Crunchy Kale Slaw Recipe - No Mayo! (2024)

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posted by Jessica Hylton on Aug 17, 2022 (last updated Mar 21, 2024) 21 comments »

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This easy Kale Slaw is full of fresh flavour and delicious crunch, with colorful shredded veggies tossed in an irresistibly tangy no-mayo dressing. Enjoy this quick, crunchy slaw recipe on its own, served as a garnish in tacos, and more!

This fresh kale slaw is a colorful and crisp no-mayo coleslaw tossed in a sweet-and-tangy dressing that brings out the best in all of the veggies. With kale, purple cabbage, and carrots, this recipe is a rainbow of delicious crunch. I mean, just look at the colors! There’s loads of flavour in the mix, and it comes together in just 5 minutes. Add your favorite herbs and serve this kale cabbage salad as a side dish to all sorts of dishes, from grilling recipes to tacos.

If you love kale as much as I do, try more tasty recipes like this kale salad with tahini dressing, this kale, apple, and chickpea salad, and my other kale chickpea salad with lemon poppyseed dressing!

Why You’ll Love This Kale Slaw Recipe

• No mayo. There’s still a place in my heart for creamy coleslaw, but this no-mayo kale slaw is truly something special. The freshness, the crunch, the zingy vinegar in the dressing… it really lets the veggies shine through.
• Versatile. This kale slaw recipe is that slaw. The slaw that goes well with everything. You’re going to make it over and over again, every season, all the time.
• Easy ingredients. The ingredients for this slaw are crazy simple, and it takes minutes to toss everything together.Drizzle over your dressing, and bam! It’s ready to eat.

Notes on Ingredients

I’ve included some important notes on the ingredients here. Remember to scroll to the recipe card below the post for a printable ingredients list with amounts.

• Kale – You can use curly kale or any variety you’d like. You’ll find kale alongside the other greens in most grocery store produce aisles, or at your local farmer’s market.
• Shredded carrots – Save yourself some prep time and buy pre-shredded carrots, or save some money and shred your own. It’s up to you!
• Shredded purple/red cabbage –This recipe works with shredded green cabbage as well, but I love the pop of color that comes with red cabbage.
• Apple cider vinegar –If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, substitute this with red wine vinegar, white vinegar, or another kind.
• Raw cane sugar – Feel free to substitute coconut sugar or regular granulated sugar.
• Seasonings –Salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• Extra-virgin olive oil –You can also use another oil, such as avocado oil.

How to Make Kale Slaw

This easy kale slaw takes 5 minutes to make and always tastes amazing. Here’s what you’ll need to do. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.

• Prepare. Rinse, dry, and shred all of the vegetables.
• Combine. Add the veggies to a large mixing bowl, along with the remaining ingredients. Toss to coat, then season to taste.
• Rest. If you have the time, let the slaw sit on the counter or in the fridge for up to an hour. This lets all of the flavours meld!

Tips for Success

Making fresh and crunchy kale slaw with no mayo is easy, but these simple tips will help you make sure it turns out perfect:

• Clean the kale well. Kale, especially the curly kind, can hide grit and dirt in its leaves, so make sure you rinse it thoroughly.
• Dry the vegetables. Use a salad spinner or pat them dry with paper towels. If water is still clinging to the veggies when you combine them, your dressing will be watered down and your coleslaw will be soggy.
• Get ahead on prep. Making this kale slaw for a party? I recommend preparing the veggies in advance (if you didn’t already buy them pre-shredded) and making the coleslaw an hour before you plan on eating.

Variation Ideas

There are so many ways to make this kale slaw recipe your own. Here are some ideas:

• Different vinegar. Swap the apple cider vinegar for rice vinegar and add a splash of toasted sesame oil for a little Asian-inspired flair.
• Nuts. Add slivered almonds, chopped pecans, or walnuts for some crunch.
• Herbs. Toss in sliced green onions, chives, and herbs like basil and cilantro for extra flavour.
• More veggies. Switch up the veggies and try adding radishes, julienned broccoli stems, or shredded golden beets.
• Dried fruit. Add another layer of texture and sweetness by tossing in dried cranberries or raisins.

Ways to Serve Kale Slaw

What I love most about this crunchy kale cabbage slaw is that it’s super versatile. Try it as a topping forcrispy cauliflower tacos, these vegan BBQ chickpea tacos, or Quinoa cauliflower burgers. It’s also great as a side with spring rollsorenchiladas.This crunchy kale slaw goes from Tex-Mex to Asian dishes, easy peasy!

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover kale slaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The veggies will soften a bit with time, but the flavours will still be great.

More Salad Recipes

• Greek Cucumber Salad
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• The Best Vegan Potato Salad
• Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad

P.S. Here are some of the items I used to make this recipe if you’d like to use them too:

|WHAT YOU’LL NEED// SHOP MY FAVORITEINGREDIENTS & PREP PRODUCTS|

Enjoy friends! If you make this healthy coleslaw recipe, please snap a photo and tag#jessicainthekitchenonInstagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

originally published on Aug 17, 2022 (last updated Mar 21, 2024)

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