How to Make Vinaigrette Cole Slaw

Cole slaw has really become a common piece of many weekly meal plans in our household.

I mean. It’s really easy and gives plenty of room for variety once you’ve looked in your refrigerator and seen what you’ve got.

Nutrition Side of Things

Because there are so many possibilities as far as what ingredients you choose to include in your cole slaw, the potentially available nutrients are hard to nail down.

But at a minimum you’re gaining access to the following nutrients and reported benefits:

• Numerous antioxidants -help lower LDL, helpful in fighting some cancers,
• Vitamin K – bone health, blood clotting, brain health, and calcium transport
• Insoluble fiber – digestive health (keeps things moving)
• Vitamin C – infection-fighting, anti-inflammatory
• Beta Carotene – skin and eye health, immune boosting
• Several B’s and other vitamins and minerals – contribute to eye health, blood health and blood sugar balancing, muscular health, energy, and more

Both green and purple cabbage are health-supporting, but slightly different, so we try to include both whenever possible. They’re also just little different in flavor, so you might notice a difference in taste between using just one or both.

Something that’s commonly preached by health experts is to Eat The Rainbow. The more color you include in your meals, the wider the variety of nutrients, so definitely consider that as you pick your cole slaw ingredients too.

The purity of the chosen oil you use will decide it’s health benefits you access. A good olive oil can contribute to brain and heart health, weight management, and more. And don’t forget that healthy fats actually contribute to keeping you satisfied longer.

There might be just as big a variety of benefits with your choice of vinegars. The apple cider vinegar we use is a stronger vinergary taste, but it also brings with it a long list of benefits including blood sugar balancing, digestion-supporting, and immune-boosting.

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Easy Vinaigrette Cole Slaw

Prep Time

10 mins

 

Enjoy this tangy cole slaw with lots of ingredient and nutrient variations.

Course: Salad

Author: Elaine Watkins | Food and Living Coach

Ingredients

Basic Ingredients

• 1/4 Head Green Cabbage (Chop, slice, or run through food processor)
• 1 Carrot (Peel, remove ends, chop, slice, or run through food processor)
• 1/2 Tablespoon Lemon juice (Preferably squeeze fresh)
• 1-2 Tablespoon Homemade Vinaigrette (See recipe in Recipe Notes & near end of post)
• Salt and Pepper (To taste preference)

Optional Ingredients

• 1 Green Onion (Remove root end, then slice)
• 1/8 Cup Sliced Almonds
• 1/4 Red, Yellow, or Green Pepper (Remove white inside flesh, seeds, and stem. Then sliced thinly)

Instructions

1. Chop, slice, or run your cabbage and carrot through the food processor.

2. Prepare and add other chosen vegetables and nuts if including.

3. Add lemon juice, vinaigrette, salt, and pepper. 

4. Taste and adjust if needed.

5. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

1. Check out our Homemade Vinaigrette recipe for what we prefer on our cole slaw.
2. We usually use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (stronger) or Coconut Secret Coconut Vinegar (milder).
3. I usually use olive oil from local sources.
4. Organic and local are usually our preference for vegetables when possible.
5. Redmond Real Salt (Fine) is our usual salt preference.

Variations

This is definitely one of those recipes you can play with to coordinate with the rest of your meal or what’s in the refrigerator.

Hey. Just the decision of whether you decide to chop, slice, or process your vegetables can add to the variety. But definitely just the changes in the included ingredients along with their tastes and textures can really make this a flavor party. Some additional possibilities to consider are:

• adding portions of red, green, and yellow peppers
• adding fresh cilantro or parsley
• what about sprouts like broccoli and radish
• adding seeds like pumpkin and chia

I love combining this vinaigrette cole slaw with grilled chicken, but it also goes deliciously in fish tacos.

Yikes. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Links to other posts and helpful resources are:

Check these out for additional information and ideas:

• • • Homemade Vinaigrette post with the recipe
    • Grilled Chicken in case you want to pair these for a meal

  Hopefully you’ll find these helpful.

Just in case you don’t have or are looking to replace, here are the tools I used:

• Knives (I still have my old knives but a good knife makes a huge difference when possible. This Cutco Cheese knife is probably my favorite)
• Food Processor
• Cutting Board (lots of styles but bamboo is reported to be naturally anti-bacterial)
• My Favorite Peeler (why did I not get this sooner)

So Just to Summarize

• You gain access to a bunch of health-supporting nutrients with this easy to make dish. It all depends upon the vegetables you choose to include
• The oil and vinegar you choose can also give you access to other great benefits, while contributing big time to the savory flavor
• Consider some of the different variations as you get comfortable with this recipe
• Check out the links above for addition information, price possibilities, and tool considerations

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