This quick and easy purple coleslaw is my absolute favorite coleslaw without mayo. It’s a bright and bold side dish made with shredded cabbage, slivered red onion, a few Mexican-inspired ingredients, and a sweet lime dressing. Crunchy, sweet, slightly spicy, and tangy – what’s not to love?
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This purple cabbage coleslaw is one of those recipes I make. All. Summer. Long. It’s easy to whip up. It keeps for days. And it can be paired with so many meals. Ribs? Definitely. Tacos? It’s seriously amazing with these air-fried coconut shrimp tacos, specifically. Pulled pork (or chicken) sandwiches? Bring it. As a simple side with literally any protein? Yes, yes, yes! (Psst… this is what I do with leftovers for a work lunch.)
It strikes the perfect balance between tangy and sweet – and there’s a nice slow heat from the jalapenos (if you dare). It’s also strikingly beautiful.
This coleslaw with purple cabbage is also really adaptable. It’s one of the reasons it’s taken so long for me to put it on the blog! I make it a little different every time. Swap za’atar and lemon for the cumin and lime juice. Add a little sumac. Grate in a carrot or two for a little added sweetness. Give it some fresh parsley or oregano. And if you’re craving a creamy purple cabbage slaw, whisk some mayo in with your vinaigrette. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Toss. Taste again. Season. Dig in!
That said, this is one of my favorite variations of this recipe, and I think it’s worth sharing. I hope you’ll agree!
Ingredients
- Purple cabbage: I use shredded purple cabbage in this recipe. It’s what makes it so stunning! In a pinch you could use bagged coleslaw mix.
- Red onion: Replace with green onions in this recipe if you’re not a huge fan of raw onion.
- Olive oil: Olive oil gives dressings a bit of richness.
- Fresh lime juice: Then, fresh lime juice brings its citrusy goodness into the fold! I love how light and fresh the lime juice makes this slaw.
- Honey: Honey and lime are a magical combo and fun fact: a bit of honey also helps break down the cabbage. If you’re avoiding sweeteners, you can leave it out.
- Cilantro: We are Team Cilantro in this house. And we like fresh herbs. You can cut back a little if you’d like. (If you’re wary of herbs, start with ¼ cup and increase until you find the perfect ratio for you!) If you’re Team Cilantro Is Soap – swap for green onions. Another fun fact: Lime juice helps mitigate the ‘soapy’ flavor if you were born with that gene.
- Jalapeno (optional): Since jalapenos vary in heat so greatly, start with a few slivers and increase to taste!
- Ground cumin
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt
Substitutions & Variations
Pre-shredded cabbage is going to be the biggest timesaver for this recipe. If the thought of chopping your own cabbage for a mid-week meal is anxiety inducing, just look for some purple cabbage coleslaw mix at the grocery store. Easy peasy.
If you don’t like spice, you can omit the jalapeños! On the flip side, if you don’t like the unpredictability of jalapenos and you want to kick it up a notch, mince in a few slices of serrano.
Replace the purple cabbage with regular green cabbage. If I do that, I’m definitely adding a carrot or two, for color!
Swap green onions for the red onions and/or for the cilantro.
Use maple syrup or granulated sugar instead of honey.
Instructions
- Add the shredded purple cabbage to a bowl. Massage with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil.
- Then add the slivers of red onion, the cilantro, and the jalapeno if using.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, olive oil, cumin, garlic, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing. Taste the dressing and decide if you’d like to add more lime, seasoning, or honey.
- Add about half of the dressing to the cabbage salad and gently toss.Then, slowly add more dressing until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Taste the whole thing again and decide if you’d like to add more lime juice, honey, salt, black pepper or even jalapeno.
- Serve and enjoy!
Christine’s Tips & Tricks
Use fresh lime juice! There’s a time and a place, and this isn’t it. Lime is easily the star flavor in this salad, so give it a chance to sing, my friend!
Salt is your secret weapon. It’s so easy to underseason a big ole coleslaw salad. When I’m not measuring and I’ve added all the things I add in roughly the same quantities I always add them and it’s still ‘missing something,’ it’s usually salt. (Although increase the acid to your liking as well.)
Give your cabbage the Kale Treatment. Once you shred your cabbage, give it a little drizzle of olive oil and crunch it up with your hands. I find it makes the ‘slaw more tender.
Storage
- Freezer: This won’t store well in the freezer.
- Fridge: However, it will keep in the fridge for two or three days, making it excellent for meal prep and school or work lunches.
Serve This With:
📖 Recipe
Purple Coleslaw with Sweet Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 cups cabbage approximately half of a large head of cabbage
- 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons to massage cabbage
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice or approximately 2 ½ medium limes
- ¼ minced jalapeno optional
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ cup Cilantro
- ¼ Red onion very thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Add the 6 cups of shredded purple cabbage to a bowl. Massage with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil.
- Then add the slivers of ¼ a red onion, the ½ cup cilantro, and the quarter jalapeno if using.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together a ⅓ cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 cloves of minced garlic, up to 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to create the dressing. Taste the dressing and decide if you’d like to add more lime, seasoning, or honey.
- Add about half of the dressing to the cabbage salad and gently toss.Then, slowly add more dressing until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Taste the whole thing again and decide if you’d like to add more lime juice, honey, salt, black pepper or even jalapeno.
- Serve and enjoy!
