Purple Cabbage Slaw

Try this vibrant and tangy purple cabbage slaw with creamy dressing; it is bound to become a family favorite. The purple coleslaw is ready in no time; it’s easy to transport and makes the perfect side dish for various main courses.

We love cabbage salads of any kind, and this purple cabbage slaw is no exception. It is crunchy and a little sweet; it’s colorful and quick to make. The creamy dressing adds a nice flavor that blends perfectly, making this coleslaw a delicious and easy side dish.

Try another refreshing salad, this delicious recipe for Beet Apple Salad. 

💜Other reasons to make purple coleslaw

• Fresh flavor: The purple cabbage coleslaw provides a refreshing contrast to heartier main dishes.
• Make-ahead convenience: Prepare it in advance, so it's ready to enjoy when you need a quick side. It makes a perfect potluck salad and lasts several days in the fridge in case you have leftovers. 
• Crowd-pleaser: Its beautiful color, crunchy texture, and great flavor make it a hit at gatherings and parties. The Spring Onion and Potato Salad makes another great potluck salad. 
• Nutrient boost: Purple cabbage is packed with vitamins and antioxidants, adding a nutritional boost to your meal.

📋Recipe ingredients and substitutions

• Purple cabbage (red cabbage): While pre-shredded red cabbage is an option for this coleslaw, we recommend preparing it from scratch for the best results.
  • Depending on the size of the cabbage, you will probably only need about half of it, about 1 lb (450 g). If you have leftovers, try this fantastic Red Cabbage Soup (the link opens in a new tab).
• Apple: Its sweetness and juiciness complement the cabbage. Any crisp and juicy apple is fine, but I like it when they are a bit tarter. I used Pink Lady, but Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and the Sweeter Gala are great. The Chicken Salad with Cranberries uses apples as well. 
• Dill: Fresh or frozen dill are both excellent. 
• Maple syrup: You can use honey or agave syrup instead of maple syrup. Sugar is also ok. 
  • Use any of these sweeteners to taste; the dressing should taste sweet and sour. Start with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and only add more if you feel it is necessary.
• Sour cream: I sometimes replace it with crème fraiche or Greek yogurt, depending on what I have in the fridge. 
• White balsamic vinegar tastes great in this combination, but you can replace it with apple cider vinegar or red or white wine vinegar. 
• Other ingredients include onion (white, yellow, or red onion), mayonnaise, lemon juice, fine sea salt, ground black pepper, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk (if necessary for dressing thickness). The need for extra milk depends on the consistency of the sour cream and whether you're using syrup or sugar in the dressing.

🥕Variations on the recipe

• Cabbage: Use a combination of purple and green or white cabbage. If you have extra white or green cabbage, make this Cabbage and Chicken Soup.
• Other fresh veggies: Add shredded or matchstick carrots or thinly sliced red or yellow peppers to the slaw mixture.
• Nuts and seeds for extra crunch: Toasted nuts or seeds like almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pepitas, or pumpkin seeds make a wonderful topping; any of them would make a delicious addition. Add them to the salad just before serving.
• Herbs: Use other herbs like fresh cilantro, parsley, or chives.  
• Dairy: Use crème fraiche or Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

👩🏻‍🍳How to make purple cabbage slaw?

Step # 1: Halve, then quarter the red cabbage. Slice off the bottom of each quarter at an angle to remove the core. Use a sharp chef's knife or a food processor with a shredding attachment.

Step # 2: Put a wedge with the cut side down on a cutting board, then slice lengthwise into very thin strips. Halve these strips. 

Step # 3: Peel, halve, and thinly slice the onion halves. 

Step # 4: Halve, core, and cut the apple into matchsticks.

Step # 5: Combine all dressing ingredients in a separate small bowl. 

Step # 6: Combine cabbage, onion, and apple in a large bowl. Add the tangy dressing and toss to combine. 

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📖 Recipe

Purple Cabbage Slaw

Try this vibrant purple cabbage slaw with creamy dressing - a family favorite! Quick, transportable, and perfect for various main courses.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Refrigeration: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 114kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

• ▢
  Large bowl
• ▢
  Small bowl
• ▢
  Chef’s knife

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Ingredients  

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Coleslaw:

• ▢ 1 lb purple cabbage 450 g, Note 1
• ▢ 1 small onion white, yellow, or red
• ▢ 1 medium apple Note 2

Dressing:

• ▢ 3 tablespoons sour cream Note 3
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup to taste Note 4
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar Note 5
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dill chopped, fresh or frozen
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons milk if needed, to thin the dressing

Instructions

Purple cabbage slaw:

• Cut the purple cabbage: Remove the wilted outer leaves. Halve, then quarter the cabbage using a chef’s knife. Slice off the bottom of each quarter at an angle to remove the core.

  1 lb purple cabbage / 450 g
• Shred the cabbage: Place a wedge with the cut side down on a cutting board, then slice lengthwise into very thin strips. Halve these strips.
• Prepare the other ingredients: Peel, halve, and thinly slice the onion halves. Halve, core, and cut the apple into matchsticks.

  1 small onion + 1 medium apple

Slaw dressing:

• Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the sweetness of the dressing.

  3 tablespoons sour cream + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise + 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup + 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar + 1 tablespoon dill + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1-2 tablespoons milk
• Make slaw: Combine the shredded cabbage, onion, and apple in a large bowl. Add the sour cream dressing and toss to combine. Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, and, if necessary, with more sweetener or vinegar; the slaw should taste sweet and sour.
• Refrigerate the coleslaw for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to mingle.

Notes

1. Purple (red) cabbage: Depending on its size, you will probably only need about half of one head of cabbage.
2. Apple: A crisp, juicy, sweet-sour apple. I used Pink Lady, but Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and the sweeter Gala are all excellent.
3. Dairy: You can replace sour cream with crème fraiche (more fat) or Greek yogurt (less fat).
4. Sweeteners: You can use other sweeteners like honey, agave syrup, sugar, or sugar alternatives like xylitol. It is best to use them to taste; the purple cabbage slaw should taste sweet and sour.
5. Vinegar: Substitute white balsamic with apple cider, red wine, or white wine vinegar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion from 6 | Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 911IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

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