Affordable Homemade Coleslaw Recipe With Only 4 Ingredients

SP learned to bake and cook by watching her mother. Now she loves to cook and bake quick and easy recipes that don't take long to make.

This coleslaw recipe is a super quick and very easy recipe to make. It basically contains all of the ingredients that you will find in prepacked coleslaw but it comes without a lot of the extra preservatives and flavourings that are found in some of the prepacked versions.

If you add the mayonnaise to the prepared vegetables then you need to eat the coleslaw that day. But if you leave the mayonnaise out and just assemble the vegetable for the coleslaw then you can keep this in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days. Then just add some mayonnaise to the portion that you are serving at each meal.

I never buy coleslaw from the grocery store because I don’t like the mayonnaise that they use in the coleslaw. I also find that most brands have at least 10 to 15 ingredients in the prepacked coleslaw. Also if you are trying to find prepacked coleslaw in the winter season, for some reason, at least where I live, the stores don't seem to have a lot on the shelves—so it is usually gone very quickly.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 4 cups prepacked stir-fry white cabbage
• 1 medium onion
• 5 tablespoons Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 cups organic grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)

Equipment

• Plastic bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Tablespoon
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Handheld grater

Instructions

1. Peel your three carrots and remove the top stalk and the ends of the carrots. Wash your carrots and dry them with a tea towel. If you have a food processor, you can use it to shred the carrots. Otherwise, use a handheld grater. Just pull the carrots down on the grater to get strips of shredded carrots. Since there are only three carrots, this shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Pour your shredded carrots into a bowl and set aside.
2. Next put your shredded white cabbage into a colander and rinse it under cold running water to remove any dirt and to give it a clean. Dry the cabbage with a tea towel and pour into the same bowl as the carrots.
3. Now you need to peel and roughly chop up the onion and add it into the same bowl as the cabbage and the carrot.
4. At this point I usually halve the coleslaw and put one half of it into an airtight container and pop it into the fridge.
5. For the other half that you are going to serve now, you need to add two to three level tablespoons of Hellman’s mayonnaise to the vegetables and mix everything really well. If you want to add more mayonnaise you can, I just like mine to have a light coating of it.

FAQs

Can I use non-organic carrots?

Yes, you can but if you have ever tried using organic vegetables in a dish then you will know that there is a nicer flavour from organic vegetables.

Can I use any brand of mayonnaise?

Yes, if you use another brand of mayonnaise in your household like Kraft or Heinz then you can use them. I just personally like Hellmann’s.

Where can I find prepacked white cabbage?

I usually find this over by the salad and stir-fry section of the grocery store. Some stores also sell fresh prepacked stir-fry mix that already has grated carrot, chopped onion and the cabbage done for you.

If you find this version in your grocery store, then buy this one and then all you need to do is add the mayonnaise.

Can I add other ingredients?

If you don’t like using white onion in your dish then you can use spring onion instead. Spring onion isn’t as strong as white onion and some people might prefer the flavour of this vegetable.

You can also add grated white cheddar cheese to this recipe. For the recipe above I would add four tablespoons of grated cheese. If you like it cheesier then you can add as much as you like. But four tablespoons usually works in this recipe. If you are adding cheese don’t add it to the vegetables that are in the airtight container. Only add the cheese to the vegetable when you are serving it before you add the mayonnaise.

Prepacked vs. Homemade Coleslaw

This is the list of ingredients that is usually found in prepacked coleslaw:

White Cabbage (45%), Mayonnaise (Rapeseed Oil, Water, Egg [Egg, Salt], Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Salt, Mustard Powder, Dijon Mustard [Water, Mustard Seed, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)], Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum)), Carrot (14%), Crème Fraîche (Milk), Double Cream (Milk), Onion, Chive.

This is the ingredients used in homemade coleslaw.

Carrots, Cabbage, Onion, Mayonnaise.

Conclusion

If you want to make a larger portion of this coleslaw just double the ingredients. But you might have to add or take out the amount of mayonnaise that you put in so always start with less and if you need to add more, then you can.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 17, 2020:

@Ebeth, thank you for commenting.

Ebeth on August 16, 2020:

Thank you for sharing the info.

More power

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 12, 2020:

@Adrienne Farricelli, Thank you. Yes, I totally agree with you there. There is a nicer flavor out of organic vegetables. The grocery stores here only stock a few choices, so our options are limited.

@Liza, I never though of adding apple cider vinegar. I must try that. I bet it adds something unique flavor wise too.

Liza from USA on August 11, 2020:

I love coleslaw and I have made many times at home. My favorite coleslaw always started with raw cabbage, mayonnaise onion, carrot, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, salt, sugar, and pepper. Your recipe sounds easy to follow. Thanks for sharing!

Adrienne Farricelli on August 11, 2020:

It's nice to see an easy recipe for coleslaw needing only 4 ingredients. I like that you suggest to use organic carrots. I am a big proponent of organic foods and hope more and more farmers would start selling organic.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 10, 2020:

@ Abby Slutsky, thank you. Yes, mayonnaise always ends up getting watery so quickly, it's so annoying. Better to leave it out.

Abby Slutsky from America on August 09, 2020:

This looks delicious, healthy and easy; the perfect combination of a good recipe. I loved the idea of adding mayo just for the portion you are using.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 09, 2020:

@ Danny, thank you for commenting. Yes it's such a lovely dish.

Danny from India on August 09, 2020:

I loved the name of this dish. Amazing and well depicted.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on August 09, 2020:

@ Diana Carol Abrahamson, yes I feel the same way. I've tried others but always come back to Hellmans.

@Cheryl E Preston, yes, it's so much nicer.I prefer homemade as much as possible.

@Pamela Oglesby, I think we are all the same. Once you like one brand it's hard to switch to another.

@Chitrangada Sharan, thank you. It's great to know others make it too. Everyone I know just buys the prepacked one.

@ Liz Westwood, That happens with the prepacked ones too, you think it would not run. I wonder how the cafes and deli in shops get around that issue.

I think once you make it you have to use it within the time frame you mentioned anyway. I'm a bit lazy and want to do as less chopping as possible. :) Also it's hit and miss if I can actually find that cabbage in our local Tesco when I go in. They veg section is never restocked throughout the day.

Liz Westwood from UK on August 09, 2020:

This is a recipe that I use regularly. I have found that if stored in the fridge even with mayonnaise added, it will last a day or two. (At least none of us have got ill from eating it). But the mixture can go a little runny. I tend to buy a whole white cabbage and chop it myself too. Your tip about adding mayonnaise as needed is a good one. I might try it next time.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on August 09, 2020:

Very well done article, with wonderful pictures and helpful instructions.

I liked the way you have presented the whole article. I do make this coleslaw recipe, and you inspired me to make it again.

Thanks for sharing.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on August 08, 2020:

My husband is very picky about which mayonaise we use, so this recipe would work well for coleslaw. Thanks for sharing it, Sp.

Cheryl E Preston from Roanoke on August 08, 2020:

Sounds delicious.

Diana Carol Abrahamson from Somerset West on August 08, 2020:

I love coleslaw and how fresh it tastes.Hellmans mayonnaise is so delicious and creamy.Not fond of sour mayonaise.Thanks for sharing your recipe:)