Old Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar
This Old Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar is the quintessential Southern slaw to make for your next cookout. Diced cabbage, carrots, sweet onions, and green peppers, are tossed in a tangy oil and vinegar dressing to serve alongside southern barbecue, grilled meats, and more!
Eating Southern barbecue without a side of vinegar and oil coleslaw is unheard of, so with the grilling season heating up, I’ll be making this Southern slaw on repeat! It’s quick and easy to make and tastes even better when prepared in advance, so the flavors have a chance to mingle.
I’m not a huge fan of coleslaw that’s drowning in mayonnaise, so this vinegar slaw recipe has become a family staple. You’ll use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and olive oil, so the veggies stay fresh and crisp.
This vinegar and oil slaw is sweet, tangy, crunchy, and THE BEST coleslaw for pulled pork. You’ll surely impress your guests at your next picnic or potluck if you serve this easy vinegar slaw!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This southern slaw recipe is the perfect side dish for summer grilling and barbecue season.
- It’s quick, easy, and even tastier when made in advance.
- The tangy, acidic flavors complement savory barbecued meats perfectly.
- This recipe checks off all the boxes of traditional Southern vinegar slaw.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Green cabbage – To save time, you can buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots specifically for making coleslaw.
- Carrots & green bell pepper – In addition to cabbage, old-fashioned coleslaw typically has extra veggies like carrots and green bell peppers. Feel free to swap the green pepper with red, orange, or yellow bell pepper.
- Sweet onion- sweet Vidalia onions are a southern slaw staple. They add great flavor to the mix.
- Vinegar & oil dressing – Here’s what you’ll need to make a simple oil and vinegar dressing for old-fashioned coleslaw.
- Vinegar – I use white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar for a subtle tart flavor, but you can use all apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if you prefer. The sugar (or maple syrup) will cut the acidity and balance the flavors.
- Dijon mustard – Adds great flavor and a bit of spice.
- Olive oil – This is the base of your dressing. Use your best quality olive oil or extra virgin olive oil here.
- Sugar – You’ll need sugar to balance out the acidity from the kinds of vinegar. I also love to use real maple syrup here for natural sweetness.
- Celery seed- Adds great concentrated celery flavor.
- Salt & pepper – To enhance every flavor!
- Optional add-in: Dill pickles – Dill pickles are my favorite addition to slaw. I recommend using a small batch gourmet variety for the best flavor and texture. In my southern vinegar slaw, I used a locally made pickle from Athens, GA, called Phickles.
How To Make Old Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar
This vinegar slaw is a cinch to make. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Make vinegar and oil coleslaw dressing. Add the white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, dijon, olive oil, sugar (or real maple syrup), celery seed, salt, and pepper to a shaker jar or mason jar, and shake until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended.
Step 2: Mix coleslaw veggies. Next, mix the cabbage, carrots, green peppers, onions, and optional pickles in a large bowl.
Step 3: Toss slaw in vinegar dressing. Then, pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies, and toss until everything is coated well in the dressing.
Step 4: Chill before serving. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- To save time, use a food processor to shred your cabbage and carrots, or simply buy a pre-shredded coleslaw blend.
- You can small dice or shred the cabbage and carrots. Just be sure all of the vegetables are cut the same size.
- Plan so you have enough time to chill your old-fashioned vinegar slaw before serving. The veggies taste much better when they’ve had some time to marinate in the oil and vinegar.
- This old-fashioned coleslaw with vinegar is perfect as is, but feel free to swap the sweet onion with red onion or green onion if you have it on hand.
What To Eat with Coleslaw
Southern vinegar slaw is undoubtedly the BEST coleslaw for pulled pork, but it pairs perfectly with various Southern dishes. See below for what to serve with your slaw:
Storing
Store any leftover coleslaw in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3 – 5 days. This coleslaw should not be stored in the freezer.
Recipe FAQ
When stored in a clean airtight container, coleslaw will last 3 -5 days in the fridge.
Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar can be used interchangeably in this recipe., although the flavors are not exactly the same.
Coleslaw can sit out at room temperature for about 2 hours. Once the coleslaw reaches a specific temperature, bacteria will begin to multiply. After 2 hours, be sure to discard whatever is left.
More Summer Sides
Red Skin Potato Salad (my MIL’s recipe)
Broccoli Salad (Chicken Salad Chick copycat)
Summer Fruit Salad (a family favorite)
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Old Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar can also use white vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp neutral-tasting oil *extra light olive oil and avocado oil are favorites here
- 2 tbsp sugar this amount can be adjusted, to taste
- ½ tsp celery seed *optional
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 16 oz chopped green cabbage chopped finely, shredded, or diced (or use a bag of slaw for convenience)
- 2 large carrots peeled and shredded
- ½ cup green peppers finely diced
- ½ cup sweet onion finely diced
- ¼ cup *optional- dill pickles finely chopped-so delicious and a great addition to slaw. I prefer the refrigerated or artisan pickles here
Instructions
- In a shaker jar, add the vinegars, dijon, oil, celery seed, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Shake until blended and sugar is dissolved.
- Mix cabbage, carrots, green peppers, onions, and optional pickles together in a large bowl.
- Pour dressing over mixture and toss to coat.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- Real maple syrup (or maple sugar) is a tasty sugar swap for this recipe if you’re looking for a natural sweetener. It pairs beautifully with the flavors in the slaw.
- Swap the oil for mayo if you want a classic creamy vinegar slaw dressing.
- To save time, use a food processor to shred your cabbage and carrots, or simply buy a pre-shredded coleslaw blend.
- You can small dice or shred the cabbage and carrots. Just be sure all of the vegetables are cut the same size.
- Plan so you have enough time to chill your old-fashioned vinegar slaw before serving. The veggies taste much better when they’ve had some time to marinate in the oil and vinegar.
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Yum! I love to make slaw – such an easy all-week veggie side dish. My mouth is watering right now! Pinned and will be making this soon 🙂
I love a good slaw and this looks beautiful. Thanks Amee.
Thank you Katie!
My sister made this for the family for Mother’s Day. Yummy! It was a perfect light side dish for our lunch. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Brad! That’s awesome! I love getting feedback on recipes. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I hope you and Susan are doing well. 🙂
How did you know I had some shredded cabbage in my fridge?! I was looking for something different to do with it and now I know. I am a huge pickle fan but have never added pickles to coleslaw! 🙂
They are a fun addition Janice! I hope that you enjoy the recipe!!