Red Cabbage Slaw (No Mayo)
Vegan red cabbage slaw is made without mayo and instead made with a creamy tahini sauce! This healthy red cabbage slaw is easy to make, ready in 5 minutes and is perfect for weeknight meals or cookouts! Red cabbage slaw with no mayo is crunchy, savory, and the perfect addition to any Mexican inspired meal!
Why you will love this recipe
Easy to Make – Simply pour the dressing ingredients over the thinly sliced cabbage and toss with tongs! This slaw is so easy to make, the hardest part is slicing up the cabbage.
Simple Ingredients – this healthy red cabbage slaw is made with just 6 ingredients, and they can all be found in most grocery stores. The cumin infused tahini dressing really makes this the perfect side dish for tacos, fish tacos or any Mexican inspired meal! This vegan red cabbage slaw is also dairy free, egg free, Whole30 and low carb friendly!
Great for cookouts, parties, potlucks – since this red cabbage slaw has no mayo, it can withstand being out in the summer heat. This slaw is just as good the next day, so it’s great to make ahead for parties or potlucks too!
Ingredients
- Red cabbage (aka purple cabbage) – I love the color from the red cabbage in this recipe, but you could easily use green cabbage or a mix of the two!
- Tahini – tahini is used to create the creamy dressing for the cabbage. It’s not as creamy as traditional slaw but adds a good level of creaminess and healthy fats to the slaw.
- Apple cider vinegar – vinegar helps to break down the cabbage and give it that iconic slaw taste. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you could try red wine vinegar or lime juice for a fun twist on this vegan red cabbage slaw.
- Spices: Salt, garlic powder, ground cumin – these spices add a depth of flavor to this slaw and help make it the perfect side dish for any Mexican inspired meal.
How to make vegan red cabbage slaw
Start by thinly slicing the red cabbage.
Add the cabbage to a very large bowl.
Pour the tahini, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, ground cumin over the sliced cabbage.
Using tongs, toss the slaw for 2-3 minutes, ensuring the dressing is well distributed.
Top tips
- If you are short on time, you can use bagged slaw mix instead of slicing cabbage by hand.
- This recipe uses ½ a large head of red cabbage (or 1 small head of cabbage). Store the other half in plastic wrap or slice it and use it in salads, stir fries, frittatas, or tacos later in the week. It will keep for about 1 week in the fridge once sliced. Store in a extra large stasher bag or air tight container.
- I recommend using tongs or your hands to mix this slaw to ensure the dressing gets well incorporated. Be sure to use a very large bowl for mixing this tahini coleslaw.
Other additions
- Shredded carrots
- Broccoli slaw
- Green cabbage slaw
- Cilantro
- Red pepper flakes
- Toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sliced almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds
What to serve with no mayo red cabbage slaw
- Fish tacos or Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
- Lentil Cauliflower Tacos
- Cauliflower Black Bean Tacos
- Shredded Mexican Chicken Tacos and Chimichurri Rice
- Sweet Potato Lentil Burger with Cilantro Lime Quinoa
- Black Bean Burgers with Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Black Bean Lentil Burgers and Carrot Fries
- Shredded BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks with Mashed Cauliflower
Common questions
How to slice cabbage for slaw
First cut the cabbage in half (so the stem on the bottom is cut in half).
Then cut the half head of cabbage in half again (so the stem is again cut in half) so you have 2 wedges of cabbage from the ½ head cut.
Lay each wedge on the side (so the cabbage is resting on a flat side). Use your knife to cut out the core/stem by cutting it on an angle.
Once the core is removed, thinly slice the cabbage using a very sharp knife.
Can you make this in advance?
Yes! This red cabbage slaw is just as good the next day, so you can easily make it in advance of your party, cookout or potluck.
This slaw will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, but it will start to wilt a bit after day 2, so I wouldn’t make it more than 1 day in advance if you are serving it at a party.
What is tahini?
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds (similar to peanut butter or almond butter). It’s nutty, flavorful and the perfect way to add a creamy texture to salad dressing without dairy or eggs.
Tahini is typically used in hummus and other middle eastern dishes, but I use it in dressings, cookies, and sauces to help add a unique flavor to so many dishes.
You can find tahini in most grocery stores, and it can always be found online. Tahini is often in the same area as the nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter) but is sometimes found in the international foods section of the grocery store.
My favorite go-to tahini is from Trader Joe’s. It’s budget friendly and has great taste. Soom Foods is also amazing and can be found online or at many health foods stores (it’s not as budget friendly). The tahini from Thrive Market and Whole Foods brands are also very good and budget friendly.
What are other recipes that use tahini
Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Lemon Tahini
Creamy Cilantro Tahini Dressing
Creamy Lemon Tahini Pasta Sauce
Spicy Tahini Sauce (this would be great on tacos)
Storing leftovers
Fridge: Store leftover tahini slaw in an airtight container for 4-5 days. The slaw will start to get a little soggy after day 3-4 but the flavor is still good.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing leftover slaw.
Substitutions
- Red cabbage (purple cabbage) – you can use green cabbage, pre-packaged coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw in place of the red cabbage.
- Tahini – tahini has a similar texture to drippy (natural) almond butter. You can use almond butter or sunbutter in place of the tahini.
- Apple cider vinegar – I love the flavor combination of the cabbage, apple cider vinegar and the ground cumin. You could also use red wine vinegar or the juice of 1-2 limes in place of the apple cider vinegar.
- Ground cumin – the flavor of this recipe can easily be changed by swapping out the ground cumin for another spice. To make it more traditional, you could use celery seeds, celery salt, dill, fennel seeds (crushed) or caraway seeds (crushed).
If you love this recipe, you should try
Asian Cabbage Slaw with Peanut Sesame Dressing
Red Cabbage Slaw No Mayo
$3.00 Recipe/$0.75 ServingGuided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 large head red cabbage, sliced - $2.00
- 2 tbsp tahini - $0.41
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar - $0.24
- 2 tsp ground cumin - $0.20
- 1 tsp sea salt - $0.05
- 1 tsp garlic powder - $0.10
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cabbage (see tips below).
- Add the tahini, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, garlic powder and salt.
- Stir well with tongs in a large bowl until all the slaw is well coated.
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you are short on time, you can use bagged slaw mix instead of slicing cabbage by hand.
- This recipe uses ½ a large head of red cabbage (or 1 small head of cabbage). Store the other half in plastic wrap or slice it and use it in salads, stir fries, frittatas, or tacos later in the week. It will keep for about 1 week in the fridge once sliced. Store in a extra large stasher bag or air tight container.
- I recommend using tongs or your hands to mix this slaw to ensure the dressing gets well incorporated. Be sure to use a very large bowl for mixing this tahini coleslaw.
- First cut the cabbage in half (so the stem on the bottom is cut in half).
- Then cut the half head of cabbage in half again (so the stem is again cut in half) so you have 2 wedges of cabbage from the ½ head cut.
- Lay each wedge on the side (so the cabbage is resting on a flat side). Use your knife to cut out the core/stem by cutting it on an angle.
- Once the core is removed, thinly slice the cabbage using a very sharp knife.
LOOKS DELIC
Thank you so much Eileen! hope you try it out and enjoy it! Happy cooking