Crispy, tangy and a kiss of sweet make this old fashioned American coleslaw recipe a classic summertime side dish. Creamy, crunchy and oh-so delicious!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ahhhh, sweet summertime! The season of potlucks and backyard BBQs and side dishes like creamy potato salad and what's also referred to as southern style coleslaw.
Between the burgers and hot dogs, I think we feel a little better if there's something from the garden on our plate for our cookouts!
Whether you're serving up some coleslaw heaped onto pulled pork sandwiches or alongside something fresh off the grill, coleslaw is a side dish we always gravitate to.
If slaw is your thing, be sure to check out this healthy broccoli slaw!
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🛒 INGREDIENTS
Here's what you need to pick up at the market or grocery store to make this sweet and tangy coleslaw.
- buttermilk - The ingredient we always see but don't know what it is! Buttermilk was originally the liquid left over from turning milk into butter, but I suspect they make it on purpose now. It adds a tangy flavor to the slaw.
- cabbage - This is the plain old garden variety of green cabbage for some old fashioned coleslaw. Cut out the core and slice it thinly, or use the shredding blade on your food processor. Heck, pick up a bag of pre-chopped coleslaw from the grocery store. I won't blame you if you take a shortcut! If you have extra cabbage, you can use it to make a cabbage pork stir fry.
- onion - I like to grate this and it gives a little hidden taste in the background.
- carrot - adds a little texture, some color and some crunch.
- sugar - just a touch for that touch of sweetness we love with our coleslaw here!
- mayonnaise and milk - along with the buttermilk, these make up the coleslaw dressing.
- lemon juice and apple cider vinegar - add a little acidity and balance out the sweetness.
Hint: You can save extra buttermilk by freezing it ice cube form for up to a month. Thaw it when you need it to make more coleslaw, or use it for buttermilk cornbread muffins.
See recipe card for quantities.
📋 Substitutions
For the buttermilk, you can substitute ¼ cup plain yogurt.
You can make your own buttermilk substitution, too, by using milk and lemon juice or vinegar. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a ¼ cup milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes. It will thicken and curdle a bit, making it a replacement for this recipe.
Coleslaw mix can be used in place of the cabbage and carrots.
🥣 How to make American style coleslaw
- Step 1: Grab a cereal sized bowl. Add the mayo, buttermilk, milk, sugar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper. Whisk to make the coleslaw dressing.
- Step 2: Grab your favorite medium to large sized bowl. Add the cabbage, onion and carrots.
- Step 3: Add the salad dressing to the vegetables. Fold the vegetables into the dressing, scooping from the bottom of the bowl to bring the dressing to the top.
Repeat until the mixture is thoroughly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors come together.
Tip: Chill time is key when it comes to making coleslaw. Be sure to give it an hour in the fridge, at minimum.
📖 Variations
Add chopped herbs like fresh chives, fresh parsley or cilantro.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
We love serving classic coleslaw alongside bbq pulled pork sliders or any other kind of bbq.
Farm Girl Tip
The thinner you slice your cabbage, the lighter your slaw will be.
Storage
Store covered, in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to three days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Related
Looking for other side dishes? Try these:
Old Fashioned American Style Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 12 ounces shredded cabbage (about 4 cups)
- 2 ounces grated carrot (about 1 large)
- 2 Tablespoons grated onion
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons mayonnaise (this is ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon)
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Grab a medium sized bowl (I used a cereal bowl) to make the dressing. Add 5 Tablespoons mayonnaise, ¼ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup milk, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon table salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Use a whisk to blend well.
- In a separate, larger bowl, add the chopped 12 ounces shredded cabbage, 2 Tablespoons grated onion and 2 ounces grated carrot.
- Pour the coleslaw dressing on top of the cabbage mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold the vegetables into the coleslaw dressing, scooping from the bottom of the bowl to bring the dressing to the top. Repeat until the mixture is thoroughly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors come together.
Notes
- when you shred your own carrot, the coleslaw might turn a little orange from the betacarotine (the color of carrots). Don't worry, it's just some vitamins saying hello!
- I used half a head of cabbage for this recipe. It will depend on the size of your cabbage.
- The onion flavor will be strong when you first add it. It mellows as it chills in the fridge. <--- Get it, chillin????
- The salad will create additional liquid when chilling. So if it looks a little "dry" when you put it into the fridge, keep that in mind.
- Use a bag of coleslaw mix in place the carrot and cabbage.
- You can make your own buttermilk substitution, too, by using milk and lemon juice or vinegar. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a ¼ cup milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes. It will thicken and curdle a bit, making it a replacement for this recipe. Note: you will still need the other ¼ of milk called for in the recipe.
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
