Southern Style Coleslaw will be a family favorite among your friends and guest at family BBQ’s as well as Summer Potlucks. Combining crunchy red and green cabbage, sweet pickle relish, celery seeds, grated carrots and crisp celery with simple 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
- 2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 2 teaspoons of sugar, optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper, to own taste
- 3 cups of green cabbage very thinly sliced
- 1 cup of red cabbage very thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots peeled; grated
- 1 stalk of celery minced
- 1/2 cup Real Mayo
- 1/4 cup Sweet pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons Sweet pickle relish
- 2 teaspoons Sugar optional
- 1/2 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
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Whisk mayonnaise, sweet pickle juice, pickle relish, celery seeds, sugar, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and pepper in a large bowl to combine.
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Thinly slice the red and green cabbage, to the desired size.
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Grate the carrots and then dice the celery.
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Add green and red cabbage, carrots, and celery to the dressing and toss to coat evenly.
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Cover and chill until ready to serve
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Coleslaw can be made 8 hours ahead.
© 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.
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I made this the other day and my family loved it. Thanks for the history too
Glad they liked it, Ursula! Thanks for sharing!
Glad I found this recipe I like a more tangy coleslaw. Saved to make for the weekend.
Hey there, Ben, glad to hear you’ll be making it!!! Let me know how it goes over.
How long will this safely store in my refrigerator?
Good 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.
You cannot beat a good slaw. Especially in a slider (:
Great 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!
I love the ideas of using pickle relish! Such a great dish for summertime 🙂
I 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 🙂
Oh I love that you add relish! I am totally going to try this! Can’t wait! Thanks for the inspiration!