This Old Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar is the quintessential southern slaw to make for your next cookout. Diced cabbage, carrots, green peppers, and dill pickles 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 drowning my coleslaw in mayonnaise, but this recipe is perfect. You'll use red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and just a bit of mayo, 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 old-fashioned coleslaw with vinegar!
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 compliment 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.
- Dill pickles - Dill pickles are my favorite addition to slaw. Using a small batch gourmet variety makes it even more impressive. In my southern vinegar slaw, I used a locally made pickle from Athens, GA, called Phickles.
- Vinegar & oil dressing - Here's what you'll need to make a simple oil and vinegar dressing for old-fashioned coleslaw.
- Red wine vinegar & apple cider vinegar - Red wine vinegar for tang and apple cider vinegar for a subtle tart flavor. The sugar will cut out the acidity and balance the flavors.
- Mayo - An olive oil mayo blend of homemade Paleo mayo is best here, but use what works.
- Olive oil - This is the base of your dressing. Use your best quality olive oil or extra virgin olive oil here.
- Raw turbinado sugar - You'll need sugar to balance out the acidity from the kinds of vinegar. You can also use granulated sugar.
- Salt & pepper - To enhance every flavor!
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 red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mayo, olive oil, sugar, 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, pickles, and green peppers together in a large bowl.
Step 3: Toss slaw in vinegar dressing. Then, pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies, and toss until the cabbage, carrots, and peppers are coated well in the dressing.
Step 4: Chill before serving. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place it n 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 add sweet onion, red onion, or green onion to the mixture 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.
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Old Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar
Ingredients
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar can also use white wine vinegar or regular white vinegar
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise or Paleo mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 16 oz green cabbage chopped finely or diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and shredded
- ½ cup green peppers finely diced
- ¼ cup dill pickles chopped- optional but so delicious and a great add to southern slaw
Instructions
- In a shaker jar, add vinegars, mayo, oil, sugar, salt and pepper
- Shake until blended and sugar is dissolved
- Mix cabbage, carrots, pickles and green peppers together in a large bowl.
- Pour dressing over mixture and toss to coat
- Cover and chill until ready to serve
Notes
- 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 add sweet onion, red onion, or green onion to the mixture if you have it on hand.
Nutrition
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Anne|Craving Something Healthy
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 🙂
Katie
I love a good slaw and this looks beautiful. Thanks Amee.
Amee Livingston
Thank you Katie!
Brad Robey
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.
Amee Livingston
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. 🙂
Meal Makeover Mom Janice
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! 🙂
Amee Livingston
They are a fun addition Janice! I hope that you enjoy the recipe!!