Temperatures are rising and the grills are flaming. Today I have something to help you beat the heat, my creamy coleslaw recipe! This Southern staple will bring cool crisp balance to whatever summer dish you decide to put out.
Coleslaw is a favorite Southern side dish. It goes well with grilled and BBQ dishes. Slaw is also a regular sidekick to seafood dinners. Most fish houses in the South will feature slaw and fries exclusively with their fish plates. Catfish and coleslaw go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Ingredients For My Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
- Cabbage (either 1 head, or 1# pre-shredded)
- mayo – 1/2 cup
- sugar – 1-2 tbsp
- sweet relish – 1-2 tbsp
- purple cabbage -1 cup shredded
- matchstick carrots – 1 handful
- salt – 1 tsp
- pepper – 1 tsp
Prepping The Coleslaw
The amount of prep is going to depend on the type of ingredients you bought. If you got shredded cabbage and purple cabbage at the supermarket, that knocks out about half the prep right there. Buying matchstick carrots instead of whole carrots will also save you some time.
If not, then you have some work to do. You can shred cabbage with a knife if necessary. Aside from buying pre-shredded, the next best option is to shred with a mixer attachment. This will make quick work of the cabbage. All you have to do is chop it to a size small enough to go in the shredder.
If you can’t find matchstick carrots in the store, normal carrots will do fine. A regular vegetable peeler will cut the carrots down to the size we need. Just discard the outer portion of the carrot when you peel it. Save a handful of carrot peelings and you are good to go.
The last step is measuring out the seasonings, mayo, and relish. Having these things measured and ready will save time later and makes the mixing process so much easier.
Mixing My Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
Ok, it’s time to mix. You’ll need a bowl large enough to contain all of the ingredients. I like to mix my slaw in my large plastic LockNLock bowls. That way, I can store it as soon as it’s done. This cuts down on dirtying multiple bowls.
Pour the shredded cabbage into the bowl first. Follow up with the purple cabbage and carrots. Give these ingredients a good toss and make sure everything is distributed as evenly as possible.
Next up, add the mayo. This is a creamy coleslaw recipe, but you can adjust the level of creaminess to your liking. I have a 1/2 cup of mayo listed, but you can go higher if you want the slaw to be extra creamy. Alternatively, you can reduce the mayo if you want it a bit dryer.
Top the mayo with the relish, salt, and pepper. Begin mixing all of the ingredients together. The dressing should be nice and homogenized, and the cabbage properly coated. However, you don’t want to over mix and beat up your cabbage too much.
Once the slaw is nice and mixed, let it rest for at least 15 minutes. This will allow the seasonings in the dressing to marry together. Your slaw is ready to eat!
Serving The Slaw
This coleslaw recipe will hold in the fridge for a couple of days. Slaw is a super versatile summer side dish. It complements the spiciness of BBQ ribs and pulled pork nicely. I use it in place of potato salad sometimes, usually alongside my BBQ baked beans recipe.
Coleslaw is a classic side for fish plates, typically paired with french fries and hush puppies. It also goes well with chicken tenders. Slaw is one of the default sides at almost every chicken tender joint I’ve been to.
This creamy side also serves as a topping in certain dishes. Southern slaw dogs come topped with a chili sauce and creamy coleslaw. You’ll often see slaw on pulled pork sandwiches as well.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
