Grandma’s Easy Homemade Coleslaw Recipe

Love light and fresh coleslaw that isn’t over dressed? Grandma’s Easy Homemade Coleslaw Salad Recipe is the one for you! Creamy and luscious with just a hint of tang, this family recipe is seriously delicious. I remember huge bowls of the stuff at family picnics, barbecues and potlucks. There were rarely any leftovers.

My late Mom – our son’s Grandma – is the original creator of this recipe. When I was growing up, everyone always talked about “Barb’s wonderful coleslaw” but when our son was little, it became “Grandma’s Coleslaw”. He sounded so cute when he said it, Grandma’s Coleslaw it became!

Easy Coleslaw Recipe

A Healthier Recipe for Homemade Coleslaw

Mom was one of the first qualified nutritionists in Ontario. Healthy eating without compromising on flavour was always at the forefront of her mind. Even her homemade coleslaw had a healthier twist to it.

Raw green cabbage has many health benefits. It contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and seriously low in calories. Raw red cabbage has even more health benefits than green cabbage does. It also has a fantastic flavour. If you’ve only tasted red cabbage served hot, you will be pleasantly surprised by its full of flavour crunch Grandma’s Homemade Coleslaw. You can of course just use green cabbage if that is all you have available.

Please use freshly shredded cabbage for this recipe. I know those bags of ‘coleslaw mix’ are super convenient but the cabbage is often rinsed in water with a high chlorine content. It also usually contains less-than-healthy ingredients to help keep the bagged salad fresh and bright. Plus you can’t beat the flavour of fresh cabbage.

Making The Recipe Even Better For You

In recent years, I tried substituting half a cup plain Greek yogurt for half of the mayonnaise. The flavour is not identical but it is still absolutely delicious, and even better for you.

Tips for Making Grandma’s Homemade Coleslaw

Use fresh veggies – It doesn’t take long to shred a cabbage or two and a couple of carrots and it’s well worth the effort. In fact, like repeatedly stirring a risotto, shredding or chopping vegetables can be positively therapeutic.

Use a good mayonnaise  – Unsurprisingly, the flavour of the mayonnaise affects the flavour of the salad. It’s important to choose one your really like. Funnily enough, my Mom would never, ever have used Hellmann’s mayonnaise as I do. She was a Miracle Whip girl through and through. However I can’t get Miracle Whip easily in the UK and my family and I love the flavour Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise. I also like that it is lower in fat and calories. (not sponsored, just saying!)

Make the recipe the day before if you can – The thing I love about this easy homemade coleslaw recipe is that you can definitely make it ahead. In fact, sitting in the fridge overnight deepens and improves the flavours, making it taste even better. The coleslaw will keep, covered in the fridge, for two to three days. The dressing may separate a bit, but all you have to do is stir in back in.

If you have to make it at the last minute, pop it in the freezer for about twenty minutes before serving as it tastes so much better chilled.

Just one bite of Grandma’s Homemade Coleslaw brings back such lovely memories. It’s colourful, delicious and a great way to get your family to eat raw vegetables. I hope you will make it part of your family’s traditions too.

Grandma’s Homemade Coleslaw – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Homemade Coleslaw – My Mom’s Recipe

Course Salad

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 12

A family recipe for a deliciously different coleslaw, fresh, crunchy and flavourful

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 6 cups shredded red and green cabbage That's enough to almost fill a medium salad bowl.
• 2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 cup Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise Use half plain Greek Yogurt for an even healthier version
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon celery salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

• Wash and shred the cabbages.
• Wash and grate the carrots.
• Put all the shredded and grated vegetables in a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, parsley, celery salt and ground pepper together thoroughly with a whisk.
• Add the dressing to the shredded cabbages and grated carrots and toss thoroughly.
• Cover and place in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.
• Toss again before serving.

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