American-Style Coleslaw with Cabbage and Carrot Recipe
Coleslaw is a creamy salad made from finely shredded cabbage and carrot that in the USA is served alongside burgers, ribs, and grilled chicken. It’s crunchy, slightly sweet-and-sour, and very refreshing. It’s a bit like Polish cabbage slaw, but with a more creamy dressing.
This coleslaw is the most American-style version of cabbage slaw – very creamy, yet still crunchy and slightly sweet-and-sour. It’s perfect with grilled meats, burgers, and pulled pork because it refreshes the palate and cuts through richness. Compared to a typical Polish cabbage slaw, it has a more pronounced dressing and a delicate apple cider vinegar aroma.
Chef's tips
The key is shredding the cabbage very finely and briefly massaging it with salt – this softens it while keeping a pleasant crunch. Make the dressing in a separate bowl and taste it before adding to the vegetables so you can immediately balance the sweetness and acidity. Be sure to chill the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes; if it sits longer, it’s worth adding a spoonful of mayonnaise or yogurt before serving, because the cabbage “drinks up” the dressing.
How to serve
Serve coleslaw with grilled pork neck, roasted ribs, or homemade burgers – it’s perfect for summer get-togethers in the garden or on the balcony. For a quick weekday dinner, just add roasted potatoes and a piece of oven-baked chicken. For an “American BBQ” style party, you can serve it in a big bowl next to the buns so everyone can build their own sandwiches.
Ingredients
- white cabbage - 600 g
- carrot - 2 piece
- onion - 0.5 piece
- mayonnaise - 120 g
- plain yogurt - 80 g
- apple cider vinegar - 2 tablespoon
- sugar - 1.5 teaspoon
- mustard - 0.5 teaspoon
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- black pepper - 0.5 teaspoon
- celery stalk - 1 stalk
Preparation
- Clean the cabbage by removing the outer leaves, cut it into quarters, remove the core, and shred very finely with a knife or on a mandoline so you get thin strips.
- Transfer the shredded cabbage to a large bowl, sprinkle with 0.5 teaspoon of salt, and gently massage it with your hands for 2–3 minutes, until it softens slightly and releases some juice.
- Peel the carrot and grate it on a coarse grater, slice the celery very thinly, and finely chop the onion.
- Add the carrot, celery, and onion to the cabbage and toss everything together lightly.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, mustard, the remaining salt, and the pepper; mix until the dressing is smooth and slightly runny.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl with the vegetables and mix thoroughly with your hand or a large spoon so that all the cabbage pieces are coated in the creamy sauce.
- Taste the salad and, if needed, adjust the seasoning with an extra pinch of salt, sugar, or vinegar so the flavor is both slightly sweet and slightly sour.
- Chill the coleslaw in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the cabbage softens and the flavors meld; stir again before serving.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku w lodówce; z czasem będzie bardziej miękka i intensywniejsza w smaku. Przed podaniem zawsze dobrze ją wymieszaj, bo sos opada na dno.
