20 Fresh Coleslaw Ideas for Crunchtastic Summer Meals
They're perfect for picnics, barbecues, and beyond.
It's high time to give coleslaw its moment to shine. No longer content to be a ho-hum, predictable side dish of ordinary shredded cabbage and mayo, homemade coleslaw is stepping up its flavor game with all kinds of summery ingredient add-ins, coleslaw dressings, and cabbage varieties to make things extra interesting. Check out 20 of our favorite ways to make rave-worthy coleslaw this summer.
Charred Cabbage, Ginger, and Sesame Slaw
Allrecipes Magazine
"When it's BBQ season, try this charred cabbage, ginger, and sesame slaw to mix up your coleslaw game." —Virginia Willis
Lemony Cabbage-Avocado Slaw
Combine all the feel good foods of hemp seeds, crunchy cabbage, creamy avocado, and more. The lemon takes this salad from average to deliciously tangy!
Cowboy Coleslaw
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
"Easy summer side salad to bring together in a hurry." —Amanda Stanfield
Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw
Fresh lime, cilantro, sweet chili sauce, and rice vinegar make this a zesty coleslaw to go with Mexican or Asian dishes.
Carolina Red Slaw
Chef John
"With this pitmaster recipe for Carolina red slaw, besides learning a new and delicious barbecue side dish, we'll share a few tips that will make every coleslaw better." —Chef John
Cucumber Slaw
Cucumbers and carrots supply the crunch, and sweet/sour apple cider vinegar keeps things light and zingy. Try it with a grilled steak to see how it balances out the richness of the meat.
Mango Cilantro Slaw
This is different twist on cabbage slaw. It's very easy and the mango and honey make it sweet; no sugar in this recipe! Great by itself or wrap a corn tortilla around grilled tilapia and top with this cilantro slaw for a great-tasting fish taco!" —Randy Warner
Hawaiian Colesl.aw
Pineapple and mandarin oranges spiced up with a bit of ginger and nutmeg get tossed around with cabbage and mayo to make a perky, creamy slaw. Perfect for luau menus.
Mike's Coleslaw
Nuts adds a whole new dimension to this creamy coleslaw. Remember: the toastier the almonds, the better! This coleslaw is full of sweet and salty components — including the honey-basil dressing.
Apple Jicama Coleslaw
Apples and jicama team up with cabbage to make a slaw with triple the crunch. Scoop it onto pulled pork sandwiches for an excellent balance of crisp, tender, sweet, and savory.
Thornehedge Peach Slaw
Use the season's best peaches in this slaw for a bowl o sweet, tangy, crunchy, juicy, deliciousness. How about some grilled pork chops to go with it?
Asian Coleslaw
Three kinds of cabbage go into this colorful slaw along with red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. A homemade dressing flavored with peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger make this a 5-star favorite.
Copycat KFC Coleslaw
"For a slaw that looks similar to what you'd find at KFC, we suggest chopping the coleslaw mix before mixing with the dressing." —Sarah Brekke
Donna Leigh's Creamy Broccoli Slaw
Bagged broccoli salad, ramen noodles, and sunflower seeds are the big crunch factors in this creamy, tangy slaw. Try it as a colorful side dish for grilled chicken, and find more ways to turn broccoli slaw into quick dinners.
Pickled Ginger Asian Pear Coleslaw
Hit up the Asian aisle of your market for the pickled ginger and miso paste you'll use in this exotic slaw. You'll love it with this grilled ginger-glazed salmon.
Chinese Cabbage Salad l
Make a big batch of this no-mayo slaw when you need a crowd-pleaser for your next summer potluck. You can sub crispy chow mein noodles for the ramen noodles if you wish. What to serve it with? Everything, including grilled shrimp kabobs.
Picnic Marinated Summer Slaw
With cucumbers, sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, and green onions in the mix, this colorful slaw is like a garden on a plate. Serve it with a big, messy plate of BBQ ribs to cut down on the guilt just a bit.
Spicy Bok Choy Slaw
Can you handle this much heat? With two kinds of hot peppers in this slaw, the answer had better be yes. Of course, you can always dial down the peppers and just enjoy the crispy, crunchy, sweet/savory vibe of this Asian-style coleslaw. Even so, with flavor this big you'll want to pair it with something clean and fresh like grilled tuna or halibut to keep your mouth from getting overwhelmed.
Napa Cabbage Salad
Sweet, mild Napa cabbage (aka Chinese cabbage) makes a refreshing break from the standard red or green cabbage. In this 5-star recipe, it's paired with crunchy ramen noodles and green onions in a vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce dressing.
12-Second Coleslaw
"When people think of coleslaw, they think of that bowl of soggy, shredded cabbage sitting at the end of the picnic table. This is a completely different approach; a fresh-shredded cabbage prepared as a fast (12 seconds adding ingredients, 30 seconds to mix), crisp, low-cal, low-carb, slightly spicy, and delicious side dish that you should be eating as part of your regular veggie-side-dish rotation." —Chef John
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