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This vegan coleslaw is just like the traditional coleslaw recipe we grew up eating. It’s creamy, crunchy, and has the perfect amount of tanginess. All you need is 10 minutes and 9 ingredients! 
If you’re planning your first summer BBQ of the season, this vegan coleslaw recipe needs to be on the menu! It’s made with the easiest, quick mayo dressing and tossed until the shredded veggies are nice and creamy. As is, this recipe is seriously bomb and the perfect pair for any of your favorite vegan recipes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cabbage: The most common cabbage to use in coleslaw is green cabbage, but you can use any type of cabbage. Red cabbage, Napa cabbage, white cabbage, and savoy cabbage are other popular choices. You can also opt to use a blend of a few types of crunchy cabbage if desired.
- Green onions: Also known as scallions or spring onions, green onions add a mild onion flavor to the dish. If you prefer a stronger onion flavor, you can add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion to the coleslaw.
- Carrots: Fresh carrots add a sweet, crunchy element to the dish. They also help add a pop of color and make this perfect side dish even more pretty!
- Vegan mayonnaise: Traditional egg mayo is a staple in classic coleslaw, so vegan mayonnaise is the perfect, simple swap. We used Follow Your Heart, but you can use your favorite vegan mayonnaise.
- Maple syrup: A touch of sweetness balances the savory flavors in the coleslaw dressing. If you’re out of maple syrup, opt for another liquid sweetener such as agave.
- Celery seed: This unique spice adds an earthy, aromatic undertone to the coleslaw dressing and is highly recommended. Without it, the flavor falls flat.
- Apple cider vinegar + dijon mustard: Both of these simple ingredients add the perfect brightness to the creamy dressing and balance the richness in the vegan mayonnaise. If you’re out of apple cider vinegar, opt for fresh lemon juice or white vinegar.
Equipment Needed
How to Make Vegan Coleslaw
- Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, maple syrup, celery seed, apple cider vinegar, and dijon mustard. Taste and adjust the dressing as needed.
- Added in the fresh ingredients. Once the dressing is well combined, add in the chopped cabbage, green onions, shredded carrots, and chopped parsley. Toss well to combine and coat evenly in the coleslaw dressing. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill, then serve. Cover the coleslaw with reusable wrap, plastic wrap, or a lid if possible and refrigerator for at least 3 hours to set and chill. Once ready, serve immediately as desired!
Serving Suggestions
Tangy coleslaw makes a delicious side dish or topping on a number of recipes. It’s the perfect dish to bring to your next summer potluck or to quickly mix together for any weeknight dinner. Here are a few of our favorite ways to serve it:
- As a side dish: Pair it with your favorite vegan summer BBQ recipes like Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches, Grilled Buffalo Corn on the Cob, Vegan Pasta Salad, Mom’s Vegan Potato Salad or Grilled Carrot Hot Dogs.
- On tacos: Serve it on top of Tofu Taco Meat or Lentil & Walnut Taco Meat.
- With potatoes: Try it with Grilled Twice Baked Potatoes or Crispy Oil-Free Noochy Potatoes.
- On vegan burgers: Creamy vegan coleslaw is delicious on Vegan Black Bean Burgers, Sweet & Smoky Chickpea Burgers, and Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers.
Storage Instructions
Once prepared, this classic vegan coleslaw will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. If you are planning to make this recipe for meal prep or well in advance of a party or potluck, we’d recommend storing the raw veggies and coleslaw dressing separately until ready to eat.
Freezing homemade coleslaw is not recommended.
Recipe FAQs
Overtime, any coleslaw is going to become a bit more watery because shredded cabbage releases moisture. If you’d like to meal prep your coleslaw and make it last as long as possible, you may want to take the extra step of salting your cabbage to draw out the excess water before using. After shredding the cabbage, sprinkle it with a generous sprinkle of salt and let it sit for about an hour. Then, rinse the salt from the cabbage and place the cabbage on a clean kitchen towel. Ring out the excess water, then start the recipe as usual.
If you are oil-free, you can make this coleslaw oil-free by swapping the store-bought vegan mayonnaise in the vegan coleslaw dressing with a homemade mayo made from either tofu or cashews.
This is really a personal preference. Traditional coleslaw recipes typically call for shredded cabbage or thinly sliced cabbage. This is easiest to do using a food processor using a slicing disc or shredding disc. Otherwise, you can cut the cabbage thinly using a sharp knife and a cutting board.
Absolutely! If you are short on time, replace the cabbage and carrots with 4-5 cups of a “slaw” mix. If your mix contains green onions or a similar ingredient, you can omit them as well.
More Vegan Side Dish Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Classic Vegan Macaroni Salad – a simple deli-style macaroni salad that’s potluck perfect.
- Vegan Pasta Salad – packed with Italian flavors and a light oil-based dressing.
- Esquites-Inspired Pasta Salad – a Mexican corn salad-inspired salad made in just 15 minutes!
- Easy Avocado and Corn Salad – the ultimate party dip or side dish for summer parties.
- Watermelon Mojito Salad – a refreshing side or appetizer for potlucks, BBQs, and more.
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
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The Best Vegan Coleslaw Recipe
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
This vegan coleslaw is just like the traditional coleslaw recipe we grew up eating. It’s creamy, crunchy, and has the perfect amount of tanginess. All you need is 10 minutes and 9 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped cabbage
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Dressing
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (we use Follow Your Heart)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar plus more to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing until uniform. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix together until well combined and uniform. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the coleslaw into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to set. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can definitely dig into the right away, but it is better as it sits and we suggest you at least leave it in the fridge to set until serving.
- Prep Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Side, Summer
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
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Hi!!! I rec’d 6 heads of cabbage and 4 bunches of parsley. Your base recipe was perfect. I eat once a day so to make this a main here are my tweaks: I steamed broccoli & cauliflower, added lots of chopped onion, chopped up a Granny Smith apple. For the dressing I subbed plain uns. yougart & tahini for the mayo, added 2 garlic cloves. Then Topped the salad with 1/2 an avocado and roasted almonds. Sooooo good. I’ll be eating this A lot. Thanks!!!