Cabbage Carrot Slaw
Raw cabbage and carrot in a sharp mustard-honey vinaigrette — no mayo, no cooking.
Ingredients & method
Method
Amounts inside the steps follow the servings dial, so you never have to hold the arithmetic in your head.
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Shred and toss the vegetables
Finely shred the 400 g Green cabbage, grate the 150 g Carrots, and slice the 40 g Red onion paper-thin. Toss them together in a large bowl with the 15 g Cilantro.
Cutting the cabbage fine and the onion thin lets them soften just enough in the dressing without turning mushy or tasting raw and harsh.
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Whisk the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Honey and the juice of the 1 Lemon until smooth.
Whisking the mustard in first helps the oil and vinegar emulsify instead of separating on the salad.
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Dress and rest
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well to coat every strand. Season with Salt to taste and Black pepper to taste, then let the bowl sit for 15 minutes before serving.
A short rest lets the salt and acid draw a little water out of the cabbage, so the slaw turns tender-crisp instead of staying stiff and raw.
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Finish and serve
Taste and adjust the salt, pepper or vinegar, scatter over the extra cilantro, and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Tasting again after the rest matters because the cabbage releases water that dilutes the dressing slightly.
About
Coleslaw's paper trail starts far earlier than any American cookout. Ancient Roman cooks dressed shredded cabbage with vinegar, egg and spice, and food historians trace kin dishes back to a 4th-century BCE recipe of chopped cabbage, coriander, honey vinegar and rue. The name itself is Dutch: koolsla, from kool (cabbage) and sla (salad), carried to New Amsterdam by Dutch settlers who planted cabbage along the Hudson. English speakers folk-etymologised it into "cold slaw" before "coleslaw" settled as the spelling by the 1790s. Mayonnaise, invented only in the 18th century, is a relatively late addition — the older, and arguably more universal, version is simply raw cabbage cut fine and dressed sharp with vinegar or oil.
This version keeps to that older, lighter style. Cabbage and carrot are cut thin enough to soften in a few minutes under a mustard-honey vinaigrette, with no mayonnaise and no cooking at all — just a knife, a board and a big bowl. It sits well made ahead, travels to a potluck without spoiling, and works equally as a side to grilled or spiced mains or piled onto a sandwich or wrap.
Cook’s notes
Salt the shredded cabbage for 10 minutes and squeeze out the liquid first if you want a drier, crunchier slaw that holds longer without going watery.
Swap the honey for maple syrup to make the dressing fully vegan.
Keeps well covered in the fridge for up to 2 days — it actually improves after a few hours as the cabbage softens slightly and takes on the dressing.
Health benefits
- Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable rich in vitamin C and vitamin K, and eating it raw preserves vitamin C that cooking would otherwise degrade.
- Carrots contribute beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, along with additional fibre.
- The dish is naturally low in calories and high in water and fibre, which supports digestion and helps with satiety.
General information about the ingredients, not advice about you. Nothing here is a medical or dietary recommendation, and no dish treats or prevents any condition. If you are managing a health condition, pregnant, or on a prescribed diet, ask a doctor or a dietitian.
Cons & who should be cautious
- Cruciferous vegetables like raw cabbage can cause bloating or gas in people with a sensitive gut, and are best eaten in moderation on a low-FODMAP diet.
- Cabbage is a source of vitamin K, so people on blood-thinning medication such as warfarin should keep portions consistent rather than irregular.
- Those with a diagnosed thyroid condition are often advised to moderate raw cruciferous vegetable intake, particularly alongside low iodine intake.
- Skip or swap the Dijon mustard in the dressing if you have a mustard allergy.
Not a complete allergen declaration. Ingredient lists describe what we used and cannot account for cross-contamination or what your particular brand contains, so check the packaging of everything you cook with.
Nutrition facts (estimated)
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