No Mayo Coleslaw

No mayo in this coleslaw! Cool and crunchy, this southwest coleslaw has thinly sliced cabbage with carrots, radishes and cilantro. Great as a summer side dish or piled high on tacos.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated June 30, 2019
Elise Bauer
Southwestern Coleslaw
Elise Bauer

I make a great pie crust. My father, a killer meatloaf. My mother? She's the queen of salads. When the three of us cook together, mom almost always gets salad duty, because she just does it so darn well. She has perfected the balance of sweet and acidity, salt, and bitter.

No Mayo Coleslaw

This particular coleslaw of my mother's is one of my favorites and has a southwestern touch. The coleslaw is made with cabbage, carrots, green onions, and cilantro, and seasoned with rice vinegar. No mayo!

It's light, cool, and crunchy, just what you want a coleslaw to be.

Southwest Coleslaw in bowl
Elise Bauer

Make-Ahead Tips

The ingredients for this salad can be prepped a day or two ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge and toss with the dressing ingredients when ready to serve.

Leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge, but the coleslaw will become more wilted and watery over time.

What to Serve With This Coleslaw

Serve the coleslaw alongside Mexican or TexMex dishes or chili beans. No mayo coleslaw is also a perfect side to fish or piled high in a taco.

Try These Other Coleslaw Recipes

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No Mayo Coleslaw

Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 4 servings

A mandoline will make slicing cabbage much much easier than using a knife.

If the seasoned rice vinegar adds too much sweetness for your taste, add a sprinkle of lemon juice. If you are using unsweetened rice vinegar, to get the right balance of acidity and sweet, sprinkle a little sugar over the salad and toss.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 1/3 to 1/2 cabbage)
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 2 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar (or plain rice vinegar with added sugar to taste)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Assemble the salad:

    Place the thinly sliced cabbage, grated carrot, radish slices, sliced green onions, and cilantro in a large serving bowl.

  2. Toss with dressing and serve:

    Right before serving, sprinkle with olive oil, rice vinegar, salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

    Serve immediately.