Vinegar Coleslaw (No Mayo)

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Vinegar Coleslaw is an excellent no mayo coleslaw recipe for those who love coleslaw but don’t love mayonnaise. This vinegar based coleslaw is tangy, not overly sweet and provides the perfect crunch with its combination of green cabbage, onion and carrots.

I bring this slaw to BBQs and parties as it pairs great with Carne Asada, Honey Mustard Chicken and BBQ ribs. It’s also a delicious side to my BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes.

Vinegar based coleslaw in a white bowl.

I love a classic Coleslaw recipe with a creamy, mayo dressing. But I also love this vinegar coleslaw that’s got a stronger bite of flavor (thanks to the apple cider vinegar). It’s always great to have options and you really can’t go wrong with either recipe. So do what I do and alternate them for a little variety!

Vinegar Coleslaw Recipe Video

It’s quick and easy to make this vinegar coleslaw recipe, but it always helps to watch a step-by-step video tutorial. Give it a watch below!

Benefits of Eating Cabbage

One reason you should eat more coleslaw is the amazing health benefits of cabbage! You can boil cabbage, sauté it, ferment it or enjoy it raw, like in this tasty coleslaw recipe. However you eat it, you’ll be absorbing plenty of necessary nutrients from cabbage.

Cabbage comes from the same plant family as kale, cauliflower and broccoli. And like broccoli, cabbage has a similar anti-inflammatory profile. Chronic inflammation over time is associated with heart disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), cancer and diabetes. In other words, eat more cabbage and other veggies!

Cabbage has a ton of Vitamin C which is an antioxidant that protects cells from harmful free radicals. In turn, Vitamin C has been linked to lowering high blood pressure and boosting your immunity (and you know I’m all about boosting the immune system).

This crunchy vegetable is also high in Vitamin K. Just one cup of cabbage is 85% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin K, which is essential to help with blood clotting. So much goodness from one simple vegetable.

Vinegar coleslaw ingredients in a mixing bowl with dressing on the side.

Vinegar Coleslaw Ingredients

One of the things I love about coleslaw recipes are how easy they are to whip up. It’s just a handful of ingredients. Here’s what’s in this oil and vinegar based coleslaw recipe:

  • Green Cabbage
  • Carrot
  • Onion
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Olive Oil
  • Honey
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Celery Seed
  • Salt and Pepper

Vinegar coleslaw in a white bowl.

Why Does Everyone Say Coleslaw is So Bad for You?

There’s a lot of dairy and sugar in store-bought coleslaw and restaurant versions. But this recipe is dairy-free, paleo, low carb and can easily be made vegan by simply swapping the honey for maple syrup.

I’ve also limited the honey to one tablespoon for this big batch of coleslaw. So that’s very little sugar per serving. And trust me, you won’t be missing it in this easy, ultra-flavorful recipe.

Vinegar coleslaw piled on a spoon.

More Healthy Sides for a BBQ or Picnic

Vinegar coleslaw in a white bowl.

Vinegar Coleslaw Recipe (No Mayo Coleslaw)

4.92 from 160 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Vinegar based coleslaw is an excellent no mayo coleslaw recipe for those who love coleslaw but don't love mayonnaise. It's an easy combination of cabbage, carrots and onion mixed with an apple cider vinegar dressing.

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 head of green cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • 1/2 yellow or red onion, finely sliced

Dressing

Instructions 

  • Add the shredded green cabbage, carrot and onion to a large bowl.
  • In a smaller bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, celery seed, salt and pepper to create the dressing. Taste the dressing and decide if you'd like to add more honey.
  • Add about half of the dressing to the cabbage, onions and carrots and gently toss. Slowly add more dressing until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Lisa's Tips

  • This recipe makes approximately 12 cups of vinegar coleslaw.
  • You can also store it in the fridge for 3-5 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 28.3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: No Mayo Coleslaw, No Mayonnaise Coleslaw, Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe, Vinegar Coleslaw
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




279 Comments

  1. I love the tangy flower of the vinegar rather the the mayo. I believe that the vinegar based last longer in the refrigerator. It doesn’t get watered down as some of the mayo based can get.5 stars

  2. Delicious, and I didn’t even have the exact ingredients. I used cabbage, collards, kale, carrots, chopped celery leaves (had no seed) and apples, and it tasted great! We paired it with pulled pork. If I had apple cider on hand, I might add a splash, and cut back slightly on apple cider vinegar, but I also love it as is. Loved the honey in it.5 stars

  3. I was lazy and bought pre-packaged coleslaw mix. I added shredded carrot and onion. Can’t wait to have this with my ribs on Super Bowl Sunday!

  4. Believe it or not, I did not add the honey. Since I love a vinaigrette on anything, it was absolutely delicious and super easy to make. As always, thank you for another amazing recipe!5 stars

  5. Normally, my go to vinegar slaw is to go to one of my local barbecue restaurants.  However, today my mom let me know that she wanted some of the slaw for dinner, but my go to places were closed for the holiday.  Well, I said you can do this, can’t be that hard.  Well, this basic recipe did the trick.  I hope my family will enjoy it as much as the others we normally have.5 stars

  6. Another really good recipe. I needed more honey in mine. I don’t know why I don’t make coleslaw more often. It’s really tasty!5 stars

  7. Wow!  I made this tonight to go with pulled pork sandwichs and the three of us ate a pound of slaw mix together, even my daughter who usually leaves it on her plate.  I used packaged tricolor slaw mix and added some julienned red pepper and green onions for color.  This is a keeper and not too sweet.5 stars

  8. Because I don’t like mayo, I think this is a great slaw recipe. I did not have any celery seed on hand, so I just used the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper and it was great. Also added some diced jalapeno. Will have this on BBQ chicken sandwiches.5 stars

  9. Great cole slaw. I used the prepackaged coleslaw mix but next time I will do my own. The store bought is too finely chopped for our taste. So easy to make–love it.5 stars

    1. I would say this is best served fresh! But you can always pre-slice the veggies and toss everything together the day of.

  10. Made this tonight to go on top of BBQ beef sandwiches. super delicious for those like me who don’t like mayo. I didn’t have celery seed so left it out, and substituted spicy mustard and white vinegar (didn’t have the apple cider or dijon) and it was still good.5 stars

  11. This coleslaw rocks. The dressing is SOOOOO good! Best of all it comes together in a snap. I combined the dressing ingredients in a small Mason jar and shook it to emulsify. We’ve made this three times and havent had any leftovers yet. Thank you for the recipe!!5 stars

    1. Based on the food science i understand, i think this mix would keep indefinitely because of the vinegar and mustard combo. Both are a natural preservative. Assuming you would have leftovers. Its a lot like sauerkraut.

  12. This is the best no mayo coleslaw. I have made it many times and every time both husband and I rave. It is even better the 2nd day with the flavors. Was able to make as called for the first time and now make sure I always have the ingredients on hand.
    Thank you!5 stars

  13. Thanks for the mayo free recipe! This coleslaw was delicious and super easy to make. I substituted maple syrup for the honey, and added a chopped apple. My husband went back for a heaping second plateful. Need I say more?5 stars

  14. Absolutely awesome recipe! Like others, I didn’t have celery seed, so substituted celery salt. I also added some chopped red pepper. I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. Sooooo GOOD!!!!5 stars

  15. When I was a kid, I used to love KFC’s coleslaw. This reminded me of that. Let it sit overnight and have the next day.5 stars

  16. I made this for dinner with goods friends for social distance visit. They grilled brats and brought them over and I also made baked beans  my friends took 2nd helping of slaw. What more can I say. I used my food slicer to mince the cabbage, carrot and red onion.  5 stars

  17. I made it yesterday, really delicious and easy to make. My parents love to eat. I have reduced the mustard because I am afraid of spicy, people will not eat. Thank you for sharing.5 stars

  18. Delicious and easy. I bought the pre-made cabbage mix already in the store and it worked perfectly. I added my own onions and some more carrots and I also super finely diced up some jalapeno and mixed it in the sauce for a little bit of a kick. I didn’t have celery seed but I had celery salt and I added that in at the same measurements and it still tasted great . This turned out delicious!5 stars

  19. I just made this (cheaters way with pre shredded cabbage) and it is fantastic! Thank you Lisa for such awesome (and do-able) recipes :)5 stars

  20. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Would you please provide the weight of the cabbage head and the serving size for the 12 serving yield stated in the recipe? This would help me pick the correct size cabbage at the market and help with my efforts with portion control.

    1. Hi Joy- I would use between a medium to large head of cabbage for this recipe. As for the serving size, one serving is about 1 cup!

  21. Delicious refreshing recipe for coleslaw. 
    Added fresh corn and topped with grilled asparagus 
    Beautiful presentation 
    Will keep this recipe – thanks!5 stars

      1. Hi Barbara- This coleslaw is the perfect addition to BBQ sandwiches! Glad you enjoyed it :)

  22. Got all the ingredients on the counter all set and ready to dive in. Only concern is about what to do with the leftovers ! Can I freeze it? Should I can it? 

    1. Hi Ted – Yes! You can actually freeze coleslaw, as long as it doesn’t have any mayo. Just make sure to store in an air-tight container.

      1. Hi Linds – Wonderful! It probably won’t be as crunchy – but it will still taste delicious.

      2. Just have a follow up to the question …
        when you freeze it, should the coleslaw be dressed with the dressing prior to freezing?

    1. Hi Joe – I love the additional dates in yours! That will definitely add some great texture to this recipe.

  23. I made this today loved it, thank you for the recipe! Love Dijon so it was perfect. 
    Tired of my mayo dressing glad to try something new!5 stars

  24. Absolutely perfect! I ate sooo much of this! The celery seed is a great flavor add. Thanks for the recipe.5 stars

    1. Yay, I’m happy you loved the coleslaw recipe Elizabeth! The celery seed adds that necessary little punch of flavor, doesn’t it? :)

  25. Hi, I am absolutely love it! I’m also in love with your website. It’s so helpful with all recipes have nutrition and calories. I have a small question: the calories is it for 1 serving or for whole your recipe? If whole of this recipe is just 62kcal, I will be… wow.

    Thank you, have a good day!5 stars

    1. Hi Sakura – the nutrition info is per serving. But you still can’t beat 62 calories per serving! :) Enjoy.

  26. Excellent recipe!!! Hubby and I were very happy with the coleslaw!!! I did sprinkle a bit of raw sugar over the top to sweeten a bit after mixing.  The Dijon was a little heavy for us!! Even better the second day for lunch!  Thank you for a great recipe!!!5 stars

    1. I’m happy you loved the recipe Nanette! And yes, you can always add a little sweetener or tweak the Dijon. It’s all about making it to your liking. :)

  27. Hi Lisa,
    Made your vinegar slaw last night! Yum!! Everyone love it. Big Hit! 
    Don’t care for the mayo slaws so glad for this recipe!
    I Have some left and can hardly wait to finish it off!
    I might even share it with my hubby LOL!5 stars

  28. Just made this coleslaw and it’s a hit! The nicest part was that I could eat as much as I want and not feel guilty. Love that it is mayo free. It would be great plain, on fish, in spring rolls, anything. Thanks for sharing the recipe.5 stars

    1. Hi Annie – I’m happy you loved the recipe! And yes, no guilt whatsoever with this recipe. Just healthy coleslaw goodness and I agree, top it on everything! Enjoy!

  29. This vinegar coleslaw is a great healthy alternative to a classic BBQ side dish. I love that the veggies will stay crisp too with this vinegar dressing.5 stars

  30. This is just the recipe I need. I happen to like the “no mayo” version of coleslaw. This is bbq party perfect. Printing right now.5 stars

    1. Thanks, Caitlyn! Yes, we all know someone who doesn’t want mayo on their coleslaw ;)

  31. Hi Lisa, I used your vinegar slaw for our Memorial Day gathering. It was a big hit. Definitely elevated our hot dog and turkey burger fare. Thanks for you creativity, time and engergy publishing this. It’s now a staple in our family!5 stars