Coleslaw Restaurant Style
The secret to restaurant-style coleslaw is two things: finely chopping the cabbage to the size of a grain of rice rather than long slices, and sprinkling it with salt and sugar, letting it rest for 30 minutes, and squeezing it before adding the dressing. The salt draws out the cabbage water so it softens like restaurants do, the dressing doesn't get watery, and the salad doesn't swim in water after an hour.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 110 min
- Calories
- 200
Photo: Glen Edelson from ATLANTA, USA / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cold_slaw_(4235455680).jpg
Coleslaw is the creamy cabbage salad that comes with fried chicken, burgers, and fish: finely shredded white cabbage and grated carrot in a sweet and tangy mayonnaise dressing. Its ingredients are cheap, and the difference between it and regular cabbage with mayonnaise is the chopping and resting.
Method
-
1
Preparing the Cabbage
Remove the withered outer leaves, cut half the cabbage head into two quarters, and cut away the tough core from each quarter with a slanted knife. The core is hard, bitter, and doesn't chop finely.
⏱ 3 min -
2
Fine Chopping
Cut the cabbage into very thin slices, then go across the slices and chop them until they become grains about the size of rice. If using a food processor, use short pulses 5–6 times instead of continuous running — continuous running mashes the cabbage and releases its water.
⏱ 10 min -
3
Salt and Sugar
Place the cabbage in a strainer over a bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar, toss with your hands, and leave for 30 minutes. You will find water has pooled in the bowl — this is the water that would have ended up in the salad after making it.
⏱ 30 min -
4
Squeezing
Squeeze the cabbage firmly with your hands handful by handful, or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze it. Taste a piece: if it is too salty, quickly rinse it with cold water and squeeze it well again.
⏱ 3 min -
5
Carrots and Onion
Grate the carrot on the fine side of the grater, and grate the onion and strain its juice. The grated onion gives flavor without any spicy bits in the mouth.
⏱ 4 min -
6
The Dressing
In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, milk, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and pepper until the sugar dissolves completely and the dressing is smooth and slightly runny. Undissolved sugar makes the dressing grainy.
⏱ 2 min -
7
Mixing and Resting in the Fridge
Add the cabbage, carrot, and onion to the dressing and mix well, cover the bowl, and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (and ideally 2 hours). Resting allows the cabbage to absorb the dressing and soften, and the sweet and tangy flavors to blend. Mix and check the salt before serving.
⏱ 60 min
Cooked it? Rate it
Your rating tells the next cook whether this recipe is worth their time.
✓ Thanks — your rating is in.
Tips that actually matter
- A small, firm white cabbage is better than a large one — its leaves are softer and nicer.
- Want a flavor closer to restaurants? Use 0.5 cup of buttermilk instead of milk and yogurt.
- A quarter cup of finely chopped red cabbage gives a nice color — add it shortly before serving because it turns the dressing pink if it sits in it too long.
- Serve it chilled in small cups alongside fried chicken, broasted chicken, fish, or burgers.
People also ask
Why does coleslaw get watery?
Cabbage is more than 90% water, and the salt and sugar in the dressing draw it out after an hour, making the salad swim. That is why the step of adding salt and sugar and squeezing before the dressing is the solution: the water comes out in the strainer instead of on the plate.
Can I make coleslaw without mayonnaise?
Yes: replace the mayonnaise with a cup of strained yogurt, 2 tablespoons of oil, and a teaspoon of mustard, using the same sugar and vinegar. Or make it with an oil and vinegar dressing: 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar, 0.25 cup oil, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. It will turn out lighter and closer to a cabbage salad.
How long does coleslaw last in the fridge?
3 days in a closed container, and it is at its best in the first two days. It should not sit out of the fridge for more than 2 hours because it contains mayonnaise and milk, and it cannot be frozen because the cabbage turns soggy.
What is the difference between coleslaw and regular cabbage salad?
Egyptian cabbage salad is sliced cabbage with lemon, oil, cumin, or tahini, and is eaten crunchy. Coleslaw is finely chopped cabbage and carrot in a sweet and tangy mayonnaise dressing, and it rests in the fridge until it softens and becomes creamy.
Cook mode
Coleslaw Restaurant Style
-
1
Preparing the Cabbage
Remove the withered outer leaves, cut half the cabbage head into two quarters, and cut away the tough core from each quarter with a slanted knife. The core is hard, bitter, and doesn't chop finely.
-
2
Fine Chopping
Cut the cabbage into very thin slices, then go across the slices and chop them until they become grains about the size of rice. If using a food processor, use short pulses 5–6 times instead of continuous running — continuous running mashes the cabbage and releases its water.
-
3
Salt and Sugar
Place the cabbage in a strainer over a bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar, toss with your hands, and leave for 30 minutes. You will find water has pooled in the bowl — this is the water that would have ended up in the salad after making it.
-
4
Squeezing
Squeeze the cabbage firmly with your hands handful by handful, or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze it. Taste a piece: if it is too salty, quickly rinse it with cold water and squeeze it well again.
-
5
Carrots and Onion
Grate the carrot on the fine side of the grater, and grate the onion and strain its juice. The grated onion gives flavor without any spicy bits in the mouth.
-
6
The Dressing
In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, milk, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and pepper until the sugar dissolves completely and the dressing is smooth and slightly runny. Undissolved sugar makes the dressing grainy.
-
7
Mixing and Resting in the Fridge
Add the cabbage, carrot, and onion to the dressing and mix well, cover the bowl, and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (and ideally 2 hours). Resting allows the cabbage to absorb the dressing and soften, and the sweet and tangy flavors to blend. Mix and check the salt before serving.
Comments
Cooked it? Tell us how it went, or ask a question — we read every comment.