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!
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
- 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 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.
Daffydil
Needed a sweet coleslaw for my smoked brisket, so gave this a try. Very tasty and pairs very well. Thanks so much!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yum, this is the perfect side for smoked brisket! Glad you liked it :-)
Linda Ethier
A friend of mine use to make his coleslaw this way but would not share his recipe. This is awesome.
Elizabeth Lindemann
He wouldn’t share his recipe?! Well then I’m glad you came here and found this one! Glad you liked it :-)
Suzanne
Have you ever tried this with Apple cider vinegar?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I have tried it, and didn’t really like it. The flavor was really strong. I definitely prefer just plain white vinegar for this recipe!
Debra
So glad I found this recipe, made it as written for a family cookout. So simple and yet so many raves -my sisters wanted the recipe.
Thanks much for sharing this! A new favorite!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your sisters liked it!
Traci G
This is my new ‘go-to’ coleslaw recipe. I served it with NC-style pulled pork sandwiches. It was delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
That sounds like a delicious meal! So glad to hear you like the coleslaw recipe.
Mary H
I have been looking for a tasty non-mayonnaise slaw recipe for awhile. I found it in this one. Simple, quick, and delicious! ☺️ Thank you
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Beverly
Wonderful and quick, I did use the food processor. Cabbage is so good for your gut and this makes an awesome treat!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Steph
This is the best no mayo coleslaw dressing recipe I’ve ever had. The only change I made was to use less sugar, and regular olive oil instead of extra virgin. This will be my go to from now on. I plan on making your Fasolakia recipe tomorrow. I’m Greek and want to make a few dishes for New Years dinner. Thank you for sharing and Happy New Year.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I actually make this with a more neutral oil often (canola is my go to) and I agree, the flavor is great. Thanks for the suggestion and happy new year to you as well! Hope you liked the Fasolakia :-)
Suzanne K Valadez
I was anticipating “blah” because, as you mentioned above, the photo doesn’t show this recipe off very well. HOWEVER, I’m keeping this recipe. It will be my go-to for slaw from now on! We had family over to celebrate my husband’s birthday. He fixed smoked brisket, chicken and brats. Everybody loved this slaw. And easy-peasy, too! A great do-ahead side dish.
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO glad you liked it! Sounds like a delicious meal- happy birthday to your husband!
Richard
Hands down best Cole slaw I have eaten. I substitute 1 small envelope of Splenda for the sugar. I love mayo but losing it in this recipe makes it super healthy.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad to know it worked well with Splenda- thanks for sharing that tip, and so glad you liked the recipe!
Jane
My favorite slaw! I use only 2 T of sugar. I don’t like my slaw very sweet.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Kay
Yum!🎖
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Mandy
Can you freeze or can this slaw?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I don’t have experience with freezing or canning this slaw but my instincts are telling me that freezing wouldn’t work (I think it would affect the texture of the cabbage). But I think canning would be perfect! This coleslaw is made very similarly to how you would make pickles in a brine, so it makes sense it would can really well. Great idea! If you try it I’d love to know how it works out for you!
Elisabeth
I made the recipe for Sunday dinner and my family loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your family liked it!
ammie joseph
I made this coleslaw for my fish tacos and it was a hit . THE falvor pairs with the fish perfectly
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks so much! I love using this coleslaw on fish tacos. Glad you liked it!
Doris Lada
What is ground mustard?????
Elizabeth Lindemann
It’s a dry spice! Really delicious. You can definitely find it in your spice aisle in your grocery store.
ammie joseph
I have been looking all over the web for a recipe like this for my summer barbcues. I made it for my fish tacos and it was perfect. Thanks for the recipe. It will be a keeper.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad to hear you liked the recipe! Thanks for the comment :-)
Cindy
Can vegetable oil be used in place of Olive Oil? Have made this before using veg oil not sure flavor olive Oil will have or change flavor
Elizabeth Lindemann
Absolutely! I use canola oil with it sometimes, and the neutral taste is a really nice change because it lets the mustard and celery seed shine (I mostly use olive oil for the health benefits rather than taste, but it’s delicious too). Vegetable oil would work too. Thanks for bringing this up- I’ve been meaning to go back and edit this post and I’ll be sure to include that information :-)
Mary Jane Zeller
Just made this recipe for supper tonight and we can’t stop “tasting” it! Delicious!
Elizabeth
This is one of my favorite recipes ever- SO glad you liked it!
Mary
Do you have a recommendation for a substitution of the sugar? I’m diabetic! Thanks!
Elizabeth
Hmm…there is quite a bit of sugar in this recipe. You could probably use a sugar substitute like Splenda (you’d know more than me probably about whether this is OK to use as a substitute and how to do it!), but honestly, I don’t think it would taste as good. This recipe for Jalapeño Cilantro Slaw is more savory than sweet, and has only 2 tablespoons of honey (which can easily be omitted without affecting the taste too much). Sorry I can’t be more help!
Tish
I am definitely visiting this site again… love it !
Elizabeth
Thanks so much! :-)
Elizabeth C
I made this a few days ago and it received rave reviews! I found I needed less of the dressing than the recipe called for. Another delicious recipe!
Elizabeth
Thanks Elizabeth! Believe it or not, I actually HALVED the dressing from the original!