Making your own delicious coleslaw
Let me tell you about the perfect side dish for any barbecue! It's coleslaw. The meaning is in the word itself: a salad with cabbage. The dish goes back to 18th century Holland when the invention of mayonnaise gave traditional Dutch cabbage salad a new look! Even though old-fashioned coleslaw remains the quintessential American side dish to any barbecue, there are now many variations on the recipe inspired in part by ingredients from around the world. And guess what? I have my own version too!
Brassica, the Romans knew all about it
The Ancient Romans loved cabbage, called brassica in Latin. In fact, it was so highly regarded that Cato praised it in his De Agri Cultura as being the vegetable that surpasses all others. Pliny the Elder also wrote about cabbages, as early as the first century AD, in his Historia Naturalis. The Romans used cabbages for medicine and food. Broccoli was known as a preventive detox remedy. Eating broccoli before a big feast was said to reduce the effects of alcohol. The Romans were familiar with numerous types of cabbage and had even developed their own coleslaw recipe with eggs, oil, vinegar, and herbs. Through their conquests, they spread the vegetable and its uses throughout the rest of Western Europe. By the Middle Ages, cabbage had become a commonplace ingredient all across Europe.
The Dutch connection
The first written recipes for coleslaw in the Netherlands date back to the 18th century. It is also around this time that mayonnaise was invented, and it completely changed the way coleslaw was made. The Dutch immigrants who settled in the area that would later become New York grew cabbage along the banks of the Hudson River. Other settlers picked up on Dutch koolsalade and started using the term in English. There were some semantic debates along the way, but coleslaw stuck.
Different ways to make coleslaw
There are so many ways to make coleslaw! White cabbage is always the star of the dish, and you can choose to make it with or without mayonnaise. Just remember that the classic American coleslaw is always prepared with mayonnaise.
Old-fashioned American coleslaw
There's nothing quite like the classic, old-fashioned coleslaw made with white cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers. The sauce is a creamy combination of mayonnaise, mustard, and sour cream. You can also add red cabbage, parsley, and bacon to give this dish an extra kick of flavor. This creamy and crunchy coleslaw is a must-have side dish with roast chicken.
Coleslaw with apple cider vinegar, a favorite in the South
Back in 1839, Lettice Bryan published a cookbook called The Kentucky Housewife that's still regarded as a classic of Southern cuisine. Its over 1,300 recipes reflect the influence of local American Indian culture and European and African immigrants on the region's cuisine. In Lettice Bryan's coleslaw recipe, there's no mayonnaise. The sauce is made with apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and mustard powder. This way of making coleslaw caught on, and it's still a favorite in the southern USA. This sweet and sour recipe is the perfect complement to smoked meats, stews, and barbecue!
Asian coleslaw
For a touch of Asia, mix white and red cabbage with cucumber, mango, sugar snaps, and young onion. To make the sauce, just mix rice wine, lime juice, palm sugar, fish sauce, chilli pepper, and ginger. Top your coleslaw with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro and serve with fish cakes, steamed fish, and chicken.
Tex-Mex coleslaw
For a Tex-Mex style coleslaw, add several types of bell peppers, green celery, and jalapeño chili peppers to the dish. Make a Lettice Bryan-style sauce based on cider vinegar, oil, honey, cumin, and chili powder. Serve your Tex-Mex coleslaw with enchiladas and grilled fish.
And there’s more! Here are some other possible combinations
I always enjoy trying new recipes, and coleslaw is a great way to do this. Feel free to replace white cabbage with other types of cabbage, like Chinese or red cabbage. Have you considered Brussels sprouts? They're an excellent addition! Simply slice them finely with the mandolin and you'll be amazed at their incredible taste. You can even add lettuce to your coleslaw for a refreshing twist. Little gem and curly endive are excellent choices for a flavorful result!
Fruit also goes really well with coleslaw. Classic choices are apple and pear. But don't forget peaches and grapes, too.
You can take your coleslaw to the next level by adding nuts and dried fruit. The combination of apple and pecans is an American classic. If you're making an Asian coleslaw, roasted peanuts are a great option. Pine nuts and raisins are also a big hit.
There are so many possibilities when it comes to spices and fresh herbs for coleslaw. Cilantro goes well with cumin and chili powder. Fennel and coriander seeds, along with a little curry powder, give it a bit of an Indian twist. Fresh dill, mustard seed, and onion powder evoke the flavors of Scandinavian cuisine.
Tips for making the most delicious coleslaw ever!
Coleslaw is pretty easy to make, but to get a great result, it’s important to pay attention to a few things.
Cut the vegetables into small pieces so that the salad won't be too hard to chew.
Just use a little bit of sauce. It's best not to let the vegetables swim in the sauce.
If you mix the vegetables with the sauce too long in advance, they'll lose their crunch.
It's time to start cooking!
My easy recipe for a delicious coleslaw.
This recipe will make enough coleslaw for six people.
How to make the coleslaw:
Ingredients:
For the coleslaw:
- 200 g white cabbage
- 50 g red cabbage
- 100 g carrots
- ½ green bell pepper
- ½ crisp Granny Smith-type apple
- 1 stalk of green celery
- ½ red onion
- 1 jalapeño chili pepper
For the dressing:
- 75 ml mayonnaise
- 30 ml rice vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera)
- Pepper and sea salt to taste
To finish off the dish:
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
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Step 1: Prep the veggies
Chop the white and red cabbage very finely. Next, cut the carrots, bell pepper, and apple into julienne. Use a peeler to remove the threads of the celery and cut the stem into thin slices. Cut the onion into fine rings with the mandolin. Finely chop the jalapeño chili pepper. Combine all the ingredients and toss well.
![SG Coleslaw 17]()
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Step 2: Now for the dressing
Just mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.
![SG Coleslaw 15]()
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Step 3: Finish the coleslaw
To finish the coleslaw, simply pour the sauce over the mixed vegetables and toss well. Just before serving, sprinkle the chives and pine nuts over the coleslaw.
![SG Coleslaw 10]()
For the perfect ending to your barbecue, serve a summer clafoutis with cherries!
Clafoutis with cherries, a classic French dessert