Easy Mayo-Free Coleslaw Recipe with a fresh, zesty dressing is the cool kid at any picnic or barbecue. This healthier coleslaw recipe is vibrant and tastes refreshing!

Coleslaw.

Can you imagine pulled pork without it?? Would you feel remiss if the next barbecue you attended was coleslaw-free?

While I can absolutely get on board with coleslaw with a classic mayo dressing, I equally love a tangy, garlicky, herby coleslaw without the mayo. Both have carved out a pivotal place at any gathering.

What we have here is a mayo-free coleslaw recipe that is dressed with an Italian style dressing. Nothing fancy or pretentious…just a lot of fresh veg and a whole lotta flavor.

For me, this mayo-free coleslaw serves an important purpose, as I use it in many different ways! It’s used as a side dish alongside any baked, grilled, or smoked protein, I add it to green salads to enhance the crunch and flavor, use it in sandwiches or wraps, and I even cook it into my daily batch of sautéed vegetables to get more variety and flavor.

In this sense, I’m never afraid to have leftover coleslaw as it gets used quicker than you’d imagine AND I never get tired of it!

This batch is the perfect size for generously serving 4 to 6 people and is venture to guess you could stretch that to 8 to 10 depending on the level of hunger your people harbor.

Let’s chat about the ingredients, because it isn’t your standard approach!

Ingredients for Mayo-Free Coleslaw:

Vegetables: green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, green onion. This combination makes a pretty slaw, filled with sweet and zingy flavors. You can easily just go with green cabbage if you’d like, but I love the added health benefits of red cabbage and I think it’s very pretty!

You know what would make this even easier? Using those pre-packaged chopped coleslaw mixes you can find in the produce section of the grocery store. I personally don’t mind the chopping, but if you’re pressed for time, buying one of the pre-chopped mixes may be a great option.

Coleslaw Dressing: Very similar to an Italian salad dressing, we use avocado oil, lemon juice (or rice vinegar), fresh garlic, pure maple syrup (omit for whole30/keto), onion powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.

Sliced or chopped almonds: For that amazing, irresistible crunch! You can leave these out depending on how you’re planning on serving the slaw…if it’s being used as a simple side dish or you’re adding it to a salad, the almonds add an amazing crunch and nutty flavor! If you’re using it as more of a condiment for sandwiches, I personally would leave them out. You can also use pumpkin seeds, pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds.

How to Make Mayo-Free Coleslaw:

How to Make Coleslaw Dressing: Add the ingredients for the dressing to a bowl (or blend in a small blender) and whisk very well until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Note: the dressing itself becomes even more flavorful over time, so feel free to make it a few days in advance!

Thinly slice the cabbage, grate the carrots, and chop the green onion and add everything to a mixing bowl.

Pour in all of the dressing and toss until everything is well coated. Taste for flavor and add more sea salt, and/or lemon juice to taste.

Just before you’re ready to serve, toss in the almonds.

Serve with your main entrée and enjoy!

Is Coleslaw Keto or Low-Carb?:

So long as your coleslaw doesn’t include a lot of added sweetener, it is naturally low-carb and keto-friendly (provided you don’t eat a ton of it). Cabbage and carrots do contain carbohydrate, but also fiber. Just be sure to be mindful of your carbohydrate needs if you follow a low-carb ketogenic diet.

What will you do with your delicious slaw??