Irish Style Coleslaw

Irish coleslaw is a creamy, crunchy delight that’s perfect for summer feasting, barbecues, and pot-luck get-togethers.

Irish coleslaw! You probably think I’ve lost my mind.  You may believe there’s nothing Irish about the origins of coleslaw.

And you would be correct!  Except we do like our cabbage in Ireland.

Coleslaw is not a traditional Irish food, but in modern Ireland coleslaw is in high demand. Whether served as a side salad, or slathered on deli meat for ham or turkey and coleslaw sandwiches, Irish diners LOVE coleslaw.

But the coleslaw we crave is distinctly Irish in its flavor combinations, and worlds apart from American slaw.

Irish coleslaw is far creamier and boasts far less vinegar that the stateside variety. In fact, I don’t use any vinegar at all when making Irish slaw.

Coleslaw the world over is shredded cabbage, sometimes mixed with carrot and onion, then slathered in a dressing. The dressing is what makes all the difference and identifies the origins of the dish.  Vinegar based dressing is preferred in northern parts of the United States, and creamy in the southern states, and of course Ireland.

Creamy coleslaw dressing must be just that – CREAMY.  It must be able to absorb excess water released from the chopped veggies without separating and becoming watery.

Irish coleslaw is mayonnaise based, and not a vinegar slaw.  I find American slaws to be far more watery than my favorite Irish coleslaw. And I detest coleslaw where the cabbage has been diced into corn kernel size pieces, making it look more like curds than coleslaw.

Long, thin cabbage and carrot shreds in my coleslaw, please.  I’m beginning to sound like a picky coleslaw eater.

I’ve been making Irish coleslaw here in America for many years.  My basic coleslaw ingredients are shredded cabbage and carrots, mayonnaise, yogurt, dijon mustard, cream, a teeny weeny bit of sugar, and garlic salt or onion powder.

However, this mixture does not travel well and needs to be eaten pretty soon after being tossed together.  I like to entertain, especially during the summer, and ensuring my coleslaw doesn’t become watery has been a challenge.

I’ve added extra mayonnaise, went heavy on the yogurt, added cream, and God forbid, I even tried a little bit of vinegar. But try as I might, my coleslaw dressing always seemed to get watery with time, and my shredded veggies ended up swimming in a thin, milky slurry.

That’s no good, especially if you’ve been assigned to make coleslaw for a pot luck. And throwing out left overs goes against the grain for this Irish American Mom.

So I need a slaw that will stand the test of time in the fridge, and a dressing that will bind together.

Miracle of miracles, another Irish American blogger came to my rescue. Thanks to Maria Rokas, from the blog, Tearoom in the Sky, I mastered the art of making deliciously creamy Irish coleslaw this summer, the kind that can be brought along to pot lucks without the risk of watery dressing.

The answer to stabilizing and thickening the dressing is to use a little bit of guar gum or xanathan gum.  

You can read all about it in Maria’s recipe for creamy Irish coleslaw.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Maria.

My coleslaw recipe is slightly different to Maria’s in that I add a little yogurt and dijon mustard for tang. I also use garlic salt or onion powder for seasoning. And no onions.  My Donegal husband never touches onions, so I sometimes chop a few green onions into my serving.

And so, without further ado, here’s my recipe for Creamy Irish Coleslaw.

Ingredients for Creamy Irish Coleslaw:

• 1/2 head of white cabbage shredded
• 8 ounces of shredded carrots
• 3/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon guar or xanathan gum
• 1 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt or onion powder

Directions for Making Irish Style Coleslaw:

Coleslaw is all about the dressing, so let’s start by creating our creamy mix for tossing our cabbage and carrots.

Add mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, dijon mustard, xanathan gum, onion powder, sugar and some heavy whipping cream to a large mixing bowl.

Whisk them all together and you’ll create a creamy, dreamy coleslaw dressing, with a taste of Ireland.

Now only 1/8 of a teaspoon of xanathan or guar gum is needed. Too much and you’ll create a thick, gloopy mess.

Next toss your cabbage and carrot shreds into the bowl on top of the dressing.

You can shred your own carrots and cabbage, or go the easy route and buy a packet of pre-shredded coleslaw mix.

If you like onion in your coleslaw then feel free to add some diced onion or green onion.

Toss the cabbage and carrots with the dressing to completely coat the veggies.

Pop the bowl of coleslaw in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes before serving.

And that’s all there’s to it.

Simple, delicious, and storage friendly Irish coleslaw.

And remember, it’s scrumptious served on an Irish pub salad plate.

A little taste of Ireland on a plate!

Here’s the printable recipe.

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Irish Style Coleslaw

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 10

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Irish style coleslaw consists of shredded cabbage and carrots smothered in a creamy dressing. No vinegar required.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of white cabbage shredded
• 8 ounces of shredded carrots
• 3/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon of guar or xanathan gum
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt or onion powder

Instructions

1. Add the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, mustard, cream, xanathan gum, sugar, and garlic salt to a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the shredded cabbage and carrots to the bowl, and mix until the vegetables are completely coated in dressing.
4. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

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Wishing you all happy coleslaw making days this summer.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

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Plus you can check out more Irish food and cooking on Irish American Mom’s Recipe Index.