{"id":193676,"title":"Authentic American Coleslaw","modified":"2026-10-29T19:32:18+01:00","plain":"Shredded green cabbage and carrots, chives and golden raisins in a creamy yogurt and mayonnaise dressing that\u2019s sweet and tangy.\n\n\n\nThe grilled meats are coming off the barbecue, the bread is sliced, and the table is still missing something fresh. A bowl of well-chilled coleslaw does the trick: the cabbage crunches between your teeth, the carrot brings its sweetness and the creamy dressing has just enough bite. \n\n\n\nThe golden raisins slip in a sweet note here and there, and the chives wake everything up. One forkful alongside some still-hot fried chicken, and you quickly see why Americans can\u2019t imagine a barbecue without coleslaw.\n\n\n\nIn a bun with pulled pork, topped with a spoonful of coleslaw\n\n\n\nWhat Is Coleslaw?\n\n\n\nColeslaw is a salad of American origin made with shredded cabbage and carrots, bound with a creamy sweet-and-sour dressing. This version brings together green cabbage, carrots, chives and golden raisins, with a dressing of yogurt (or quark), mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. It goes with grilled meats, a buffet or a picnic, and it\u2019s right at home next to an onion ring burger or chicken tenders.\n\n\n\nThe name comes from the Dutch koolsla, from kool, cabbage, and sla, salad. American English turned it into coleslaw.\n\n\n\nIn the mood for another cabbage salad? Try this Asian cabbage salad\n\n\n\nFrom New York Vegetable Gardens to American Delis\n\n\n\nThe Dutch colonists who settled in New Amsterdam, the future New York, in the 17th century grew cabbage along the Hudson. They ate it as a salad, dressed with melted butter, vinegar and oil, as described in a 1667 Dutch cookbook, De Verstandige Kock.\n\n\n\nThe creamy version came much later. In the early 20th century, jarred mayonnaise was sold on a massive scale in the United States and gradually replaced the oil and vinegar. Coleslaw became the salad of barbecues, diners and delis, and a classic of American cuisine. Each region has kept its own style: with buttermilk in the South, with celery seed in delis, and very finely chopped at fried chicken chains.\n\n\n\nPaired with mac and cheese, it\u2019s the essential American barbecue duo\n\n\n\nThe Main Ingredients in Coleslaw\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGreen cabbage is the base: a quarter of a cabbage, about 600 g including the core, for 4 people. It\u2019s about 90% water, hence the step of drawing out the moisture. The shredded carrots add color and sweetness, the chives a light oniony note, and the golden raisins little bursts of sweetness.\n\n\n\nThe dressing combines plain yogurt or quark, mayonnaise, white or apple cider vinegar, and sugar. The yogurt lightens the dressing and gives it a fresh tang, a bit like in a raita. The mayonnaise gives it body and shine, and homemade Japanese mayonnaise works too.\n\n\n\nThe vinegar and sugar strike the sweet-and-sour balance. The acidity of the dressing also tames the bitterness and sharpness that cabbage develops once it\u2019s cut.\n\n\n\nKey Techniques for Crunchy Coleslaw\n\n\n\nCut the cabbage across the length of the leaves: this slices through the ribs and keeps the pieces tender.\n\n\n\nSugar and salt draw the water out of the cabbage through osmosis. In 30 minutes, it softens and will no longer make the dressing watery. Salt alone, in a large enough amount, would end up making the cabbage salty; sugar draws out just as much water without penetrating the leaves.\n\n\n\nThen rinse the cabbage and dry it in a salad spinner. Don\u2019t wring it out in a kitchen towel: once crushed, it loses its crunch.\n\n\n\nAdd a slice of cornbread on the side, and the Southern plate is complete\n\n\n\nPour the dressing over as soon as the vegetables are ready, then keep the bowl in the fridge. Coleslaw can be made ahead and keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator: stir it before serving. Chopped more finely, it fills a sandwich or tops hot dogs or a Korean corn dog. For a completely different cabbage salad, try this Japanese cabbage salad.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic American Coleslaw\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tCreamy Dressing1 yogurt (plain (125 g), or 125 g fromage blanc)4 tablespoons mayonnaise ((about 100 g))2 tablespoons vinegar (white, or apple cider vinegar)2 tablespoons sugar (granulated)Cabbage0.25 cabbage (green (about 600 g including the core))2 tablespoons sugar (granulated)1 teaspoon saltAssembly4 carrots (medium)A few sprigs of chivesRaisins (golden, for a touch of sweetness)SaltPepper (freshly ground)\t\n\t\n\t\tCreamy DressingPour the yogurt or fromage blanc, mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar into a large bowl.Mix well, then set the dressing aside.CabbageCut the core out of the cabbage.Shred the cabbage with a food processor, a mandoline, or a knife, cutting crosswise to the length of the leaves: this slices through the ribs, so the pieces are less tough.Put the shredded cabbage in a large colander.Sprinkle the sugar and salt over the cabbage, then mix well.Let the cabbage release its water for 30 minutes: after a few minutes, water starts to appear on the surface of the cabbage as it softens.Rinse the cabbage thoroughly under running water to remove the sugar and salt dissolved on the surface.Spin the cabbage dry in a salad spinner; for a small amount, pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.Don't squeeze the cabbage in a kitchen towel: once crushed, it loses its crunch.AssemblyPeel the carrots.Grate them.Finely chop the chives.Put the cabbage, carrots, chives, and raisins in a large salad bowl.Pour in the dressing right away and stir well: the acidity of the dressing tempers the bitterness and sharpness that cabbage develops once cut.Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.Stir well before serving.Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper: cabbage takes well to freshly ground pepper.\t\n\t\n\t\tTo save time, double the amounts of sugar and salt and let them work for just 10 minutes. Any longer, and the cabbage may turn out too salty.\nRed cabbage, or a mix of green and red cabbage, works too. Shredded, the coleslaw has more bite and is served as a salad; chopped, it can be tucked into a sandwich or piled onto hot dogs. For variety, add thinly sliced red onion, grated fennel, a grated Granny Smith apple, or pieces of cold chicken for a complete meal.\nThe salad can be made ahead and keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator: the sugar and vinegar in the dressing create an environment that is unfriendly to bacteria.\nMethod inspired by the blog Je pense donc je cuis.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSaladeAm\u00e9ricaine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/193424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}