Thanksgiving Slaw

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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updated Oct 29, 2022
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A bowl of Thanksgiving slaw with sliced almonds and cranberries
Credit: Lauren Volo

This no-wilt salad can even be made ahead.

Serves8

Prep15 minutes

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(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

The idea of serving salad at Thanksgiving is, in theory, a good one — you want something light, crunchy, and refreshing to balance out the roast turkey and rich side dishes. The reality, however, is that most salads need to be tossed at the last second and eaten quickly before wilting — not the best choice when there’s a lot going on in the kitchen already and the food might sit out for a few hours.

This easy, colorful slaw is the answer to this dilemma. It won’t wilt like other green salads and can sit out for a while, making it a great addition to the Thanksgiving buffet.

Tips for Making Thanksgiving Slaw

Soak the onions first.

This slaw uses red onions for a bit of crunch and spiciness, but the raw bite of them is best tamed down first. Soaking the onions in the dressing for just 10 minutes does the trick, and the onions, in turn, help flavor the dressing too.

Shred the cabbage by hand.

While the bagged stuff is certainly more convenient, it’s often a bit more expensive than just shredding a whole cabbage yourself. With a sharp knife and few steps, it couldn’t be easier. Plus, when you shred cabbage by hand, you have full control over the thickness and length of each piece.

Assemble ahead of time.

The slaw actually benefits from sitting around for a bit so the flavors meld. After the dressing is made, just toss in shredded cabbage (buy pre-shredded cabbage as a shortcut), crunchy almonds, tart cranberries, and some parsley for freshness. The cabbage will stay crisp for up to two hours, making it the ideal salad to serve for Thanksgiving dinner.

Comments

Thanksgiving Slaw

This no-wilt salad can even be made ahead.

Prep time 15 minutes

Serves 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/3 cup

    vegetable or olive oil

  • 1/4 cup

    apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons

    maple syrup

  • 4 teaspoons

    Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/2

    medium red onion, finely chopped

For the salad:

  • 1

    small head green cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds, or about 10 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix)

  • 3/4 cup

    toasted, sliced almonds

  • 3/4 cup

    dried cranberries

  • 2/3 cup

    coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Make the dressing:

  1. Whisk 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt together in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 finely chopped medium red onion and let sit for at least 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage.

Make the salad:

  1. Cut 1 small green cabbage into 8 wedges through the core, then cut the core from each piece. Thinly slice the cabbage wedges crosswise to shred (about 10 cups).

  2. Add the shredded cabbage, 3/4 cup toasted, sliced almonds, 3/4 cup dried cranberries, and 2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves to the dressing. Toss to combine. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: This slaw can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 hours without wilting, making it a great make-ahead or buffet dish.

Storage: Leftover slaw can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Half recipe: To make half the amount of slaw, use the following amounts:
Dressing: 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
Salad: 1 (about 14-ounce) bag shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix, 1/3 cup EACH toasted sliced almonds, dried cranberries, and coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Filed in:
autumn
easy
Gluten-Free
greens
Healthy Living
herbs