This Mayo Free Coleslaw recipe is packed with unique sweet and tangy flavor from the olive oil and vinegar based dressing. Flavored with ground mustard and celery seed, this tangy vegan side dish will be perfect for your next BBQ or piled up on fish tacos!
This recipe is my go-to for coleslaw and is a crowd pleaser every single time I make it. I’ve received countless requests for the recipe. It’s super cheap with only a few ingredients, and so easy to make it’s almost unfair.
You know how when you find something that works really well, you just stick with it? Like long-sleeved classic white T-shirts from The Gap? Well, that is the way of this coleslaw. The Gap T-shirt of coleslaw. It is the only one you will ever need.
Sweet, tangy, and packed full of flavor, this coleslaw pairs a unique blend of olive oil and white vinegar, ground mustard, celery seed, salt, and sugar over a simple mixture of shredded green cabbage and sweet onion.
But here’s what makes it really, REALLY good: the dressing is boiled, then poured over the cabbage and onions, blanching the vegetables to soften slightly and imbibe a ton of flavor.
Oh man. It’s crisp-tender perfection that just gets better and better as it sits in your fridge, making it a perfect make-ahead side dish. It kind of tastes like bread and butter pickles, but in coleslaw form.
Do not let these pictures deceive you. I know, it doesn’t LOOK like it is bursting at the seams with flavor, but trust me… it is.
This no mayo coleslaw is a New England original
When I was young, my family travelled to Bar Harbor, Maine for my older brother’s wedding. We ate at a restaurant that served amazing coleslaw, and not expecting cooperation with her request, my mother asked the waiter for the recipe. To our surprise, they gave it to her!
I don’t know the name of the restaurant, but I do know that you should drop everything you are doing and make this right now. I’ve made a few adjustments from the original New England recipe, including swapping out vegetable oil for healthier olive oil (but you can use vegetable or canola oil instead, if you want to).
And lo and behold, when I found myself in Texas eating at The Salt Lick BBQ Restaurant, they serve a very similar no mayo coleslaw with celery seed! Small world.
How to make coleslaw with no mayo
- First, shred the cabbage and slice the onion. Since I’m pretty handy with a knife, I shredded the cabbage julienne-style by hand, but you can also use a food processor with an attachment or a mandoline slicer to make shredding cabbage super easy.
- Mix the cabbage and onion in a large bowl. It will seem like a lot but after adding the dressing it will cook down a bit.
- Heat up the olive oil, white vinegar, sugar, ground mustard, celery seed, and kosher salt in a small saucepan on the stovetop. Bring it to a simmer, heated just enough to dissolve all the sugar into the mix, whisking or stirring together as you go.
- Finally, pour the hot dressing on top of the cabbage and onion and stir together. This will blanch the veggies slightly, causing them to cook down and to soften a bit.
It’s best to prepare this coleslaw about one day in advance (stirring every few hours or so as it sits in the fridge), so the flavors seep in overnight. But a couple of hours in the fridge is fine, too.
Can I use another kind of vinegar, or substitute the sugar with honey?
In short, no. I don’t recommend subbing out the vinegar with another or using honey.
I tried using apple cider vinegar and honey with this recipe once, and the flavors just weren’t right. The vinegar was too strong and the honey wasn’t sweet enough to balance out everything.
But you CAN substitute the olive oil with another kind of oil, such as vegetable or canola. You can save some money this way, especially if you’re cooking for a crowd.
What to do with the leftover cabbage
This vinegar coleslaw recipe uses about a half a head of cabbage, unless you can find a really small head (or if you’re doubling the amounts). That leaves you with the other half to use up! Try these:
- Top blackened shrimp tacos or chipotle salmon tacos with raw shredded cabbage.
- Use it to make stuffed cabbage casserole.
- Use your instant pot to make a simple buttered cabbage side dish.
- Make a sweet potato, corned beef, and cabbage breakfast bake with eggs.
- Try another coleslaw, like this spicy jalapeño cilantro slaw or this apple coleslaw!
What to serve with this vinegar-based coleslaw
- Top pulled pork sandwiches with it or serve it on the side (here’s an instant pot pulled pork and a slow cooker BBQ pulled pork).
- Serve it on the side of oven BBQ chicken or Crispy Honey Buffalo Chicken Thighs.
- Bring it to a potluck and serve it alongside dill potato salad or warm potato salad with bacon and arugula. Honestly I could eat just a meal like that with no main course!
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Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw (no mayo) with Celery Seed and Mustard
Ingredients
- 1 small head cabbage shredded (or 1/2 large head, about 6 cups total)
- 1 large white onion quartered and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard (dry mustard powder, found in the spice aisle)
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
Instructions
- Mix the shredded cabbage and sliced onion in a large bowl.
- To make the dressing, boil the remaining ingredients on stove, whisking to combine until sugar has dissolved completely.
- Pour hot dressing on top of cabbage and onions; stir to coat.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving; stirring occasionally to redistribute dressing.
Notes
- Make ahead: This coleslaw will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days, but I think it’s best served 12-24 hours after making it.
- Ingredient substitutions: I do not recommend using honey instead of sugar, or any other kind of vinegar. You can, however, use another kind of onion or cabbage, if you want, or add other veggies like shredded carrots. You can also use another kind of oil, like vegetable or canola, in place of the olive oil.
- How to serve it: I recommend serving this on top of pulled pork sandwiches or fish tacos, or as a side for a BBQ.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This post originally appeared on Bowl of Delicious in April, 2014. It has been republished with new photos, improved recipe instructions, and more pertinent information.
Dave
I love this recipe I added 1/2 c. chopped apple and it was wonderful. This is the perfect recipe for those who don’t care for mayo or traditional coleslaw.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Love the addition of apple!
Candace Paine
This is a German version of coleslaw. I have made it often. Some German versions call for caraway seeds while others call for celery seed. I use the celery seed. I always make it a full 1 to 2 days ahead and will place a heavy plate over the coleslaw to weigh it down, while refrigerated. I stir a few times a day during the 1 to 2 days. I add grated carrot to mine for color.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I love the idea of pressing it down with a heavy plate! I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks for the tip!
Carole Jacoby
Yummy
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Connie Meyer
Best cole slaw ever! Easy peasy and so delicious. Thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Judy Stark
Hi – I made your coleslaw tonight to serve with BBQ ribs and my first taste was WOW! I do have a question, might be a dumb one, but here goes. What is the “ground mustard” that you call for in the recipe? Thanks much! Smiles, Judy :-)
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Ground mustard is just the dried mustard powder you get in the spice aisle – not the liquid, wet kind you find near the ketchup. Hope that helps!
Drew
This is actually called “Dried Mustard Powder” (such as Colman’s Mustard ) not “ground mustard”. “Ground” could be construed as “Stone Ground” style mustard which is what I used. I have dried mustard powder in my cupboard and would have used that if it were more clear. The recipe should be revised to remedy this tricky ingredient direction.
Elizabeth Lindemann
No, it’s actually called “ground mustard” with most brands of spices, Colman’s being the exception. I can definitely see the confusion that could occur between that and “stone ground mustard,” which is a wet coarse mustard! I did go ahead and add a note to the ingredients in the recipe card to clarify this – hope that helps.
Julie Dionne
I actually used rice vinegar in this recipe. I was worried because I didn’t have white vinegar. I got so many complements on this coleslaw. It was the first thing to go at our party. I made it the day before and stirred it diligently through the night. I have been asked to make this for every get-together. Great recipe!!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO glad you liked it, and great to know rice vinegar works as well! It’s always a hit at parties for me, too.