Keto Coleslaw

Several years ago, we were getting ready to shoot my Gluten Free Fried Chicken for one of the Beyond Flour cookbooks.

It’s a lot of brown, so we wanted something more colourful to go with it in the photos. After brief discussion, we decided on coleslaw.

Not content to just toss together a bag of coleslaw mix, I decided to bang out a coleslaw purely for appearance - designed specifically to be colourful and look good in the photos.

Well, I’m glad I thought to write it down as I went, because that ad hoc homemade coleslaw recipe - while not a super traditional coleslaw - ended up being the best coleslaw I’ve ever had!

The thing is, that coleslaw - like any regular coleslaw COULD have been ok for a low-carb diet, if not for added sugar in the dressing.

SO, when I went on the keto diet a few months ago, I knew I’d have to make a small tweak to render this delicious side dish a KETO side dish.

This easy keto coleslaw recipe turns out a tangy coleslaw that is the perfect low carb side dish for all kinds of meat main dish options - whether grilled or fried - and other keto meals.

You know, like my Keto Fried Chicken :).

It’s a quick and easy side dish to make, requiring only a small amount of meal prep - the few minutes you put into processing the vegetables down is SO worth it, though - much better than anything from a bag!

Nutritional Info

Store-bought coleslaw tends to have too much sugar if you’re aiming for weight loss, but using a keto-friendly sweetener goes a lot way to making this restaurant style coleslaw keto friendly.

This healthy coleslaw LOOKS really carbby - with a lot of colourful veggies, and a rich dressing - but it clocks in at just 8 grams of carbs per serving, total.

After deducting fiber, it’s 5 net carbs per serving - 4.5 grams of net carbs after you deduct the sugar alcohols.

4.5 g net carbs is a totally acceptable carb count for any ketogenic diet, and a great side dish to serve with your favorite keto dinners!

Anyway, let me tell you about my best keto coleslaw recipe !

Keto Slaw Ingredients

This creamy keto coleslaw recipe is made from simple ingredients - common ingredients in almost any grocery store.

I tend to look at it in two groups, the salad and the dressing.

The Salad

Cabbage

Cabbage is generally the main ingredient in any coleslaw, and a great way to get some vitamin c in your diet.

This low carb coleslaw recipe actually uses two different types of the cruciferous vegetable:

Savoy cabbage or Napa cabbage: These two types of cabbage are fairly similar in texture - airy, crepey, ruffly - and I’ll use them interchangeably in this recipe, based on what’s available.

I just really prefer the texture of these types, to traditional green cabbage (which has the same texture as red cabbage). I like the contrast!

I use a whole head of cabbage (a small head of cabbage), either way.

Red Cabbage: This purple cabbage has a more sturdy, traditional cabbage texture. I like it for the colour, flavour, and contrast in texture.

Note: I recommend chopping/ shredding your own cabbage, if at all possible. I find it’s got better texture and flavor than pre-shredded.

My preferred method is to slice large chunks off the head of cabbage, then cut it down into thin slices from there.

Other Low Carb Vegetable Ingredients

In addition to the cabbage, I use the following low-carb vegetables:

- Carrot
- Red Bell Pepper
- Green Onions / Spring Onions

Could this creamy coleslaw be even lower carb without these ingredients? Sure... but it wouldn’t be as pretty OR as tasty!

Besides, it’s a fairly small amount of shredded carrots on a per-serving basis. Worth it, IMHO.

Keto Coleslaw Dressing

The dressing is pretty simple:

* Mayo - I like to use my own Homemade Keto Mayo. You can make it with olive oil, avocado oil, or your choice of healthy fat.

* Apple cider vinegar -You can sub fresh lemon juice, white vinegar, or white wine vinegar, if you want to.

* Sugar substitute - I used a Erythritol / Monk fruit Blend Sweetener as my sugar-free sweetener, but feel free to use your favourite low carb sweetener.

* Celery seed

* Ground Black Pepper

* Salt (You can use celery salt if you like).

How to Make Keto Coleslaw

Full recipe follows in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, this is a pictorial overview with additional tips included

Prepare the Veggies

Using a large, sharp knife, thinly slice your cabbages, discarding any pieces that have too much “rib” to them.

Note: If you want to make this more in the style of KFC coleslaw, you can roughly chop the cabbage before running it through a food processor. Personally, I prefer the sliced / shredded texture!

Peel and grate the carrot, thinly slice the red pepper and green onions.

Make the Salad

In a large bowl, gently toss prepared cabbages, carrot, pepper and green onions. Set aside.

In a separate bowl (small bowl), whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Pour sauce over vegetables in the large mixing bowl, toss to coat evenly.

Cover, chill for at least 1 hour to let flavours mingle - IMHO, this tastes even better the next day!

Serve cold - and keep cold. This delicious coleslaw shouldn’t be left out at room temperature, on account of the mayonnaise.

Leftovers

Leftover coleslaw can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

Low-carb Coleslaw Variations

While we love this coleslaw as-is, sometimes I’ll switch it up a bit, depending on the mood I’m in.

A few ideas:

- Add a small amount of Dijon mustard to the dressing

- For a bit of kick, thinly slice some jalapeno or Anaheim pepper into this

- You can make this with all red cabbage or all Napa cabbage if wanted/needed. Sometimes availability means getting creative!

- Use broccoli slaw in place of some of the cabbage.

More Keto Salad Recipes

Looking for more low-carb salad ideas? Here you are a few easy keto recipes for you!

Low Carb Broccoli Salad
Cauliflower Potato Salad
Low Carb Creamy Cucumber Salad
Keto Caesar Salad with Croutons
Low Carb Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Keto Taco Salad
Salad Meal Prep [Base Salad]
Sesame Crusted Tofu

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @LowCarbHoser - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

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... and hey, if you love the recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment! (Sharing the post on social media is always appreciated, too!)