South Carolina Slaw Recipe

Southern Living South Carolina Slaw in a bowl to serve — Photo:
Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Active Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

15 mins

Yield:

6 cups

What is Carolina coleslaw? It's a delicious alternative to mayonnaise-dressed slaws. Sweet, tangy and ultra-refreshing on a warm day, this is one of our favorite summer side dish recipes to share at picnics, potlucks, and cookouts.

This South Carolina Slaw features the best flavors from the eastern side of the state. South Carolina is home to four barbecue sauce regions: ketchup and tomato on the west; and vinegar, pepper, and mustard on the east.

When prepared as a sandwich, Carolina-style barbecue is usually served with slaw as a garnish atop the meat. It also makes for a tasty accompaniment to any entree.

Don't just save this Carolina Coleslaw for summer, though. It's always a hit when we share it on our at-home tailgate menus, too.

Ingredients for South Carolina Coleslaw

Fresh vegetables meet a hot dressing in this unique and crowd-pleasing Carolina coleslaw recipe. Here's what you'll need to toss it together at home.

Thinly-sliced cabbage: Green cabbage is a classic and is budget-friendly to boot. A sharp knife can help you make quick work out of the slicing. Or for a speedier prep, use a food processor with the shredding blade.
Grated carrot: You could also use a spiralizer or vegetable peeler to create vegetable ribbons, if you'd rather have longer, thinner carrot pieces. We prefer the texture of freshly-grated carrots (using a box grater), but feel free to use store-bought pre-grated carrots to save time.
Apple cider vinegar: This is the key ingredient that makes this coleslaw recipe a Carolina coleslaw. If you don't have or can't find this type of vinegar, swap in white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.

Sugar: A small scoop of this baking staple lends just enough sweetness to balance out the tang from the vinegar and mustard in this coleslaw dressing recipe.
Vegetable oil: Any other neutral oil (canola, safflower, peanut, grapeseed) can also be used in this homemade salad dressing recipe.
Dijon mustard: Stone-ground or spicy brown mustard would also be dreamy in this Carolina coleslaw, if you prefer one of those varieties instead.
Dry mustard, celery seeds, kosher salt, and black pepper: These spice cabinet stars team up to ensure the slaw dressing is seasoned to perfection.

ingredients for South Carolina Slaw in bowls on a marble counter — Will Dickey

How To Make South Carolina Slaw

It takes a mere 15 minutes to prepare this easy coleslaw recipe. Unlike most of its slaw competition, there's no need to chill and allow this to "marinate" in the fridge. Since the dressing is warm, tossing it with the fresh veggies will wake 'em up just enough, and serving it right away will ensure the cabbage and carrots don't wilt too much.

Step 1: Combine cabbage and carrots. In a large bowl, toss together cabbage and carrots.
Step 2: Cook dressing. Heat the apple cider vinegar, sugar, vegetable oil, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, celery seeds, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper until sugar dissolves. Bring this dressing blend to a boil.
Step 3: Add dressing to slaw. Pour this slaw dressing over the cabbage mixture (yes, while it's still hot!), then use tongs to toss to coat it well. Serve the Carolina Coleslaw recipe immediately.

How To Serve South Carolina Slaw

A wide variety of main dishes can be made better by being paired with this tangy, crunchy side. A few of our favorite Carolina slaw counterparts:

How To Store Carolina Slaw

We recommend serving all of this Carolina slaw immediately. If you need to make it in advance, allow the dressing mixture to cool before tossing it with the shredded carrots and sliced cabbage. Combined with a cool dressing and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this Carolina slaw should last three to five days.

We do not recommend freezing this or any salad or slaw recipe.

Editorial contributions by Karla Walsh.

Ingredients

1/2 head thinly sliced cabbage (about 1 lb.)
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make coleslaw dressing:

Place cabbage and carrot in a bowl. Whisk together vinegar, sugar, vegetable oil, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, celery seeds, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a saucepan until sugar dissolves.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Combine cabbage and dressing:

Pour over cabbage mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the name coleslaw come from?

This recipe name originates from the Dutch word "koosla," which translates to English as "cabbage salad." Based on cookbooks and recipe records, Americans have been whipping up some sort of coleslaw stateside since about 1770.
Is there a difference between coleslaw and slaw?

Great question! Since the "cole" in slaw refers to cabbage, that gives you a major clue. Coleslaws all feature some cabbage family member, be it Napa cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage, or bok choy. Slaws, sans-"cole," can be made with any other crunchy vegetable, such as snow peas or shredded broccoli stems, Brussels sprouts, beets, jicama, or carrots.