Creamy Coleslaw with Buttermilk Dressing
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Cold, crunchy and a little tangy, still crisp when the picnic table has been picked over for an hour. Salt the cabbage first and let it drain, and the buttermilk dressing stays light instead of watery.
The short version
Shred cabbage and carrot, salt and drain the cabbage for 20 minutes, then toss with a mayo, buttermilk, vinegar and sugar dressing. Chill at least an hour. No cooking, 10 minutes of work.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Salt the cabbage first. Twenty minutes with salt pulls out the water the cabbage would otherwise release into the dressing, so the slaw stays crisp and creamy for days instead of going soupy.
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Use buttermilk with the mayo. Buttermilk thins the dressing without making it greasy and adds a clean tang that mayo alone can't.
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Grate in a little onion and add celery seed. Grated onion melts into the dressing so there are no raw bites, and celery seed gives it that familiar deli-counter flavor.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Green cabbage1 pound
- Carrots2 large
- Mayonnaise½ cup
- Buttermilk¼ cup
- Apple cider vinegar2 tablespoons
- Granulated sugar2 tablespoons
- Dijon mustard1 teaspoon
- Grated onion1 tablespoon
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Shred the vegetables
Slice the cabbage as thin as you can with a sharp knife, or use the slicing disk of a food processor. Grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater. You want about 8 cups of cabbage and carrot together.
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Salt and drain the cabbage
Toss the cabbage with the 1 teaspoon salt in a colander set over the sink or a bowl. Let it stand 20 minutes, until it looks limp and has released a puddle of water. Press down hard with your hands to squeeze out as much as you can, then pat it dry with a clean towel.
Don't rinse it. A rinse would wash off the seasoning and you'd have to dry it all over again.
About 20 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Whisk the dressing
In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, grated onion, celery seed and pepper until smooth. The sugar should dissolve; give it a minute.
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Toss
Add the cabbage and carrots to the dressing and toss until every shred is coated. Taste and add salt or a splash more vinegar if it needs it.
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Chill
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. The cabbage softens slightly and the flavors settle. Stir well before serving.
About 60 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- A bag of coleslaw mix works. Use about 14 ounces, skip the shredding, and still salt and drain it.
- If your cabbage tastes bitter or sharp, add another pinch of sugar.
- For a lighter slaw, use 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt. For more crunch, finely slice a celery rib and toss it in.
- Storage. Covered in the fridge, 4 days; it loosens a little each day, so stir before serving. Don't freeze.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
How do I keep coleslaw from getting watery?
Salt the shredded cabbage, let it drain for 20 minutes and squeeze it dry before dressing it. That removes the water that would otherwise thin the dressing in the fridge.
Can I make coleslaw ahead of time?
Yes. It's best after 1 to 4 hours in the fridge and holds well for 3 to 4 days. Stir it before serving, and add a little extra dressing or a splash of vinegar if it has dried out.
Can I use a bag of coleslaw mix?
Yes. Use about 14 ounces, salt and drain it as in the recipe, and the dressing will go on just as well. Chopping the mix a bit finer gives a more traditional texture.
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Stir 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar into 1/4 cup of whole milk and let it sit 5 minutes. Plain yogurt or sour cream thinned with a splash of milk also works.
Can I make it without mayonnaise?
Yes, for a vinegar slaw. Whisk 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and pepper, and toss with the salted cabbage. It keeps even longer than the creamy version.
From the table
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Published October 29, 2026.