Sweet Onion & Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing

My mom’s Sweet Onion & Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing is fresh, bright, and tangy. No mayo here! A sprinkling of celery seeds adds great flavor and texture. This easy coleslaw dressing recipe is a staple in our house!

My Favorite Homemade Coleslaw Dressing!

Summer and all of its fabulous outdoor picnics and potlucks and backyard gatherings is coming right up. I love the warmer weather, longer days, and looser family schedule that lend a friendlier hand to inviting friends and family over to share a meal together.

A cold drink in hand, with Blake at the grill and kids playing in the yard…it’s my happy, happy summer place.

The people and conversation around our summer table will always be the most important factors, but great eats are also a must. And that includes a shredded cabbage salad with coleslaw dressing.

Mom’s Sweet Onion & Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing has been a longtime favorite of mine, a vinegar based coleslaw recipe that is made without mayo. It makes a quick and delicious side dish that’s perfect for easy entertaining!

*Here are a few more recipes I’m loving right now: this flavorful Herby Ham Salad, my Grilled Romaine and Tomato Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, and Pickled Red Onions (a super popular recipe on this site!)

What is Coleslaw Dressing Made Of?

The ingredients list for this recipe is short and simple. Just grab the following items:

• white vinegar
• sugar
• vegetable oil
• grated white or yellow onion
• celery seeds
• salt and pepper

I don’t use celery seeds very often, but they are a must to have on hand for this salad alone. The itty bitty seeds add an extra element of fun. I love their earthy, slightly bitter flavor, plus they add great texture to the salad!

How to Make Coleslaw Dressing From Scratch

My mom’s coleslaw dressing recipe is not only incredibly tasty, it’s super easy to put together!

1. Heat vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.
2. Remove saucepan from heat and add oil, onion, and celery seeds; let cool.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer to a  1-quart jar with a tight fitting lid (or similar container) and refrigerate to cool completely.

When you’re ready to make the salad, give the jar of coleslaw dressing a vigorous shake, shake, shake (make sure the lid is on tight!). This emulsifies the liquids, thickens the dressing, and brings it altogether.

Then simply fold the dressing into a big bowl of fresh shredded cabbage (pre-shredded bags from the store work great), and the coleslaw salad is done!

Can I Make This Dressing Ahead of Time?

This vinegar dressing for coleslaw simply begs to be made ahead of time. I always appreciate a make-ahead recipe, especially when it comes to entertaining!

I like to make this dressing at least a few hours, and up to a few days, prior to serving. Just store it in the refrigerator, in a container with a tight fitting lid. This dressing has an excellent refrigerator shelf life, will easily stay good for up to 2 weeks!

How to Store Homemade Coleslaw

I use a couple bags of pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix to make this coleslaw salad.

About 30 minutes prior to meal time, add the shredded cabbage to a large bowl. Give the jar of dressing a vigorous shake and then drizzle the dressing over the cabbage. Place the prepared salad in the refrigerator to chill until you’re ready to eat. Then fold the salad a few times to incorporate, before placing it on the table. So easy!

Store any leftover coleslaw salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Just know that the longer the cabbage sits in the dressing, the softer and less crunchy it will become.

For a great summer cocktail in big-batch form (also great for entertaining), check out this margarita recipe!

Serving Suggestions

The dressing is sweet and oniony, and bright and tangy with vinegar. With a sprinkling of little celery seeds, this simple dish packs in tons of flavor. And there’s no mayo, a salad request I often hear.

I like to serve this coleslaw salad without mayo with our favorite sloppy joes, and with main entrees that are hot off the backyard grill. It’s pretty awesome with this crispy-skinned Beer Can Chicken and these Easy Grilled Pork Chops!

It works especially great with recipes utilizing your favorite barbecue sauce or most any other flavorful sauce or marinade. Imagine the coleslaw salad alongside grilled honey chipotle chicken kebabs (shown above) or grilled sriracha honey mustard beef kebabs.

Tips for the Best Coleslaw Dressing

Here are a few tips for coleslaw dressing success!

• Be sure to heat the vinegar and sugar until all the sugar has dissolved, so the dressing is smooth and completely incorporated.
• Onions will vary from mild to strong in flavor. So start out with a smaller amount of grated onion. You can always add more!
• Store the finished dressing in a jar with a tight fitting lid, or a similar kind of container. This makes it easy to shake the dressing right before folding it into the cabbage.
• And finally, use only the freshest cabbage you can find to make this salad. It would be a shame to dress the salad with sad cabbage that’s past its prime! I like to use a pre-shredded mix that includes some purple cabbage and shredded carrots, for added color and flavor.

This Easy Recipe is a Family Favorite!

My mom has been making this coleslaw dressing recipe for as long as I can remember. She calls it her “go to” salad dressing, and says that Dad always likes to see it on their table. And it looks like I have followed suit.

Oh! And I almost forgot to mention! Our family has grown to love this coleslaw salad when we pair our meal with honey cornbread muffins. These sweet muffins are perfect for swiping up every last bit of food from your plate!

If you like this coleslaw dressing recipe…

*Here are a few recipes I’d like to try: Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing from Barefoot in the Kitchen, Blue Cheese Dressing – Super Chunky! from Mama Loves Food, and Roasted Tomato Dressing from Boulder Locavore. And if you haven’t yet tried this taco salad dressing, it’s easy and creamy and delicious!

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Sweet Onion Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing

Yield: 24 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This simple homemade dressing is from my mom's recipe box. It's sweet and oniony, and bright and tangy with vinegar. With a sprinkling of celery seeds, this simple dish packs in tons of flavor!

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Ingredients

• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 1 c. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. whole celery seeds
• 1/4 to 1/3 c. grated sweet white or yellow onion, to taste
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stir sugar and vinegar until sugar dissolves.
2. Remove saucepan from heat and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Let cool.
3. Transfer to a 1-quart jar with a lid, or use a similarly sized container. The dressing will appear layered and separated, which is fine. Refrigerate to cool completely.

To make the coleslaw salad: About 30 minutes prior to meal time, add the shredded cabbage to a large bowl. Give the jar of dressing a vigorous shake to incorporate, until the dressing has a cloudy appearance. Then drizzle dressing over the cabbage. Place the prepared salad in the refrigerator to chill until you’re ready to eat. Then fold the salad a few times to incorporate, before placing it on the table. So easy!

Notes

For the grated onion: Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the onion. Depending on the strength of the onion, add more or less, to taste.

Make-ahead: Make this dressing at least a few hours, and up to a few days, prior to serving. Just store it in the refrigerator, in a container with a tight fitting lid. This dressing has an excellent refrigerator shelf life, will easily stay good for up to 2 weeks!

This recipe makes enough dressing for at least two 16-oz. bags of pre-shredded coleslaw mix.

from my mom's recipe box

Recommended Products

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  Box Grater
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  Wide Mouth Pint Jars

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 114Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles!

(This post was originally published August, 2013. Some of the photos and text were updated in 2018.)