Easy vegan coleslaw

For whatever reason, there are a lot of people out there who are wary of “vegan food.”

(Even though vegan food is just food.)

So when I’m going to a potluck, picnic, or cookout, I often like to bring plant-based dishes that don’t require explanation.

If you put coleslaw, mashed potatoes, or potato salad out on a table, no one wonders, “Now what is that? How do I eat it?”

They’re dishes that are familiar, easily recognizable, and let’s face it, totally delicious.

Most of the time, coleslaw isn’t vegan. However, the swap to make it that way really couldn’t be easier.

Simply replace non-vegan mayonnaise, which is made with eggs, for eggless mayonnaise.

A while back I shared my cabbage slaw recipe as I serve it on a vegan BBQ sandwich. But I’d never shared it as a dish in its own right. And that needed to be remedied!

Sure, coleslaw makes a terrific topper on a saucy sandwich. But it’s also quite tasty on its own as a side dish.

In this post:

Coleslaw is a really easy side dish that takes just minutes to make.

It’s a good one with which to get the kids involved!

While it’s not hard to shred cabbage by hand, it’s even easier to buy a bag of pre-shredded cabbage.

I usually buy the kind from Trader Joe’s that’s made with a mix of purple and green cabbage, as well as carrots. (It’s one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products.)

Having the mix of green, purple, and orange makes for an especially eye-catching coleslaw.

Vegan mayonnaise: Vegenaise is my favorite, but use any eggless mayo you enjoy.

White wine vinegar: This adds tang while not overpowering. It can be replaced with brown rice vinegar.

Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best.

Seasonings: Granulated onion, granulated garlic, and salt.

Shredded cabbage mix: Pre-shredded cabbage mix is a nice timesaver.

Look for bagged cabbage mix that is colorful and crisp, not dried out or brown, and without any extra moisture in the bag.

If you’d prefer to cut cabbage by hand, though, go for it! Just add a few extra minutes to the preparation time in the recipe below.

Combine the following in a bowl:

• Vegan mayonnaise
• White wine vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Granulated onion
• Granulated garlic
• Pinch of salt

Add shredded cabbage mix to the bowl.

Completely combine until all of the cabbage is equally coated with the mayonnaise dressing.

Serve right away.

Or put it into the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld and the cabbage to soften.

Boy, that’s hard to say!

I tend to like cole slaw best on the first day, when it is at its crunchiest.

But the next day, coleslaw has had a little more time to marinate in dressing. The cabbage also softens over time.

So it depends on if you prefer a crisper coleslaw or one that’s a little more marinated.

Keep in mind that the vegan coleslaw recipe below shows the amounts for freshly made coleslaw. As cabbage softens, it kind of folds into itself.

(That can look a lot like shrinking.)

Think of it like a big bunch of kale that can be massaged into a much smaller amount in a kale salad recipe, or even spinach wilting in a pan.

So if you’re making coleslaw a day or so ahead of time, you may want to double it for your group size to insure that everyone gets enough.

There are so many ways to enjoy coleslaw!

Use it as a sandwich topper:

• BBQ jackfruit sandwich
• Rachel sandwich with Thousand Island dressing

Serve it as a side dish with:

• Vegan chili dog
• Grilled tofu with lemon & rosemary
• Vegetable sandwich with jalapeño cashew cheese
• Vegan BBQ Soy Curls – in the air fryer or skillet