Red and White Lemon Cole Slaw
Lemony And Crunchy
- Servings: 4.
There's no one version of cole slaw. Many think a traditional slaw is dressed with a mayonnaise-based, tangy dressing, but in some parts of the country, a favorite slaw is instead light, vinegar-based and slightly sweet.
In this version we've combined a cream, chive and lemon juice dressing with store-bought mayonnaise to make a light coating for red and white shredded cabbage.
If you're interested in a non-mayonnaise and slightly sweet slaw dressing, we've added a link to a recipe called Carolina Cole Slaw that appeared in Bon Appétit magazine.
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded red and white cabbage
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1/3 cup light or regular mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon fine salt
- 6 to 8 grinds of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons snipped fresh chives plus extra to sprinkle on top of the finished cole slaw
Directions
- Using a sharp chef's knife, food processor or mandoline, shred 4 cups of raw cabbage -- half red cabbage and half white. Combine together and place in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the light cream, lemon juice, celery seeds, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Don't worry -- the cream will not curdle.
- Taste and adjust seasoning for possible more lemon juice or salt. You want a light but slightly tangy flavor.
- Add the snipped chives and combine.
- Add the mayonnaise into the dressing and with a fork, stir to completely combine. It will be slightly liquid-y but will have some body.
- Pour the finished dressing over the shredded cabbage and toss to combine. Add a bit at a time so that you don't over-dress the cabbage.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, transfer to a serving bowl or place on individual serving plates. Snip some additional fresh chives over the finished slaw as a decoration.
Tip: While it's convenient to buy pre-shredded cabbage, most versions are too finely shredded and become too limp when dressed. Plus, freshly shredded cabbage has much more flavor.
Tip: Because cabbage can be very firm and difficult to chew and digest, make your slaw an hour or so before serving and let it sit, fully dressed, in the refrigerator. The salt in the dressing will help the cabbage soften a little, making it easier to eat.
Tip: If you want more personality in your slaw, you can add shredded carrots, thinly sliced red or white onion, or paper thin slices of raw red bell pepper. Remember to cut all your vegetables to the same size so that the slaw combines and each forkful is easy to eat.
Tip: 4 cups of shredded cabbage is from about 1/2 of a large cabbage, or 1/4 of a white cabbage and 1/4 of a red cabbage. Discard the outer leaves of any cabbage and remove as much of the core as you can before shredding.
