Recipe Review

Sunny Anderson Taught Me the Secret to Super-Creamy Coleslaw

published Aug 2, 2022
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Credit: Photo: Julia Gartland; Food Stylist: Jessie YuChen

I’m a sucker for savory dishes with sweet ingredients, so it didn’t take long for me to decide that I wanted to include Sunny Anderson’s coleslaw recipe in our celebrity recipe showdown. Apples and golden raisins? Give it to me.

This apple-raisin slaw calls specifically for savoy cabbage instead of classic green cabbage, and the dressing also includes a heavy hand of sour cream (the most sacred condiment). This is one I couldn’t pass up, so I put it to the test. Here’s what I thought about this sweet and creamy slaw.

Get the recipe: Sunny Anderson’s Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

Credit: Photo: Julia Gartland; Food Stylist: Jessie YuChen

How to Make Sunny Anderson’s Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

Like any ol’ slaw recipe, this one follows a basic procedure. To start, make the dressing in a large bowl by mixing together golden raisins, celery seeds, mayonnaise, sour cream, and apple cider vinegar. Once the dressing is amply seasoned with salt and pepper, add shredded Savoy cabbage, shredded carrots, and grated apples. Mix it all together, give it one final check for seasoning, then cover it and let it rest in the fridge for at least one hour.

Credit: Photo: Julia Gartland; Food Stylist: Jessie YuChen

My Honest Review of Sunny Anderson’s Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

I really enjoyed this coleslaw. I was really intrigued to see if the Savoy cabbage would be a groundbreaking slaw revelation, and I will admit that I felt pretty indifferent about it. By no means did it take away from the overall quality of the coleslaw, but I also wouldn’t say that it improved the slaw or changed my opinion about what type of cabbage should be used in coleslaw. 

Savoy cabbage is tougher to find in grocery stores, so if you’re having trouble procuring it, I think you’re fine to use green cabbage if that’s all you can get your hands on. Some of the reviewers noted that they used Napa cabbage, which is slightly similar in texture to Savoy, so that could also be a worthwhile substitution.

Despite the slight disappointment in my cabbage conclusion, this slaw by no means let me down. I loved how the sweet components were still able to shine through the rich, creamy dressing and the heaps of shredded cabbage. I have a serious thing for golden raisins (they’re so much better than normal raisins and this is simply a fact), so this slaw really spoke to me. 

While this note is not super crucial to determining the ideal coleslaw, I did find that in the looks department, I felt like this one was the least visually enticing of the bunch. Without any red cabbage, the salad is somewhat lacking in color contrast, and the heavily creamy dressing made for a one-note color. Of course, how it tastes is way more important (and let me reiterate that it tastes GOOD), but presentation is definitely something to consider, especially since you’re probably serving this as part of an outdoor entertaining spread. Hey, why not throw in some red cabbage? Couldn’t hurt, eh?

If I Made Sunny Anderson’s Apple-Raisin Coleslaw Again

One addition that I really appreciated was the sour cream. This is a great way to level up your coleslaw because it’s the ideal balance of creamy and tangy, making it a seamless addition to any coleslaw. If I made this salad again, I’d love to add equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream (as opposed to the 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup of sour cream, as written) to really emphasize the tangy acidity of the sour cream. 

I ended up adding a little bit extra apple cider vinegar to my slaw because I felt it needed that extra pop, but all cabbages are different sizes, so these slight flavor adjustments should be made at your own discretion. Frankly, I might even sprinkle a few extra raisins and grate an extra apple next time for added sweetness, just the way I like it.

Overall rating: 8.5/10