Best Healthy Vegan Coleslaw
This Vegan Coleslaw makes a perfect side dish option for cookouts and potlucks and can be ready in less than 15-minutes. The healthy oil-free dressing is what really sets this recipe apart.
My husband is a huge coleslaw fan, and this is the recipe I have been making for 30 years, only now it’s much healthier and made without any oil or dairy products.
We love this vegan coleslaw because it’s…
- Creamy
- Crunchy
- Perfectly sweet
- Simple to make
- Packed full of wholesome ingredients
- Great for picnics
- Delicious
Southern coleslaw
We live in the Carolinas where slaw is basically a staple. It is always served at picnics, barbecues, and family gatherings.
The problem came when we switched to a healthier plant-based lifestyle because traditional slaw is made with mayonnaise–the kind loaded with cholesterol and saturated.
Regular mayonnaise is made with eggs. Did you know that a medium-sized egg has 213 mg of cholesterol? A Burger King Whopper has 65 mg of cholesterol, and if you add cheese that goes up to 85 mg. Seriously eye-opening!
Thankfully, there’s a much better mayo option for this healthy coleslaw recipe.
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Low-fat vegan mayonnaise
Since that was no longer an option for us, I had to come up with a healthy solution, and it wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined. We now love Easy Eggless Low-Fat Mayo, and it’s so simple to make with only 5 ingredients–tofu, red wine vinegar, sweetener, salt, and Dijon mustard– and a blender.
How to make vegan coleslaw
This coleslaw is so simple to make with the traditional ingredients that you will find in most any coleslaw salad recipe.
Homemade coleslaw ingredients
- cabbage
- carrots
- onion
- vinegar
- relish
- sweetener (optional but recommended)
- vegan low-fat mayo
- salt, and pepper
I like to use pre-shredded slaw to make this recipe to save time. These prepackaged bags can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores. Just be sure to purchase the one that is veggies only. Some come with a premade dressing that isn’t a healthy option, and you won’t need it for this coleslaw salad recipe.
You’ll also want to dice a red onion or another onion variety of your choice. I like the red or purple onion because it makes this an even more beautifully colorful side dish.
The healthy oil-free coleslaw dressing
The dressing for this coleslaw begins with my delicious and healthy Eggless Low-Fat Mayo. Simply combine the 5-ingredients and process in a blender for about 1-minute until nice and creamy.
Combine 3/4 cup of the freshly made vegan mayo with the other dressing ingredients–vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper–in a medium bowl and whisk together well.
Combining the coleslaw ingredients
Pour coleslaw dressing mixture into chopped veggies (cabbage mixture, diced onion, relish, sweetener, and salt & pepper and combine to coat thoroughly.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Colorful, crunchy, creamy. No one will ever realize it’s actually healthy!
What to serve with vegan coleslaw
- vegan bbq sandwiches
- baked beans
- corn on the cob
- sloppy joes
- bbq tempeh
- sandwiches
- carrot dogs
- black bean burgers
- and so much more…
Tips for making vegan coleslaw
- Use pre-shredded coleslaw mix in a bag to cut down on the time needed to prepare this recipe.
- The vegan mayo recipe will make a little more than needed for this dish, and I suggest saving the rest to try on sandwiches and wraps.
- Though any variety of onions can be used, I like to use red onion to make this dish even more like a rainbow of color.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
*Original publish date January 31, 2015
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
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Vegan Coleslaw
Ingredients
Coleslaw
- 8 ounces pre-shredded coleslaw mixture
- 1 small onion diced
- 1/4 cup sweet pickel relish
- 3/4 cup low-fat mayo
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar (I used unrefined sugar, sucanat)
- 1 teaspoon salt (add more to taste)
- black pepper
Low-fat Vegan Mayo
- 1 package of silken firm tofu 12-15 oz
- 1 tablespoon healthy sweetener as above
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijion mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Begin by making the homemade vegan mayonnaise above that is as simple as combining the 5 ingredients in a blender.
- Place approximately 8 oz of the pre-shredded slaw mixture in a large bowl.
- Dice the onion and add it to the bowl along with the relish.
- Combine 3/4 cup of the freshly made vegan mayo with the other dressing ingredients–vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper–in a medium bowl and whisk together well.
- Pour coleslaw dressing mixture into coleslaw veggies (cabbage mixture, diced onion, relish, sweetener, and salt & pepper and combine to coat thoroughly.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
- Use pre-shredded coleslaw mix in a bag to cut down on the time needed to prepare this recipe.
- The vegan mayo recipe will make a little more than needed for this dish, and I suggest saving the rest to try on sandwiches and wraps.
- Though any variety of onions can be used, I like to use red onion to make this dish even more like a rainbow of color.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
You’re recipes are awesome. Thanks for being there ?
Denise, thank so much! I am thrilled to be here sharing nutrition information and healthy recipes. Thank you for following!
Leave out the sugar and use dill relish instead of sweet relish!!! Yum
That was wonderful. I diced up the cabbage and carrots a little smaller. This recipe is a definite keeper.
This is good! Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
I’ll have to admit that I was somewhat skeptical with using silken tofu to make the mayo but I decided to try it anyway, and it was soooo good! It really tasted like mayo. The coleslaw recipe was really good! I’ve made it twice already and will def be making it more.
Hi Patty- I’m so glad that you liked the recipe. The mayo has been a gamechanger at my house. We keep it in the refrigerator at all times for sandwiches, sauces, and dressings. Sounds like it’s going to be a staple at your house too. That’s awesome!
i love coleslaw but i can’t have soy. Would you have any suggestions about how i could make a healthy version without it? thanks.
Jacquie- Yes, Cooking With Plants has a recipe for soy-free mayo on their website.