This easy purple cabbage slaw is the perfect side dish for any meal, from tacos to sandwiches! Crunchy and bursting with flavor, this cabbage coleslaw is so delightfully light and crisp and simple to make.

Whether you’re looking for a side dish for a summer cookout or you’d just like something delicious to place on top of your tacos, this purple cabbage slaw checks all the boxes. It’s very versatile and keeps decently. It’s also wonderfully crunchy and crisp, not too creamy, and full of flavor.

Overhead view of a bowl of bowl of purple cabbage slaw.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s super easy to make! Simply mix everything together in a bowl and you’ve got a coleslaw!
The simple ingredients come together to make for a refreshing coleslaw recipe that truly goes with everything! I love the addition of green onions and some lemon to the slaw, as it adds a wonderful brightness.
While flavorful, this slaw doesn’t overpower the dishes you pair it with. It’s not overly creamy either, for that reason!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make purple cabbage slaw.

purple cabbage — you can use a knife to carefully shred the cabbage or use a mandoline. I love having a mandoline on hand since it can shred the carrots and slice the onion as well! It also makes for more even pieces, so you don’t get large chunks of cabbage in your coleslaw. I use a small head of cabbage, but feel free to use more! This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
salt — salt helps draw out the moisture from the cabbage.
carrots — I love the extra crunch and the slight sweetness that carrots provide.
red onion — another ingredient that adds crunch.
mayonnaise — you can use light mayonnaise or regular, full-fat mayo. I prefer full-fat for the flavor.
lemon — the lemon zest and lemon juice adds a wonderfully bright flavor to the dressing and slaw.
green onions — I’d put green onions in everything if I could. I love the flavor they add.
cilantro — if cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out.

How to Make Purple Cabbage Slaw

Set of two photos showing cabbet in a strainer and sauce mixed.

Combine the sliced cabbage with ½ teaspoon of salt and let it sit in a colander for 30 minutes or more.
Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, zest of the lemon, and lemon juice.

Set of two photos showing all the slaw ingredients added to a bowl then topped with sauce.

Transfer the drained cabbage to a large bowl, then add the carrots, sliced red onion, green onions, and cilantro.
Toss well with the mayonnaise mixture, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Overhead view of a bowl of purple cabbage slaw with some cilantro on the side.

Recipe Tips and Notes

The prep time may seem long, but it’s worth it. This purple cabbage slaw starts with salting the cabbage and allowing the cabbage to sit. Doing so makes the shredded cabbage a bit more tender and much more flavorful while preserving its distinctive crunch as the salt draws out excess water from the cabbage. This step also helps keep the cabbage coleslaw from becoming watery as it sits in the fridge.
Chilling the coleslaw before serving allows all the flavors to meld together!
If you’d like something more crunchy, you can add some mixed seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
You can omit the red onion and use extra green onions for a less intense onion flavor. You can also soak the sliced onions in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes to mellow the bite out a bit.

Overhead view of a bowl of purple cabbage slaw with wooden serving spoons inside.

Serving Suggestions

If you need some ideas of what to serve with this simple purple cabbage coleslaw, here are some of my go-to recipes:

Coleslaw in a grilled buffalo chicken sandwich.

Storage Tips

Storage: transfer the cabbage coleslaw to an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. If you’ve salted the cabbage, this coleslaw should keep well for days!
Freezer: do not freeze coleslaw!

Purple Cabbage Slaw

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Ingredients

2 cups purple cabbage, finely sliced, (one small cabbage)
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots, (2 to 3 carrots)
½ small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
3 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
zest of 1 lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 green onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
¼ cup cilantro , finely chopped

Instructions

Combine the sliced cabbage with ½ teaspoon of salt and let it sit in a colander for 30 minutes or more.
Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, zest of the lemon, and lemon juice.
Transfer the drained cabbage to a large bowl, then add the carrots, sliced red onion, green onions, and cilantro. Toss well with the mayonnaise mixture, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Nutrition Disclaimer

Recipe by: Carmy | Photography by: Leanne Combden

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