This colorful and tangy red cabbage slaw is a refreshing spin on a traditional cole slaw. The acidity of this coleslaw perfectly balances the heartiness of your favorite rib-sticking meaty entree!
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The easiest red cabbage slaw!
I love me some cabbage but I don’t always have 2.5 hours to make my favorite braised cabbage recipe. Sometimes I just wanna chop up a raw cabbage, throw on some dressing and be done with it. Plus, this zippy slaw tastes great as leftovers!
The secret sauce
The best thing about this simple cabbage slaw is the tangy, zesty, and creamy dressing! Save the extra sauce so you can drizzle it on all the things and to perk up leftover red cabbage slaw. Just keep the dressing in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
The one caveat for this tasty sauce is that you’ll need a powerful blender or food processor to blend all the veggies into a smooth dressing. Blender not quite cutting it? Chop the ingredients more extensively before blitzing everything together!
Can you make this slaw ahead of time?
I think the slaw tastes best when you dress it right before you serve it, but leftovers still taste wonderful. Leftover red cabbage slaw can be stored in a fridge for up to 4 days. If you need to amp up the flavors of the leftover salad, drizzle on some extra dressing and toasted almonds before serving!
Ingredients
Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Carrots
- Green onions
- Medjool date
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds a nice tang to the dressing. Feel free to substitute sherry vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or rice vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
- Paleo mayonnaise: You can make your own mayo or buy your favorite paleo mayonnaise at the store.
- Fresh ginger root
- Dijon mustard
- Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Red Cabbage Slaw
- Small red or purple cabbage: Grab one that’s about 2 pounds.
- Carrots
- Green onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Carrot Ginger Dressing (see above)
- Toasted slivered almonds: No almonds? You can also use toasted pistachios, hazelnuts, or cashews. Nut free? You can top the salad with toasted sesame seeds!
How to make red cabbage slaw
Make the Carrot Ginger dressing! In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients for the carrot ginger dressing and blitz…
…until smooth.
In a large bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage, carrots, scallion greens, and cilantro.
Pour in ½ cup of Carrot Ginger Dressing and toss well.
Taste and add extra dressing if needed. Sprinkle toasted slivered almonds on top…
…and serve!
What can you serve with it?
Any meat dish! I love serving this acidic red cabbage slaw with Cracklin’ Chicken or my crowd pleasing Easy Pork Shoulder with Peach Glaze or a big pile of Kalua Pig or Instant Pot Carnitas. If you want to make it a complete meal, toss cooked chicken while you’re making the slaw and you’re good to go!
How to save leftovers
Leftover red cabbage slaw can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you need to perk up the flavors of the leftover salad, drizzle on some extra dressing and toasted almonds before serving!
Looking for more cabbage dishes?
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Red Cabbage Slaw with Tangy Carrot and Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
Carrot Ginger Dressing
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 scallions white parts only, chopped
- 1 large Medjool date pitted and chopped
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup Paleo Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Red Cabbage Slaw
- 2 pounds red cabbage cored and thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots peeled into strips or julienned
- 2 scallions greens only, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
- ½ cup Carrot Ginger Dressing see above
- 2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds
Instructions
Carrot Ginger Dressing
- In a powerful blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients for the carrot ginger dressing and blend until smooth.
Red Cabbage Slaw
- In a large salad bowl, toss together the cabbage, carrots, scallion greens, and cilantro.
- Pour in ½ cup of Carrot Ginger Dressing and use tongs to mix well.
- Taste and add extra dressing if needed. Sprinkle toasted slivered almonds on top and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was SO good. I’m not a fan of mayo so I subbed oil and added more ginger, because I love ginger. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Crushed it!! Our family absolutely loved all the flavor packed into this recipe. I just added a tiny bit of water to thin out the dressing. Thank you for brining yummy recipes to our home.
So yummy and tasty! My family loved this salad. I upped the salt and subbed a little agave for the date (didn’t have any!) Next time I think I’ll use a little less ACV but honestly it is delicious as is. Beautiful salad and wowed my family and is just as tasty for lunch the next day.