Request for Cole Slaw Recipe

This topic has 13 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 3 months ago by Mike Nolan.

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August 5, 2019 at 6:08 pm #17374
BakerAunt
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Can someone point me toward a cole slaw recipe? I bought a cute little head of cabbage at the Farmers Market. I am thinking of one that uses cabbage, onion, and carrots. So far, most of the ones I'm finding have apples or other fruit.

I tried a search here, and Chocomouse (hint, hint) came up a lot as mentioning cole slaw. No recipes came up in the search--and I couldn't figure out why some items did turn up.

I can do a google search, but I like to start with recipes from people I know. 🙂

Spread the word
- This topic was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.
August 5, 2019 at 8:14 pm #17375
Mike Nolan
Keymaster
What kind of cole slaw recipe are you looking for? There are two types, those made with mayonnaise and Carolina-style cole slaw, which uses vinegar. I think I've got my mother-in-law's mayonnaise-based recipe, but I haven't made it in a long time, as my wife doesn't like cole slaw. I'm more likely to use cabbage to make sauerkraut, and I haven't done that for a while, either.
August 5, 2019 at 8:24 pm #17377
chocomouse
Participant
Yes, we love cole slaw, and when you buy a six-pack of cabbage seedlings for your garden in May, you have a lot of cabbage to eat in July! I shred the cabbage quite thinly, shred carrots, and thinly slice onions. I can't tell you the proportions - maybe half a large cabbage, a couple of 6" long carrots, a largish yellow onion. I often add chopped apples in the fall, and usually then add caraway seeds too. The dressing makes the difference. We like ours rather tart and "spicy". I use mayo, light is OK, your preferred brand, sugar, stevia or other sweetener, cider vinegar, celery seed, sometimes chopped or dehydrated onion. I don't measure, just eyeball and taste. I'd guess for about a cup of mayo, I'd use 2-4 tablespoons of sugar, 4 tablespoons of vinegar, a tablespoon of celery seeds. The key is to let that set while you shred and chop, and TASTE it before you add it to the veggies. Adjust the ingredients per your personal tastes. It might seem a little dry at first, but after it sits in the fridge for a couple of hours for the flavors to mingle, it will thin out quite a bit. Sorry I can't be more helpful!! But do give it a try; you probably have a good idea what you'd like for flavor.
August 5, 2019 at 9:03 pm #17379
Joan Simpson
Participant
When I make cole slaw it's a simple recipe.Shredded cabbage,carrot shredded,sweet pickle relish mayonnaise,sugar,salt and pepper to taste and I add a little onion powder and sprinkle with a little garlic salt.I eyeball everything also.
August 5, 2019 at 9:06 pm #17380
BakerAunt
Participant
Mike--I found a vinegar one in the Frugal Gourmet Whole Family Cookbook. However, my husband and I think of cole slaw as using mayonnaise. (BTW, Jeff Smith hates mayonnaise based cole slaw, it turns out, and thus there are no recipes for it in his cookbooks!) I'd be interested in seeing your mother's recipe.

Chocomouse--ah, I suspected that your cole slaw might not be written down. The ingredients you list, however, strike me as what I am seeking.
August 6, 2019 at 6:43 am #17387
Italiancook
Participant
Because Mike posted that the ingredients in a recipe aren't copyrighted, I'm going to give BakerAunt the ingredients for Cole Slaw from my favorite cookbook: Cook-Ahead Cookery.

2 pound head green cabbage
2 carrots
1 green pepper
3 tablespoons vinegar(NOTE: my mom always used apple-cider vinegar in her cole slaw.)
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups Miracle Whip

BakerAunt, my mom always used Miracle Whip in her cole slaw, instead of mayonnaise. There are flavors in Miracle Whip not present in mayonnaise. She also used Miracle Whip in her Kidney Bean Salad. Once I made the bean salad with mayonnaise and had a terrible chemical reaction that changed the color! The note for the vinegar is from my mom. My mom never served cole slaw on the same day she made it. She always made it the day before serving. I don't know if that's really necessary.
- This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Italiancook.
- This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Italiancook.
- This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Italiancook.
August 6, 2019 at 7:07 am #17393
BakerAunt
Participant
Thank you, Italian Cook. There is, alas, no Miracle Whip in the house, only low-fat Kraft mayonnaise. I wonder what that chemical reaction was. (Is there a quiz question here?) If Miracle Whip is essential, the slaw would need to wait until we do another grocery run to the town north of us. I'd also need to use low-fat. (I never use nonfat--that stuff is yucky.)

That makes sense that the cole slaw would need to sit for a day. I find the same is true of my potato salad.
- This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.
August 6, 2019 at 12:13 pm #17396
Mike Nolan
Keymaster
Cabbage will weep after it is cut, so go sparingly on the liquids, including the salad dressing, because otherwise you'll wind up with soupy cole slaw a day later.

The only cole slaw recipe I can find is a vinegar-and-oil one from my wife's aunt, where you heat the vinegar and oil, pour it over the cabbage, and let it mellow for 24 hours. It looks similar to the '24 hour cole slaw' recipe in the Nebraska Centennial Cookbook that my mother-in-law edited, published in 1967.
August 6, 2019 at 12:26 pm #17397
Mike Nolan
Keymaster
I can think of several chemical reactions that might occur with mayonnaise, mainly with the eggs. Do you remember what color?
August 6, 2019 at 2:23 pm #17398
chocomouse
Participant
I've used Miracle Whip, Kraft, Hellman's and found no significant difference in the dressing, just adjust the amount sugar and vinegar. When the weather is hot, I do most of my cooking in the early morning, and I find the flavors in this dressing are well-developed by dinner time, and it does need 8-10 hours to "marinate". I like Mike's warning about the "soupy cole slaw" if you use a lot of dressing. Italiancook's recipe sounds good, but might need a bit more vinegar. The key is to taste the dressing before putting it on the cabbage - and add more sugar or more vinegar as needed. And, for sure, use (apple) cider vinegar, not white vinegar. I see a lot of cole slaw on dinner tables next week!
August 7, 2019 at 5:49 pm #17429
KIDPIZZA
Participant
BAKERAUNT:
Good evening to you. I read your inquiry with much delite. It just so happens thet I just finished 5 pounds of coleslaw yesterday & today. I began gifting it out to the care givers this morning.

I use some sour cream & Best foods Mayo but you can subst. miricle whip(sp) if you need to.
Trust me, it is the very best cole slaw you will ever taste.... very similar to KFC type.

As Mike Nolan says once you cut the cabbage heads the water begins to ooze out it is packed with it. My way is to drain most of the water before applying the flavored concoction twice in 2 days.... an overnite if you will. I will call you very soon & discuss it with you.

NONE BETTER!!!!

ENJOY THE DAY MARLISS.

KIDPIZZA/CASS.
August 7, 2019 at 7:14 pm #17431
BakerAunt
Participant
Hi, Cass! I never knew that cole slaw is one of your areas of expertise. I'll look forward to hearing from you--and I'll make sure that I have pen and paper nearby.

My mom had some great recipes, but when it came to cole slaw, she either bought it or bought the pre-grated, shredded mix in a bag, along with a bottle of "cole slaw dressing."
- This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.
August 7, 2019 at 7:29 pm #17433
Mike Nolan
Keymaster
When Cass calls, ask him if you can post his recipe here.
August 7, 2019 at 9:04 pm #17437
Mike Nolan
Keymaster
I don't remember eating much cole slaw as a kid, my mother was more into making sauerkraut in a 10 gallon crock. After 2-3 weeks it starts tasting pretty darned good!

If we had it, it was probably made with Miracle Whip, as we were a MW household, though my mother's favorite salad was a wilted lettuce salad made with bacon grease. I couldn't stand it, and I didn't really develop a taste for any kind of salad until after college.
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