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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Side Dishes

Healthy Coleslaw (No Mayo)

Updated: Jul 7, 2022 · Published: May 8, 2020 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 20 Comments

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Diet: Gluten Free / Low Carb / Vegan
Jump to Recipe
Healthy coleslaw with a text title overlay.

Coleslaw is a classic side dish, but this Healthy Coleslaw recipe without mayo is lighter than a traditional coleslaw recipe and an added bonus of being dairy free and vegan too. Still all the crunchy vegetables that you know and love from homemade coleslaw, but with a tangy olive oil based dressing, rather than mayo. It's lighter, fresher, ready in 10 minutes and a MUST at any picnic or BBQ.

No Mayo Slaw in a wooden bowl.

Whilst I do enjoy a creamy mayo based coleslaw, I find it pretty heavy and I far prefer this lighter, no mayo coleslaw. There is still plenty of flavour from the dressing, but this slaw recipe is suitable for everyone with it being dairy free and egg free.

Homemade coleslaw is so easy to make - just chop up your veggies and mix together with this easy dressing. A side dish that everyone can enjoy - life is too short for bad coleslaw after all!

If you are looking for some other coleslaw recipes to try, then why not try our Greek Yogurt Coleslaw, Best Homemade Coleslaw or Mexican Coleslaw, which is zesty and spicy and goes perfectly with tacos and burritos.

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love It
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • Variations
  • How to Make Healthy Coleslaw - Step by Step
  • Coleslaw Dressing
  • What to Serve with Healthy Coleslaw
  • Extra Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Side Dishes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Why You Will Love It

  • Lighter and fresher than regular coleslaw - Not using mayo in this healthy coleslaw makes it just 103 calories a portion. Much lighter than traditional homemade coleslaw.
  • A side dish everyone can enjoy - This vegan coleslaw means that everyone can enjoy it. It's dairy free and gluten free too.
  • Perfect for BBQs and picnics - Coleslaw is a must side dish at a BBQ and this coleslaw salad makes a nice change from the mayo heavy ones.
  • Takes just 10 minutes to make - Just chop everything up and mix it in a bowl. So easy!
  • Can be made in advance - This coleslaw without mayo actually tastes better after a few hours, as it allows all the flavours to come together. Making it in advance is ideal if you are serving it at a BBQ.
  • Cheap to make - Homemade coleslaw is made with budget friendly ingredients like cabbage and carrot.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  • Cabbage - This is a red cabbage coleslaw, which adds lots of colour to the healthy coleslaw. You could swap it for a white cabbage, but it won't look as pretty.
  • Carrot - These add extra crunch too. To add even more colour, add a mixture of orange, yellow and purple carrots.
  • Spring onions (scallions) - You could use red onion, but we prefer the flavour of spring onions.
  • Oil - This is where most of the coleslaw dressing comes from, so make sure to use a really good quality extra virgin olive oil, as you will be able to taste the difference.
  • Vinegar - We love a vinegar based coleslaw. Instead of the mayo, this healthy coleslaw recipe has more of a vinaigrette. We used apple cider vinegar which is great for gut health.
  • Maple syrup - A little touch of sweetness helps to cut through the vinegar flavour and balance it all out.
  • Salt and pepper - Generously season.
  • Mustard - We used Dijon mustard for the creaminess, but wholegrain would work too.
  • Garlic - This is optional, but adds an extra kick of flavour.

Variations

Vegetables - We have kept the vegetables in this pretty classic with red and white cabbage, carrot and spring onion. They all add lots of colour, flavour and crunch, but you don't have to stop there.

Feel free to add and swap the vegetables you use, and use this side salad as an opportunity to clear your fridge out. You could use strips of bell pepper, grated courgette and even some diced cherry tomatoes. We also like adding grated apple for some extra sweetness.

Coleslaw dressing - We have gone for a vinaigrette based coleslaw dressing. However, if you did want it creamy, but lighter than using mayo, then you could use a Greek yogurt or creme fraiche instead.

Herbs - For some extra flavour without extra calories, add some fresh chopped coriander or parsley.

How to Make Healthy Coleslaw - Step by Step

Three step shot of shredded cabbage, grated carrot and chopped scallions.
  1. Step 1: Shred the cabbage, grate the carrot and slice the spring onions (scallions) diagonally.
A glass bowl with an oil based dressing.
  1. Step 2: Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
A large mixing bowl containing coleslaw ingredients.
  1. Step 3: Put everything together in a large bowl and mix well.
A wooden bowl containing slaw.
  1. Step 4: Serve.

Coleslaw Dressing

Personally, I really dislike it when coleslaw is dripping in sauce, which is why I prefer this to traditional mayo based coleslaw. I think the sauce (whether mayo based or not) should lightly coat the vegetables and compliment them. It shouldn't be over-powering.

We made this vegan coleslaw dressing with a base of really good quality olive oil, mixed with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic and seasoning. It's the perfect balance of flavours and a really simple but flavour packed dressing.

Shredded carrot and cabbage in a dressing.

What to Serve with Healthy Coleslaw

This is such a versatile side dish, it goes with almost anything. We like making it for burger nights and serving it with our Cajun Chicken Burgers or Pork and Apple Burgers. It is quite a cooling side, so it goes well with Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken too.

Chicken and coleslaw is always a good match, so why not try it with our Lemon Rosemary Chicken.

Tuna Fish Cakes and Portobello Mushroom Pizzas are nice light dishes that this crunchy side pairs well with.

Extra Tips

  • Save yourself some time with the prep of this vegan coleslaw by putting all the vegetables in a food processor to shred them together.
  • Feel free to swap or add the veggies that you use in this coleslaw. Anything chunky and crunchy works well.
  • If you wanted to make a mayo based coleslaw for your guests, just divide the mixture into two bowls, and add mayo to half the dressing for one bowl.
  • Add some extra flavour with some fresh herbs. Coriander, parsley and dill work well.
  • If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you can swap it for lemon juice. This actually adds a nice freshness to the slaw.
  • Add some extra crunch to the finished dish with some seeds and crushed nuts.
  • You can give this coleslaw a little kick of spice by stirring in some finely diced jalapenos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can homemade coleslaw be made in advance?

Yes, this is a great dish to make in advance as the dressing really soaks into the vegetables after a few hours. If we are serving this up at a BBQ, I make a big batch of it the night before, and keep it in the fridge. I get it out of the fridge about an hour before I am going to serve it.

How to store healthy coleslaw.

This coleslaw will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, however it will start to get a bit soggy towards the end of that, so it is always best eaten fresh. We don't recommend freezing it.

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If you’ve tried this vegan coleslaw recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

Healthy coleslaw in a round wooden bowl.

Healthy Coleslaw (No Mayo)

By: Dannii Martin
Coleslaw is a classic side dish, but this No Mayo Coleslaw is healthier and an added bonus of being dairy free and vegan too.
A circular logo saying GF.
Gluten Free
The words low carb in a white circle.
Low Carb
An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
Vegan
4.79 from 32 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, British
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Total: 10 minutes mins
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 103kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a mustard bottle.
Mustard
An illustration of a wine glass.
Sulphites

Ingredients

  • 0.5 White cabbage
  • 0.5 Red cabbage
  • 2 Carrots
  • 6 Spring onion (Scallion)
  • 6 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 4 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Maple syrup
  • 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 Garlic clove - crushed

Instructions

  • Shred 0.5 White cabbage and 0.5 Red cabbage, grate 2 Carrots and slice the 6 Spring onion (Scallion) diagonally.
  • Mix together 6 tablespoon Olive oil, 4 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 Garlic clove and 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper in a bowl.
  • Put everything together into a large bowl and mix well.

Recipe Tips

  • Save yourself some time with the prep of this vegan coleslaw by putting all the vegetables in a food processor to shred them together.
  • Feel free to swap or add the veggies that you use in this coleslaw. Anything chunky and crunchy works well.
  • If you wanted to make a mayo based coleslaw for your guests, just divide the mixture into two bowls, and add mayo to half the dressing for one bowl.
  • Add some extra flavour with some fresh herbs. Coriander, parsley and dill work well.
  • If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you can swap it for lemon juice. This actually adds a nice freshness to the slaw.
  • Add some extra crunch to the finished dish with some seeds and crushed nuts.
  • You can give this coleslaw a little kick of spice by stirring in some finely diced jalapeños.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2623IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. Bethany says

    May 03, 2025 at 11:36 pm

    3 stars
    Flavors are good, but way too much oil. I made the dressing with 2/3 of the oil called for in the recipe and it was still too oily.

    Reply
    • Dannii Martin says

      May 04, 2025 at 7:33 pm

      This is for 10 servings, so only 0.6 tbsp per serving, which doesn't make it too oily for a dressing in our opinion. But this is easily adaptable to suit your own tastes.

      Reply
  2. mohan kumar says

    May 11, 2020 at 7:29 am

    What a fabulous recipe!This look so fresh and delicious.Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply
  3. veenaazmanov says

    May 09, 2020 at 6:23 pm

    Crunchy, Colorful and healthy. Love the flavors infused to make it yum.Best salad for a party too.

    Reply
  4. Jordin says

    May 09, 2020 at 6:09 pm

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to try out this recipe! I’m not much of a mayo person, so this recipe is perfect for me!

    Reply
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My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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