My coleslaw needs something, I just don't know what...
Today I made coleslaw for the first time, having copious amounts of red cabbage left over from a taco recipe I tried (delicious!). I used the cabbage, some onions, the tiniest amount of bell pepper I had lying around threatening to go bad, and a carrot. The dressing I made consisted of mayo, milk, apple cider vinegar, a dash of lime juice, and just the tiniest amount of butter. I tossed the veggies with the sauce, added course-ground salt and pepper to taste.
It's good, but it's missing something, I just can't put my finger on what. I would have like to use pickle juice in loo of the vinegar, but I didn't have any. The dressing just seems a little too plain. Any ideas? Thanks.
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29 Comments:
I like just a little bit of sugar in my coleslaw, and it has to have onion. Maybe it also just needs a little more salt.
I've never heard of butter in coleslaw before.
deetroitMI at 6:21PM on 03/01/09
Ground mustard if you have some, if not maybe a tbsp or so of a good tangy mustard?
I always use one or the other in mine depending on what I have.
Good luck!
sadiepix at 6:22PM on 03/01/09
I toss in some fresh ground caraway seeds, yummy.
huneybumper at 6:53PM on 03/01/09
How about fruit? Try a small amount of grated or chopped apple. Or try jicama. Or chopped raisins.
What I really am curious about is your delicious taco recipe, though...
moibec at 6:59PM on 03/01/09
butter?
ChelleyD01 at 7:00PM on 03/01/09
Butter? Milk?
Buttermilk, maybe, because it adds some tang, but milk is just watering it down, and butter seems a bit odd. If it needed oil, then I would have suggested olive oil. But you've already got mayo...
As for what it needs, maybe more vinegar, and maybe try something a little zingier than apple cider vinegar, like wine vinegar. More salt. Hot pepper flakes. Mustard powder. Celery seeds or celery salt. Onion. Paprika. Cayenne. Horseradish. Parsley. Wasabi. Jalepeno. More vinegar (I like mine tangy). If it's too tangy, add a litte sugar. Or honey.
Don't use everything I listed. Pick what you like, and taste along the way.
Another problem is that it might simply be too watery and the dressing is falling off. Too late now, but if you salt the cabbage first, and let it drain, you'll get rid of some extra moisture and then the vinegar and spices will get soaked in a bit.
dbcurrie at 7:31PM on 03/01/09
sometimes you need a bit more vinegar and salt.... that bumps up the flavor....
pooch at 7:48PM on 03/01/09
A pinch of sugar, skip the butter and milk, adjust the vinegar to your taste and I always like a pinch of celery seed in my coleslaw. Salt and pepper of course. I once used rice wine vingear in my slaw and got rave reviews.
dhorst at 8:01PM on 03/01/09
I agree with almost all of the above - no butter, milk - definitely make sure there is enough salt and add finely chopped green onion - or - go with mostly green cabbage with a small amount of red cabbage (I like green slaw better) - also you could go with a pickled dressing by boiling 2/3 cup white sugar, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup white vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt and pour over cabbage but don't stir it until dressing is cold. This keeps in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, well covered.
bareneed at 8:44PM on 03/01/09
Sorry, I forgot to say in my thread that @dbcurrie and @dhorst have made great suggestions re: celery seed - it is great in coleslaw!
bareneed at 8:53PM on 03/01/09
sugar, celery seed & pepper
nightmoon at 9:30PM on 03/01/09
Ketchup. Trust me. Just a tablespoon or two.
pearl at 12:20AM on 03/02/09
SUGAR.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 1:16AM on 03/02/09
Sugar and wasabi dressing
mandoopandoo at 3:52AM on 03/02/09
Fresh ginger should balance out the sweetness.
Ribster at 4:27AM on 03/02/09
Sugar and celery seed. :)
sweethunibabi at 7:38AM on 03/02/09
I'm with honeybumper on the caraway seeds... I always toast mine and then grind them coarsely before adding them...
Pavlov at 8:11AM on 03/02/09
I like poppy seeds in mine
cowprintrabbit at 9:16AM on 03/02/09
celery seed
ocarol at 10:21AM on 03/02/09
add some crushed pineapple.
sammie at 12:56PM on 03/02/09
Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard...or just good old yellow mustard...start with just a tad..and add until you taste the tang.
pjacob01 at 1:16PM on 03/02/09
Marzetti's Cole Slaw Dressing - bette than anything I could make.
duncan1205 at 1:19PM on 03/02/09
I'm with sammie, add some pineapple tidbits. Sounds odd, but tastes great.
smokey07 at 2:51PM on 03/02/09
I always make it with mayo, milk, apple cider vinegar and sugar, a little S&P. But always sugar. My mom used to make this basic dressing for salad whenever she made pot roast. I never knew it was really just cole slaw dressing!
arm1970 at 2:55PM on 03/02/09
Onion.
Embackus at 2:58PM on 03/02/09
butter in coleslaw, never heard of that. I would add a dash of sesame oil and some sugar, and perhaps a bit more vinegar.
juliebugsmama at 3:25PM on 03/02/09
Two extremely important coleslaw ingredients:
- caraway seeds,
- celery salt or seeds
I really like to have
- grated apples (as suggested)
- dried cranberries or raisins
good luck !
hungrychristel at 3:46PM on 03/02/09
Time seems to be a factor. Sitting in the fridge overnight allowed the flavors to mingle and it tastes a lot better.
I didn't use that much milk (prob 5 parts mayo to 1 part milk) and the amount of butter was prob 1/4 teaspoon (like I said, "just the tiniest amount of butter"). I used apple vinegar because I was what I had.
I'm going to have to get some celery seed for next time. Thanks.
PeteRepeat42 at 7:51PM on 03/02/09
I think I need to post about this in the Weird Ingredients thread because milk seems really, really weird to me. Buttermilk in the dressing, maybe. But regular milk? Not for me, thanks.
RegrettableFoodie at 12:35AM on 03/08/09