This healthy vegan coleslaw recipe features simple clean ingredients and a delicious dairy-free coleslaw dressing that is easy to make and delicious This recipe is perfect for family cookouts and parties for non vegans and vegans alike. Nobody will even notice it's vegan or healthy! This recipe is: oil-free, mayo-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, gluten-free, and egg-free!

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the healthy vegan coleslaw in a wood salad bowl with plats and forks around it

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.

the healthy vegan coleslaw tossed with dairy-free coleslaw dressing

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!

@theallnaturalvegan
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♬ Roxanne - Instrumental - Califa Azul

Vegan Coleslaw Variations:

There are plenty of easy and delicious variations that can be made to this vegan coleslaw recipe. Here are some of my favorite ways to mix it up.

Spicy - Add a splash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the dressing for the perfect added kick.
Extra Veggies - Feel free to add any of your favorite veggies to the coleslaw for a healthy rainbow coleslaw.

Make sure to check out this Easy Southern Potato Salad for another healthy variation of a Southern classic.

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!

the dairy-free creamy sauce tossed in the raw vegetables

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