remember exactly who was slinging the vinegar slaw that year, a very close approximation has since showed up in Mike and Amy Mill's book, Peace, Love, and Barbecue.
The dressing is simply a one-to-one mix of cider vinegar and sugar with a little bit of garlic, oil, and celery seeds, which add a light celery flavor and a bit of texture. It may be simple, but it works so darn well; those straightforward tangy, sweet flavors pair harmoniously with the more complex rubs and seasonings found in most barbecue. Because of its bright, fresh character, I also love it as a sandwich component.
June 2014
This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and updated to guarantee best results. For a more balanced dressing, we reduced the amount of sugar used.
Recipe Details
Vinegar Coleslaw
Prep15 mins
Active30 mins
Total15 mins
Serves10to 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup (120ml) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar (1.75 ounces; 50g)
3 tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (about 1 medium clove)
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
Freshlyground black pepper
1 teaspoon celery seeds
For the Slaw:
1 large head green cabbage (about 3 1/2 pounds), finely shredded on a mandoline or by hand (16 cups)
2 large carrots (6 ounces; 170g), peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater (1 cup)
1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces; 225g), thinly sliced crosswise on a mandoline or by hand (1 cup)
2/3 cup sugar (4.7 ounces; 133g)
1/3 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1.7 ounces; 48g); for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight
Directions
For the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, oil, garlic, salt, black pepper, and celery seeds until sugar is dissolved.
For the Slaw: Combine cabbage, carrot, and onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes, then transfer to a large colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
Transfer vegetables to a salad spinner and spin dry. Alternatively, transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet lined with a triple layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and blot mixture dry with more towels. Return to large bowl.
Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and sugar.
Special Equipment
Mandoline (optional)
Read More
- Lexington-Style Red Coleslaw
- Mustardy Coleslaw
- Tangy Apple Coleslaw
- Jalapeño Coleslaw
- Vegetarian
- Vegetarian Salads
- Vegan
- Vegan Salads
- Dairy-free
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
132 | Calories |
4g | Fat |
25g | Carbs |
2g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 10to 12 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 132 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 4g | 5% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 2% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 1788mg | 78% |
Total Carbohydrate 25g | 9% |
Dietary Fiber 3g | 11% |
Total Sugars 20g | |
Protein 2g | |
Vitamin C 51mg | 253% |
Calcium 76mg | 6% |
Iron 0mg | 3% |
Potassium 319mg | 7% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)