Southern Style Coleslaw will be a family favorite among your friends and guest at family BBQs as well as Summer Potlucks. You are combining crunchy red and green cabbage, sweet pickle relish, celery seeds, grated carrots, and crisp celery with pure spices and a mayo base for the perfect Southern-style side dish to complement your favorite summer dishes.
Our beloved modern coleslaws have been traced back to the ancient Romans, who served a dish of cabbage, vinegar, eggs, and various spices. The Dutch immigrants in New York state grew cabbage around the Hudson River that they were known for using in a shredded cabbage salad named Koosla.
The vinegar-based varieties of coleslaw seem to have a long history in the USA. A recipe in The Sensible Cook: Dutch Foodways in the Old and New World, made by the author’s Dutch landlady in 1770, mixes thin strips of cabbage with melted butter, vinegar, and oil.
Below you will find my simple recipe for a delicious tangy yet sweet tasting Southern Style Coleslaw. The ingredients are easy to find and extremely budget-friendly for those trying to keep a budget in mind when preparing food for a crowd.
Ingredients needed to make Southern Coleslaw
-
1/2 of a cup of mayo
-
1/4 of a cup of sweet pickle juice
-
Two tablespoons of sweet pickle relish
-
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
-
Two teaspoons of sugar, optional
-
One teaspoon kosher salt
-
freshly ground pepper, to own taste
-
Three cups of green cabbage very thinly sliced
-
One cup of red cabbage very thinly sliced
-
Two medium carrots peeled; grated
-
One stalk of celery minced

Southern Style Coleslaw
Ingredients
- ½ cup Real Mayo
- ¼ cup Sweet pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons Sweet pickle relish
- 2 teaspoons Sugar optional
- ½ teaspoon Celery seed
- 1 teaspoon Kosher alt
- 3 cups Green cabbage very thinly sliced
- 1 cup Red cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 medium Carrots peeled and grated
- 1 stalk Celery minced
Instructions
- Whisk mayonnaise, sweet pickle juice, pickle relish, celery seeds, sugar, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and pepper in a large bowl to combine.
- Thinly slice the red and green cabbage, to the desired size.
- Grate the carrots and then dice the celery.
- Add green and red cabbage, carrots, and celery to the dressing and toss to coat evenly.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve
- Coleslaw can be made 8 hours ahead.
Nutrition
© Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch, 2019-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner are strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Don’t forget to use the Pin and Print Options to save the recipe for later!
12 Comments
Garth
January 14, 2021 at 5:18 amThis was a great tasting recipe that took me back memory lane of when I lived in Memphis. Saving this one for sure.
Beth Neels
May 3, 2019 at 11:36 amOh I love that you add relish! I am totally going to try this! Can’t wait! Thanks for the inspiration!
Sues
May 3, 2019 at 10:46 amI don’t think I’ve ever had Southern style coleslaw before, but now I really want to try it! Love that pickle juice! And all the pretty colors 🙂
Deanne Frieders
May 3, 2019 at 10:05 amI love the ideas of using pickle relish! Such a great dish for summertime 🙂
emilykrill
May 3, 2019 at 9:35 amGreat recipe. I don’t usually use so many ingredients in my cole slaw, but i made an exception for this recipe. So glad I did. It was delish!
Blogtastic Food
May 3, 2019 at 9:16 amYou cannot beat a good slaw. Especially in a slider (:
Brandy
May 3, 2019 at 8:39 amHow long will this safely store in my refrigerator?
hmccallum
May 3, 2019 at 8:47 amGood morning, Brandy, You are safe for about 4 days. I’m not big on keeping anything past that that contains mayo. Thanks for asking. Enjoy.
Ben Hough
May 3, 2019 at 8:38 amGlad I found this recipe I like a more tangy coleslaw. Saved to make for the weekend.
hmccallum
May 3, 2019 at 8:48 amHey there, Ben, glad to hear you’ll be making it!!! Let me know how it goes over.
Ursula
May 3, 2019 at 8:37 amI made this the other day and my family loved it. Thanks for the history too
hmccallum
May 3, 2019 at 8:48 amGlad they liked it, Ursula! Thanks for sharing!