I am so excited to share today’s Healthy Vegan Coleslaw recipe! This simple recipe is perfect for summer barbecues, or healthy vegan weekday meals. I love easy vegan recipes like this coleslaw, because they only take about 10 minutes to make, and are full of nutritious ingredients.
What Makes This Vegan Coleslaw Healthy:
There are thousands and thousands of vegan coleslaw recipes online. I did not create this recipe to be just another coleslaw that is full of processed and unhealthy ingredients. This recipe is the healthiest vegan coleslaw!
This healthy vegan coleslaw recipe features whole foods plant based ingredients to create a simply delicious vegan coleslaw recipe. This recipe is:
- VEGAN
- OIL-FREE
- GLUTEN-FREE
- REFINED SUGAR-FREE
- WHOLE FOODS PLANT BASED (WFPB)
- MAYO-FREE
How To Meal Prep This Healthy Vegan Coleslaw:
One reason I love this Healthy Vegan Coleslaw recipe is because it makes a fantastic healthy vegan salad meal prep! However I do no recommend making this salad and meal prepping the final version. To meal prep this salad I recommend preparing the vegetables and dressing and storing the separately.
I think storing dressing separately is key, because it doesn’t dry up. I find (especially with creamy dressings) that when you prep the finished salad with the dressing it ends up either soggy, or dry. Thankfully tossing a salad in dressing is not too much work.
When I meal prep this vegan coleslaw, I add the cabbage and carrot mixture to air tight containers and store the dressing in a jar. I work from home, so I don’t need to take this on the go. However if you are planning to bring this recipe to work or school, I’d recommend storing the dressing in small containers.
Tips For Making The Best Vegan Coleslaw:
Plant based coleslaw can be a bit tricky to make. It’s pretty easy to make an unhealthy vegan coleslaw, however making a WFPB coleslaw is not quite as simple. However I have a couple tips to perfecting this coleslaw recipe!
First things first, make sure that you are shredding the cabbage into small pieces. There is a couple ways to do this. You can slice the cabbage into long strips. This is probably the most tedious method, but it is also the most visually appealing method.
The second method is to chop into tiny squares. This is the easiest method, and still looks great. The last method is to use a julienne peeler. I use this for the carrots to get the perfect thin shreds. However you can also use it on the cabbage to get super thin slices.
The next tip is to use a quality vegan yogurt. It’s important that you pick a whole foods plant based yogurt. You want to be sure the ingredients are all simple and clean. My favorite vegan yogurt brands are Kite Hill, Harmless Harvest, and Cocojune!
Ingredients For This Healthy Vegan Coleslaw Recipe:
For The Slaw:
- Green Cabbage
- Purple Cabbage
- Carrots
For The Dairy-Free Coleslaw Dressing:
- Plant Based Yogurt – I used Kite Hill
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Miso Paste – I used white miso paste. You can find this in the vegan section where the tofu is at grocery stores.
- Maple Syrup – You can use any plant based sweetener, but I think maple syrup adds the best flavor.
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
How To Make Healthy Vegan Coleslaw:
Making this vegan coleslaw and dairy-free coleslaw dressing is super easy and requires no blender! Begin by preparing your vegetables (you can also buy pre-made coleslaw mix). I prefer to cut my cabbage into 1 inch pieces and shred my carrots. Once you have prepared the vegetables, make the dairy-free coleslaw ddressing.
To make the dressing simply combine all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Mix until very smooth and pour over the coleslaw mix. Toss until evenly coated. Top the salad with black pepper. Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is Coleslaw Good For Weight Loss:
Figuring out if coleslaw is good for weight loss totally depends on the coleslaw recipe. A traditional coleslaw is not good for weight loss. I say this because traditionally coleslaw dressing is made from dairy and refined sugar. The combination of these two food groups is the worst of the worst. Dairy is high in unhealthy fats, and refined sugar does not contain any fiber. Therefore a traditional coleslaw is high in calories and low in nutrients.
However this Healthy Vegan Coleslaw is perfect for weight loss. This dairy-free coleslaw dressing is made with whole foods plant based vegan yogurt and natural sweeteners. When you choose these options over the traditional ingredients, you are incorporating more fiber and less fat and sugar into the recipe. You may be wondering if the flavor is significantly affected from this? Nope! I served this to non vegans and they had no idea that it was vegan, or healthy!
What Is A Good Substitute For Cabbage?
If you are not a fan of cabbage, but still want to make this Healthy Vegan Coleslaw recipe, there’s a couple substitutes you can try. First is savory cabbage. Okay hear me out. I know that it has cabbage in the name, however savory cabbage is not like regular cabbage. Savory cabbage remind me more of lettuce than it does cabbage, because it doesn’t have such a waxy texture. You can also use Napa cabbage (it is very similar to savory cabbage).
Another great substitute for cabbage is kale. Personally I love the taste of kale, and the texture is perfect for this coleslaw. You can even use both purple kale and green kale varieties to achieve the signature coleslaw look!
What Is The Difference Between A Salad And A Slaw?
Coleslaw is probably the most common slaw. However you have probably eaten plenty of slaws without even realizing it (especially if you are vegan). A slaw is made up of raw vegetables whereas a salad is made up of cooked and raw vegetables.
Therefore if you eat raw vegan salads often, then you have eaten plenty of slaws!
Related Recipes:
- Buffalo Pulled Jackfruit Burger
- Sweet Potato Beet Burger
- Buffalo Cauliflower Salad
- Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Healthy Vegan Coleslaw
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Coleslaw:
- 2 cups green cabbage
- 2 cups purple cabbage
- 4 carrots
For The Dairy-Free Coleslaw Dressing:
- 1 cup vegan yogurt of choice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp miso paste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Begin by shredding the cabbages and carrots. The thinner the better! Add to a large bowl.
- Combine all dressing ingredients and mix until super smooth. Pour over coleslaw mix and toss. Top with black pepper and serve and enjoy!
love this coleslaw so much! so good!
Love the colours in your coleslaw. Great idea to use both green and purple cabbage.
I love coleslaw salad and your recipe is great because it’s so healthy. I can never eat small amount of coleslaw 🙂 and with your fit dressing it is really guilt-free treat
Love this fresh vegan coleslaw, I’m always of search for new ways to use purple cabbage, and yours came up. Simple, colorful, and highly nutritious! I’m saving it.
I love how you used ACV and yogurt to replace the traditional mayo and dairy in the classic slaw