Jamaican Coleslaw

Coleslaw lovers, learn how to make MY VERSION of this seriously good Jamaican style creamy coleslaw. It is so quick and easy to make and not to mention is vegan friendly, dairy free with a creamy dressing.

It's that time of year where we ditch the slow cooker for the BBQ grill. As a food blogger I will be brutally honest with you and say that I love making winter recipes more than I do summer recipes.

However, I do love the warmth of summertime, food wise, salads, burgers, wraps and skewers seem to take precedence.

My family like to throw it down when it comes to who can make the best potato salad and coleslaw, so today I'm going to share with you how we like to make ours.

It's a recipe that isn't overly complicated, very easy to follow and most importantly tastes amazing.

Please keep in mind that this is MY WAY of making Jamaican coleslaw, my version may differ from yours with the use of certain spices and the added cho cho.

If you have a BBQ coming up or a family gathering to attend, you might even be hosting one then bookmark, better yet, keep this recipe in your arsenal because you won't regret it.

This slaw will be the side dish to any recipe that you see fit to serve it with.

The ingredients

This is a creamy coleslaw that is made using my homemade mayonnaise which is completely vegan friendly.

The homemade mayo is tossed with a medley of vegetables - white cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper and cho cho.

I like to add some grated cho cho to mine to give my slaw a bit more variety. 

I also like to add some additional ingredients for flavour - celery seed, ground mustard, lime juice, black pepper and pink salt.

How to cut cabbage for coleslaw

If the prospect of shredding a cabbage might seem daunting, thankfully you can do so 3 ways;

• By hand
• Using a food processor
• Grate using a box grater

Using a food processor is the easiest way to shred your cabbage because of how quick, minimal mess and effortless the entire process is.

All you need is a tool called a shredding disk, attach the disk to the top of the food processor in order to shred the cabbage as it goes down the chute.

Alternatively, if you like a more hands on approach, then you can shred your cabbage using a chefs knife;

• Wash and blot the cabbage completely dry with kitchen paper.
• Remove any outer leaves that are bruised or full of debris.
• Slice the cabbage into half followed by 4 quarters.
• Discard the core of each quarter by cutting it out.
• Place the cabbage quarter on a chopping board (face downwards) and proceed to slice into thin shreds.

You can also use a box grater by placing the cabbage quarters flat against the large holes. Then using your hand to move in a downwards motion.

The steps

• Place the shredded cabbage, carrot, cho cho and red bell pepper in a large bowl.
• In another small bowl mix together the vegan mayonnaise, lime juice, celery seed, ground mustard, black pepper and pink salt.
• Combine and stir together the mayonnaise with the bowl of vegetables.
• Do a taste test and adjust for seasoning if needed.
• Serve accordingly.

Notes and tips 

• Be sure to do a taste test and adjust for seasoning accordingly.
• To make things even easier and super quick, you can buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots.
• Feel free to mix things up with some red or green cabbage.
• You can add a tablespoon of agave nectar/maple syrup for a sweeter slaw.
• Add the mayonnaise in stages, you may not need/want all of the dressing. Creaminess is a matter of your own discretion
• Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
• You can easily prep the vegetables in advance by grating them and storing in a ziplock bag (for up to 2 days in advance).
• Keep in mind the longer you leave the coleslaw to sit for, the softer and less crunchy it will be.

More salad recipes to try

• Jamaican Roasted Ackee Salad
• Caribbean Saltfish Salad
• Jamaican Potato Salad
• Black Bean and Corn Salad
• Vegan Caribbean Salad
• Prawn and Mango Salad
• Zucchini Avocado Salad

**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**