Super-Simple Tangy Buttermilk Coleslaw Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 29, 2018
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Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Why It Works

  • Tossing the shredded vegetables with a pinch of salt before you form the dressing helps them break down just enough to soften while retaining plenty of fresh crunch.
  • A combination of buttermilk and mayonnaise gives the dressing fresh buttermilk tang, but enough thickness to coat the vegetables.

This is one of the easiest recipes I've ever published. No big secret techniques, no strange ingredients, in fact, without counting salt and pepper, you only need seven extra things from the supermarket aside from the buttermilk you probably already have in your fridge and been wondering how to use up.

Recipe Details

Super-Simple Tangy Buttermilk Coleslaw Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 40 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds green or red cabbage, cored and finely shredded in a food processor or mandoline (about 10 cups of shredded cabbage)

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced in a food processor or mandoline (about 1 cup)

  • 1 medium carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 3/4 cup)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 3/4 cup buttermilk

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

  1. Combine cabbage, onion, and carrot in a large bowl and toss with a large pinch of salt. Set aside.

  2. Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and sugar. Pour over cabbage and season generously with black pepper. Toss to combine and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to refrigerator and let rest for 30 minutes or up to 3 days before serving.

Special equipment

Food processor with shredding dish or mandoline (both optional but recommended)

Notes

I like to use a mix of red and green cabbage, though either on its own is fine. This coleslaw will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
90Calories
6gFat
9gCarbs
2gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories90
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g7%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 4mg1%
Sodium 309mg13%
Total Carbohydrate 9g3%
Dietary Fiber 2g8%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 33mg166%
Calcium 75mg6%
Iron 0mg2%
Potassium 253mg5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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