Buttermilk Coleslaw

I know coleslaw is pretty polarizing, but if you like southern-style coleslaw – similar to what you’d get at Zaxby’s or KFC – I think you’ll love my Buttermilk Coleslaw recipe. It was originally in my ebook ‘Who Made the Potato Salad?‘ and I haven’t changed a thing because we think it’s perfect.

Buttermilk Coleslaw Ingredients

Feel free to jump to the full recipe, but here are useful notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Buttermilk Coleslaw recipe:

• Cabbage, carrot: Traditionally you’ll use white cabbage (it’s actually the light green one) but you can use red cabbage (it’s purple) if you want. Red cabbage is naturaly a bit sweeter than red, so you might want to adjust the amount of sugar you use.
• Buttermilk, whole milk, mayonnaise: Together these create a smooth, creamy, slightly tangy custard to bring and hold everything together.
• Lemon juice, distilled white vinegar: It brightens the flavors, keeping it light on the palette even with all the mayo and such.
• Sugar: This is key! Southern-Style Buttermilk Coleslaw is sweet. Go to any local Carolina joint: the coleslaw will be sweet. Not like a cake or something, but it is not savory. If you want a savory coleslaw you’ll want to find a recipe for a different style.
• Onion powder: Some folks mince yellow or sweet onion and include that, but I prefer onion powder.
• Ground white pepper, cracked black pepper: Depth, warmth, a slight bite. White pepper can be omitted if you don’t have it, and ground black pepper will work in place for cracked if you reduce it.
• Kosher salt: Of course.
• Equipment: You’ll need a food processor for this Buttermilk Coleslaw recipe, and a shredding disc attachment. Below is the one I use, and everything else I needed to put this together:

How to Make Buttermilk Coleslaw 

Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a basic overview of what you’ll need to do, along with some important tidbits to help you make the most of this Buttermilk Coleslaw recipe:

• Shred the veggies. You’ll need a food processor with a shredding disc attachment to make this Buttermilk Coleslaw. Or a sharp knife, a lot of time, and good knife skills. Carefully and safely feed the carrot into the food processor, followed by the cabbage. Depending on how large your food processor is, you might need to empty the contents halfway through.
• Add the flavor. Add the shredded cabbage and carrot to a large mixing bowl, then add all of the remaining seasonings. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to mix everything together. It will take a few minutes: you want everything well combined. You shouldn’t see any streaks or sign of any single ingredient. Remove any large pieces of cabbage from the Buttermilk Coleslaw as you go. Eat them or toss them to your dog or into the compost or whatever.
• Chill, then stir. Then serve. Once it’s all mixed up together give it a taste and adjust for seasonings if needed. Cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving. Give the Buttermilk Coleslaw a good stir before serving – all of the liquid will probably have gathered at the bottom so it’ll need to be redistributed.

What To Serve With Buttermilk Coleslaw

This Buttermilk Coleslaw recipe goes with pretty much any Southern plate. Here are some serving suggestions…

Obligatory Pins – 

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