Coleslaw With Creamy Chili Vinaigrette Recipe

A mayo-free coleslaw spiked with just enough chili heat to cut through the creaminess.

By
Michael Harlan Turkell
Michael Harlan Turkell: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Michael Harlan Turkell

Michael Harlan Turkell is a once-aspiring chef and now an award-winning food pho­tographer and writer. He has photographed many prominent chefs’ cookbooks, co-authored a few, and even wrote one of his own: ACID TRIP: Travels in the Word of Vinegar (2017).

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Updated Mar. 19, 2020
coleslaw
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Puréeing fresh Fresno chili into the dressing gives this coleslaw mild heat in every bite.
  • Using a small amount of heavy cream instead of mayonnaise makes for a lighter slaw that's both creamy and bright.

This simple and refreshing coleslaw balances the sweet, floral heat of Fresno chili in a tangy and creamy vinaigrette. The most time-consuming step of the recipe—letting the coleslaw wilt after it's mixed with the dressing—is completely hands-off, giving you time to prepare the rest of your meal.

Recipe Facts

Active: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Serves: 4 servings

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Ingredients

For the Chile Vinaigrette:

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar

  • 1 Fresno chile pepper (20g), stemmed and seeded

  • 2 teaspoons (10g) sugar

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream

For the Slaw:

  • 10 ounces (280g) shredded green or Savoy cabbage

  • 10 ounces (280g) shredded purple cabbage

  • 10 ounces (280g) shredded carrot

Directions

  1. For the Chili Vinaigrette: Add all ingredients except cream to the jar of a blender and blend on high until smooth, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed with a flexible spatula. Turn blender on low speed and slowly add cream to emulsify. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.

  2. For the Slaw: Combine cabbages and carrots in a large bowl. Pour chili vinaigrette over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Let slaw sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving. (I tend to like my slaw a little more wilted, so I let it sit for 30 minutes.) Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if desired. Cover slaw and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Special Equipment

Blender, flexible spatula

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
377 Calories
33g Fat
20g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 377
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 43%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 285mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 68mg 342%
Calcium 90mg 7%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 572mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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