Apple and Cabbage Slaw
To make apple and cabbage slaw, shred half a head of cabbage very thinly and toss it with salt, letting it sit 15 minutes to soften and drain slightly. Cut a crisp apple into matchsticks and toss with lemon so it doesn't brown. Whisk a dressing of oil, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a little honey, then combine everything with grated carrot. It gets better after an hour, so it's a great make-ahead side.
When the new-season cabbages come in firm and heavy and the first apples hit the market, this slaw is the side that turns up at every fall dinner. It’s crunchy, bright, sweet-tart, and — unlike most coleslaws — it gets better sitting in the fridge instead of going watery.
The no-soggy-slaw trick
Most slaws weep into a puddle because raw cabbage releases water once it’s dressed. Beat it by salting the cabbage first: toss the shreds with salt, let them sit 15 minutes, then squeeze out the water before dressing. The cabbage stays crisp and the dressing stays a dressing.
Keep the apple bright
Cut the apple into matchsticks last, and toss immediately with lemon or a splash of the cider vinegar so it doesn’t brown. Leave the skin on — it adds colour and a little extra crunch.
Which apple matters here in the opposite way to baking. You want one that stays crisp and doesn’t brown fast: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, or Cortland — the last of which browns noticeably more slowly than most, a genuinely useful trait when you’re cutting matchsticks for a crowd. McIntosh, so good in sauce, goes soft and dull here within the hour.
Matchsticks beat grating. Grated apple bleeds juice into the dressing and disappears; batons keep their crunch and stay visible in the bowl.
The dressing
A tangy vinaigrette, not a heavy mayo: oil, cider vinegar, Dijon, and a touch of honey to echo the apple. It’s lighter and holds up better for make-ahead. Prefer creamy? Whisk in a spoon of mayo or yogurt.
The Dijon isn’t just flavour — it’s the emulsifier that holds oil and vinegar together, so the dressing coats the cabbage instead of separating and sliding to the bottom. Whisk it into the vinegar first, then stream the oil in.
Season the dressing more sharply than tastes right on a spoon. It’s about to be diluted by a large volume of watery vegetables, and slaw dressings that taste balanced on their own always end up bland in the bowl.
When it doesn’t come out right
- Watery, puddle at the bottom. Cabbage not salted and squeezed. This is the whole trick and it can’t be skipped.
- Apple gone brown. Cut too early, or not tossed with acid immediately.
- Limp within an hour. Over-salted, or salted and then not squeezed and rinsed of excess.
- Bland. Under-seasoned dressing, or not enough acid to carry through the cabbage.
- Dressing separated. No mustard, or the oil went in all at once.
- Harsh raw-onion bite (if you added onion). Soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes first.
Storing it
Unusually for a slaw, this one improves for the first day and keeps 3 days in the fridge — the salting step is why. It softens gradually rather than collapsing.
Dress it up to a day ahead if you like, but add the apple and any nuts within a couple of hours of serving so they stay crisp. For a longer lead time, prep the cabbage salted and squeezed, keep the dressing separate, and combine on the day.
Don’t freeze it. Raw cabbage turns to limp strands on thawing.
Cabbage itself is one of the great keepers — a firm head lasts months in a cold cellar or the bottom of a fridge, so this is a fresh, crunchy salad you can make well into winter. If you’re preserving a real harvest, sauerkraut and root cellaring are the two routes worth knowing.
Make it yours
- Nutty/seedy: toasted walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds.
- Sharp: a handful of crumbled aged cheddar or blue cheese.
- Fruity: dried cranberries or a little grated fennel.
- Herby: dill or parsley.
- Creamy: a spoon of mayo or thick yogurt whisked into the vinaigrette.
- Red cabbage: for colour, though it will tint the apple pink.
Serve it alongside roast pork, sausages, grilled chicken, or piled onto a pulled-pork sandwich. Make it an hour ahead — it only improves.
At a glance
Apple and Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Toss the shredded cabbage with the salt in a colander; let sit 15 minutes, then squeeze out excess water.
- Cut the apple into matchsticks and toss with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of the vinegar.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Combine cabbage, apple, carrot, and green onion with the dressing. Season.
- Rest at least 15 minutes (up to an hour) before serving.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep the apple from turning brown?
Toss the cut apple with a squeeze of lemon or a little of the cider vinegar right away — the acid stops it oxidizing. Cut the apple last, just before mixing, and leave the skin on for colour and crunch.
Can I make this slaw ahead?
Yes, and it's better for it. Salting the cabbage and letting the whole thing sit for an hour softens the cabbage just enough and lets the flavours meld. It keeps 2–3 days in the fridge — a rare slaw that doesn't go watery, because the salt draws the water out up front.
Which cabbage and apple work best?
Green or Savoy cabbage for a mild crunch, or red cabbage for colour (and a longer sit to soften). For apples, use a firm, tart-sweet variety that holds its shape — a crisp early-fall apple is perfect. Avoid soft mealy apples.