Lighter Coleslaw

At a glance

What stands out: With nonfat Greek yogurt and light mayonnaise in the dressing, our lighter coleslaw recipe has the same great taste as classic creamy coleslaw but with fewer calories. This straightforward recipe takes five minutes to make!

How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large mixing bowl, measuring utensils
Servings: 8

Straightforward From-scratch Coleslaw

A convenient salad. Are you a coleslaw fan? We are, it’s such a straightforward salad to prepare and it can be made ahead. It actually tastes better if you make it an hour or two ahead so the cabbage has a chance to soften. It’s one of the few salads you can prep early in the day to enjoy later without sacrificing texture or flavor.

Classic coleslaw, but a healthier version. Some of you may be already familiar with our classic restaurant-style creamy coleslaw recipe. The dressing is made with mayonnaise and everyone loves it! This lighter coleslaw recipe is still the traditional creamy variety that everyone knows and loves, but with fewer calories and less fat.

Our secret weapon. Nonfat Greek yogurt is the reliable way to reduce calories without sacrificing flavor. We use it frequently when we make creamy salads like orzo salad with yogurt dill dressing, or salad dressings, like ranch dressing, or poppy seed dressing.

Straightforward recipe. You can make this coleslaw in about 5 minutes! Really, you can. Anyone can make it, even a novice cook. It’s a good recipe to have your kids start on. They’ll learn how to measure ingredients (not too many!), whisk together a straightforward dressing, and stir, stir, stir. They may even eat it if they’ve had a part in making it!

Karen Said:

“This is THE standby cole slaw! It is the only recipe we use now – thank you so much!”

See More Reader Reviews

What goes in

• Coleslaw Mix: Buy a 16 ounce bag of coleslaw mix which is pre-shredded cabbage and carrots (sometimes it has red cabbage, too!). No messy chopping or shredding at all so it couldn’t be easier. If you’re so inclined, feel free to shred your own. It does taste a bit fresher and it’s straightforward to do if you have a food processor.
• Mayonnaise: Any type of mayonnaise is fine. We like the kind made with olive oil but our mom always uses Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise. Don’t use Miracle Whip salad dressing. It will completely change the flavor of this coleslaw.
• Greek Yogurt: Again, any type of plain Greek yogurt is fine, whether it’s full fat, 2%, or nonfat. Choose what you like best.
• Sugar: Just a bit of granulated white sugar is needed to balance the tartness of the yogurt. If you prefer, a different type of sweetener can be substituted, such as honey or agave nectar.
• White Vinegar: Look for plain white distilled vinegar. It provides tang but doesn’t have an assertive flavor like other vinegars.
• Celery Seed: These tiny brown seeds pack a lot of flavor. Look for them in the spices section of the grocery store. Do not substitute celery salt; it is not the same.
• Dijon Mustard: Adding mustard is a matter of taste. Do you like mustard? Then you’ll probably want to include it in this coleslaw. Not crazy about it all? No problem, just leave it out. Don’t substitute yellow mustard.

How it comes together

Use a large bowl. You’ll need a nice big mixing bowl! It seems like that bag of coleslaw mix expands when you dump it out. We usually choose a bowl that’s too small and end up transferring everything to a larger bowl so it doesn’t fly out of the bowl when we're stirring it.

Make the dressing. Combine the dressing ingredients in the mixing bowl, or use another smaller bowl, as pictured. Use a whisk so the dressing gets nice and smooth.

Adjust seasoning. Taste the dressing, and add salt and pepper, to taste. It’s okay to make the dressing just a bit salty because there’s a lot of cabbage going in there.

Combine. Combine the dressing and the shredded cabbage mixture using a large spoon or rubber spatula. It takes a bit of stirring to make sure the shredded cabbage is completely coated with dressing.

Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the coleslaw for at least an hour. The cabbage will soften a bit and absorb some of the dressing. You’ll notice that the bowl seems emptier. The cabbage deflates a bit as it soaks in the dressing.

Serve. Give the coleslaw another good stir. We like to transfer it into a smaller decorative bowl if we're serving it family-style.

Ways to change it

Add your own special touch. Some of you may be saying, wait a minute, we like onions in our coleslaw. Or diced green peppers. Or scallions. We personally like lots of chopped parsley in coleslaw. Go ahead, add what you like! Add fruit. Add hamburger (just kidding).

Try our non-creamy coleslaw. If you’re lactose-intolerant or vegan, try our vinegar coleslaw. It isn’t made with mayo or dairy products. We like this coleslaw recipe, too, because it keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator,

Make-Ahead Ideas

Coleslaw is a great make-ahead salad, whether you make it an hour ahead or a day ahead. The flavor actually improves a bit as it sits. That being said, don’t get carried away and make it a week ahead.

If you’re looking for a coleslaw dressing that you can make ahead and store in the refrigerator, try our coleslaw dressing recipe. Replace your store bought dressing with a healthier and inexpensive from-scratch dressing.

Keeping leftovers

Coleslaw can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to three days. Stir it well before serving. This coleslaw recipe does not freeze well.

How To Serve Coleslaw

Salad: Lighter coleslaw goes well with lots of main dishes. Try it with grilled chicken thighs, slow cooker ribs, or air fryer meatloaf. It goes nicely with BBQ salmon or breaded pork chops.

Sandwich topper: While coleslaw goes great next to a grilled burger, it makes a good sandwich topping, too. It’s especially tasty on pulled pork. Coleslaw is an essential ingredient for one of our favorite sandwiches, turkey sliders, AKA the kitchen sandwiches. Try it on hot dogs, too!

Fish tacos: Coleslaw is wonderful for fish tacos. Try making these straightforward fish tacos or salmon tacos, using coleslaw as the topper. (If you like this idea, you may want to try our taco slaw, too!)

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup light mayonnaise (see note)
• ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (see note)
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon celery seeds
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste (optional)
• 1 bag (16 ounces) coleslaw mix (or you can shred your own cabbage and carrots)

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, celery seed, and mustard (if using) until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing is too tangy for you, add more sugar. If it's not tangy enough, add another teaspoon of vinegar.
2. Add coleslaw mix (see note regarding possible add-ins). Mix well until dressing coats the cabbage.
3. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour. The cabbage will soften slightly as it marinates in the dressing, and you'll notice a decrease in volume.
4. Stir well before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

Mayonnaise: we like to use olive oil mayonnaise but light mayonnaise is another good choice. If you only have regular mayonnaise, that’s just fine, too. Don’t substitute salad dressing (such as Kraft Miracle Whip). The nutrition information is calculated using light mayonnaise and nonfat Greek yogurt.

Yogurt: Any kind of unflavored Greek yogurt will work: nonfat, reduced fat, 2%, full-fat. Regular yogurt works but the dressing will be a bit thinner.

Possible add-ins: Chopped fresh parsley, finely chopped bell pepper, onion, celery, scallions, or chives. You can choose one or more, if you like.

Storage: Coleslaw can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to three days. Stir it well before serving. This coleslaw recipe does not freeze well.