Classic Buttermilk Coleslaw with Celery Seed
Salted and drained before it's dressed, so the cabbage stays crisp instead of turning the bowl watery.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr chill
- Written
Method
-
Toss the cabbage and carrots with the salt in a colander set over a bowl, and let them sit for 20 minutes until wilted, with a pool of liquid collected underneath.
-
Press the cabbage firmly against the colander to force out any remaining liquid, then pat dry with a towel.
-
Whisk the mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, celery seed, sugar, and mustard together until smooth.
-
Toss the drained cabbage and carrots with the dressing until every strand is coated.
-
Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, until the dressing has thickened slightly and the cabbage has softened just past raw.
Notes
The salting step is the difference between coleslaw and a bowl of cabbage soup. Skip it and the salt and sugar in the dressing pull water out of the cabbage anyway — it just happens in the serving bowl instead of the colander, thinning the dressing and pooling at the bottom.
This is the creamy style, not the vinegar-forward kind — pile it on pulled pork or fried chicken where you want something cool and rich against the heat, rather than another layer of sharpness.