Coleslaw
Shredded cabbage and carrots dressed in a tangy, slightly sweet mayo-based dressing with a kick of vinegar. The secret is salting the cabbage first to draw out water — otherwise it turns soggy within an hour.
Ingredients
- 500 gwhite cabbage
- 2 mediumcarrots
- 1 smallonion
- 120 mlmayonnaise
- 2 tbspapple cider vinegar
- 1 tbspDijon mustard
- 1 tbspsugar
- ½ tspsalt
- ¼ tspblack pepper
- ½ tspcelery seed
Method
- Finely chop the cabbage with a knife, on a mandoline or in a food processor. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. If using, thinly slice the onion.
- In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, pepper and celery seed. Whisk well until smooth.
- Add the chopped cabbage, carrots and onions to the bowl with the dressing. Mix thoroughly.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
FAQ
Watery coleslaw is caused by osmosis: salt and sugar in the dressing draw moisture out of the shredded cabbage, which then pools at the bottom of the bowl. The fix is to pre-salt the cabbage before dressing it. Shred the cabbage, toss with 1 teaspoon of salt per 300 g of cabbage, and let it sit in a colander for 20–30 minutes. Rinse briefly under cold water, then squeeze firmly with your hands or press through a clean towel to remove as much water as possible. Pat dry. This step removes 30–40% of the cabbage's water content before the dressing goes on. The result is coleslaw that stays crisp and doesn't pool liquid even after several hours. If you skip pre-salting, dress the coleslaw no more than 30 minutes before serving and drain any accumulated liquid before plating.
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Comments (1)
The knife work is what makes this coleslaw special. Every piece of white cabbage cut to the same size means every forkful is balanced. It's the kind of detail you taste but can't quite identify.