Best Coleslaw with Quick Pickled Vegetables
If you have ever opened a container of coleslaw on day three and found a sad puddle of liquid sitting at the bottom, you already know why this recipe works the way it does.
Instead of sweetening and souring the mayonnaise with vinegar and sugar, I pickle the vegetables first. Shredded carrot, shredded white cabbage and thinly sliced red onion rest for about half an hour in a simple sugar and white wine vinegar solution.
Then I squeeze them dry and fold in mayonnaise. What you get is creamy and bright at the same time, and the cabbage still has a little crunch after a few days in the fridge.
I call this my best coleslaw with quick pickled vegetables because it fixes the two problems I used to have with slaw: watery dressing and harsh raw onion. It is also genuinely simple. There is no cooking, no canning and no waiting overnight.
Thirty minutes of resting does the work, and the whole bowl comes together in about 40 minutes from start to finish.
What you need
- 200 g carrots, shredded
- 200 g white cabbage or green cabbage, shredded
- 70 g red onion, about 1 medium or 2 small, sliced thin
- 150 ml white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 150 g mayonnaise
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste and only if you wish
| Recipe detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Serves | 4 people |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Resting time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 40 minutes |
| Method | No cook |
The dressing is mayonnaise only, which makes this coleslaw dairy free without any swaps at all. If you keep a vegan mayonnaise in the house, the whole bowl becomes vegan too, and nobody at the table will notice.
Jump To
Quick pickled vegetables instructions
Start with the pickle, because it needs about half an hour and you can use that time to sort out the rest of your meal. Everything goes into one large bowl, and your hands do the mixing.
- Combine the vegetables. Put the shredded carrot, the shredded cabbage and the thinly sliced red onions in a large bowl. A big bowl matters here, because you need room to toss and massage without half the cabbage landing on the counter.
- Add sugar, then vinegar. Pour the sugar all over the vegetables first, then pour the vinegar over the top. Sugar first gives it a head start on dissolving.
- Massage for about a minute. Using your hands, work the sugar and vinegar into the vegetables for roughly one minute. You will feel the shreds soften slightly and start to release liquid.
- Rest for 30 minutes. Leave the bowl in the fridge or at room temperature for 30 minutes. Give it a stir from time to time so the liquid redistributes around the vegetables instead of sitting at the bottom.
A spoon will technically mix this, but your hands do a better job of pressing the marinade into every shred. If you are squeamish about getting your hands sticky, a pair of kitchen gloves works fine.
Why pickle the vegetables for coleslaw?
Most coleslaw recipes build the flavor into the dressing. You whisk vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper into mayonnaise, pour it over the cabbage and call it done. That works, and I have made slaw that way for years.
But it has a cost. Every watery ingredient you stir into mayonnaise thins it out, and every grain of salt you add starts pulling moisture out of the cabbage.
I prefer to keep the mayonnaise plain and deal with the vegetables first. Here is why it makes a better bowl.
- Less water, more crunch. The pickle pulls moisture out of the raw vegetables before the dressing ever touches them. Squeeze that liquid away and the slaw stays crisp instead of turning watery after a few days.
- Gentler onion. A light pickle tames the sharp bite of raw red onion and makes it easier on the stomach to digest.
- Longer shelf life. Pickled and squeezed vegetables keep the finished coleslaw good for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, compared with about 3 days for a slaw dressed straight away.
- A creamier sauce. Because no vinegar or watery liquid goes into the mayonnaise, the dressing keeps its full, creamy texture from the first spoonful to the last.
It also happens to be the fastest kind of pickling there is. This is a quick unfermented pickle, the kind some cooks call a refrigerator pickle. There is no fermentation, no brine to boil and no jars to sterilize.
It is the same idea behind Swedish pickled red onions, just applied to a bowl of cabbage and carrot. Thirty minutes is enough to change the texture and the flavor, and you can leave the bowl on the counter while you grill or set the table.
The pickle is doing the work that salt and vinegar would normally do in the dressing, only it does it before the vegetables meet the mayonnaise.
Assemble the coleslaw
Once the 30 minutes are up, the vegetables will look glossy and there will be a good amount of liquid in the bowl. That liquid is exactly what you do not want in your finished slaw.
- Squeeze the vegetables dry. Take them by the handful and press hard between your hands, or press them against the side of a colander. Work in batches so you get most of the juice out. Discard all the pickle juice, dry the bowl with a paper towel and put the vegetables back in.
- Add the mayonnaise. Spoon in the mayonnaise and stir gently until everything is evenly coated. The vegetables will have shrunk quite a bit by now, so the same bowl suddenly looks much emptier.
- Taste before you season. Try a spoonful first. If you want salt, add a very small sprinkle, and finish with freshly cracked black pepper if you wish.
Be very sparing with the salt. Salt draws moisture out of vegetables, which is the very thing we just spent 30 minutes preventing. Whether you need any at all depends on how flavorful your mayonnaise is, so taste first and decide after.
One bowl makes 4 generous servings.
| Nutrition per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 214 |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated fat | 1 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 26 g |
| Sodium | 327 mg |
| Cholesterol | 6 mg |
Recipe tips
These are the small choices that make the biggest difference, and they are all things I learned by making slaw the hard way first.
Buy shredded or shred your own. Bagged shredded carrot and cabbage save real time on a busy weeknight, and there is no shame in it.
Whole cabbage and carrots are cheaper, but you may end up with leftovers if coleslaw is the only thing you are making. If you go the whole route, a food processor shreds carrots in seconds and is easier to clean than a box grater.
Slice the onion thin. Halve the onion and cut it into thin half moons on a cutting board, or use a mandolin if you have one. Two small onions taste sweeter than one large one, so I buy small red onions on purpose when I know slaw is on the menu.
Choose your vinegar. White wine vinegar is my default, and apple cider vinegar works just as well if that is what you keep in the cupboard. Both bring the same clean acidity that balances the mayonnaise.
Squeeze harder than feels necessary. Take the vegetables in handfuls and really press them, or push them against the side of a colander. The more juice you remove now, the better the slaw holds up later.
Keep the salt minimal. Salt pulls water out of cabbage, so a heavy hand will undo the work of the pickle. Taste the dressed slaw first, because a flavorful mayonnaise may already have all the seasoning you need.
Store it right. Keep the coleslaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and give it a stir before you serve it.
Serve it with grilled food. This bowl belongs next to burgers, grilled chicken, pulled pork or anything off the smoker. The acidity cuts through rich, smoky meat, which is why I make it all summer long.
Get ahead of the meal. Do the pickle first and let the vegetables rest while you light the grill, and the slaw will be ready when the meat comes off.
More salad
If this bowl disappears faster than you expected, the same quick pickle thinking shows up in other salads on the site. A Thai red cabbage slaw with sriracha mayo brings the same crunch with a spicier dressing.
Swedish style quick pickled red onion is the plain version of the pickle you just made, and it is worth keeping a jar in the fridge. For something different, try roasted flower sprouts with pine nuts or a raw mushroom carpaccio.
One technique, several salads. Start with the coleslaw and see how far the pickle takes you.
FAQs
Why pickle vegetables for coleslaw?
Quick-pickling the vegetables draws out excess moisture, resulting in a less watery coleslaw that stays crisp longer. It also mellows the sharpness of raw red onion and infuses the cabbage and carrots with a balanced sweet-tart flavor. This method allows the mayonnaise dressing to remain perfectly creamy without dilution from added vinegar.
How do you keep coleslaw from getting watery?
The key is to pickle the shredded vegetables in sugar and vinegar for 30 minutes, then squeeze them thoroughly to remove all the pickle juice before adding mayonnaise. Discarding the brine removes excess water that would otherwise make the dressing runny. For best results, add salt sparingly after dressing, as salt draws moisture from the vegetables.
Can I make coleslaw ahead of time?
Yes, this coleslaw can be made ahead and keeps for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For optimal crunch, you can quick-pickle the vegetables up to one day in advance, drain them, and store them separately; then stir in the mayonnaise just before serving. The quick-pickle method naturally extends the shelf life compared to traditional coleslaw.
What is the best mayonnaise for coleslaw?
A full-fat, egg-based mayonnaise such as Hellmann's or Duke's provides the richest creaminess and best texture for this coleslaw. Light or reduced-fat mayonnaises contain more water, which can lead to a looser dressing. For a dairy-free version as in this recipe, use 150 grams of any plant-based mayonnaise that mimics the thickness of real mayo.
Best coleslaw with quick pickled vegetables
Best Coleslaw with Quick Pickled Vegetables If you have ever opened a container of coleslaw on day three and found a sad puddle of liquid sitting at the bottom, you already know why this recipe works the way it does. Instead of sweetening and souring the mayonnaise with vinegar and sugar, I pickle the vegetables first.
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Ingredients
200 g carrots, shredded
200 g white cabbage, shredded
70 g red onion, sliced (1 medium, or 2 small)
150 ml white wine vinegar
80 g granulated sugar
150 g mayonnaise
to taste salt
to taste black pepper, freshly cracked
Instructions
For the quick pickle
1-Combine the shredded carrot, shredded cabbage and: Combine the shredded carrot, shredded cabbage and thinly sliced red onions in a large bowl.
2-Pour the sugar and vinegar all over: Pour the sugar and vinegar all over the vegetables then, using your hands, massage the condiment into the vegetables for about a minute.
3-Rest either in the fridge or at: Rest either in the fridge or at room temperature for 30 minutes, giving it a stir from time to time to redistribute the condiment around.
Make the coleslaw
4-Squeeze the pickle juice out of the: Squeeze the pickle juice out of the pickled vegetables pressing them between your hands or against a colander. Discard all the pickle juice and dry the bowl with a paper towel. Put vegetables back in.
5-Add the mayonnaise and stir in homogeneously: Add the mayonnaise and stir in homogeneously. Taste test and if desired stir in a sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Method: no_cook
Nutrition
- Calories: 214
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 327mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 6mg
