Our easy blue cheese coleslaw recipe is a super a cheap cabbage side dish that is perfect to serve at a barbecue or potluck. Made with homemade dressing and diced bell peppers, if you loved our Hawaii coleslaw, you’re going to want to serve this too.
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Blue cheese is one of my favorite cheese, so I thought “why not add it to my favorite side?”. Typically I will serve this either as a easy side dish or it is even better on shredded pork sliders for dinner I tell you.
Ok so you too may be obsessed with this crumbled dairy creation, but not sure what to do with it beyond adding it on top of a salad. Yes I guess you could consider this to be a sort of cabbage salad of sorts but it is way creamier and perfect for the summer months.
We have made a few versions of our simple cole slaw over the years. It’s a great way to start with a simple base and tweak it here and there depending on what you’re craving, or serving. This time just the addition of a bit of bleu gives it a rich tangy flavor you will want at every get together.
The biggest question mark when making any cole slaw from scratch would be the dressing. I mean the other stuff you can just chop up into the sizes you want and toss together.
What is in homemade coleslaw dressing?
- Mayonnaise, Best Foods is better than Miracle Whip
- Fresh lemon juice is best but you could use bottled if that is all you have
- White sugar is added for a bit of sweet. I haven’t tested with sugar-free Splenda but imagine it would work just as well
- Vinegar will be used for that tangy taste you want
- Salt and pepper is added to taste
- And blue cheese is the kicker and what makes this version different
Best Vegetables to Make Coleslaw
You will want to start with a bag of purple and green cabbage coleslaw mix if you want the easiest way possible. Yes you can chop up your own with green or make Red Cabbage Coleslaw into thin pieces but I have done both and nobody knew the difference so I save myself the time and buy it bagged.
The basics beyond that would be some shredded carrots sliced fine, thin slices of celery (or diced) is a cheap crunchy add into that and green onions are a nice bright color to add in there. You can add from there but these are the basics I go from and see what else I might have in the fridge that needs to be used up.=
Can you make coleslaw without mayo?
You could substitute sour cream instead, like our red cabbage coleslaw and our potato salad no mayo recipes if you needed to for this. Another healthier alternative some take would be to use plain Greek yogurt. A different taste for sure but you can sometimes find this dairy free so people like my husband could enjoy it too.
What can you use other than vinegar?
This is another tweak you could do. Instead of traditional vinegar you could use apple instead if you prefer. this would be personal preference or what you have on hand at the time.
This saves well for a day or so if you store it in a sealed container. It will soften and wilt a bit in the cold as it sits. If you are a texture person this may not be to your liking. I am definitely one of those but 24 hours in there isn’t too bad and I’ll enjoy it next day with whatever meat is left over too for lunch.
Tips for Success
To get started you’ll want to get out a large bowl so you can easily fold everything together to coat each piece. If you choose to chop your own produce instead of buying shredded cabbage then I’d suggest a food processor to get all the pieces into evenly thin strips. I feel like you can thinly slice all the things with that much faster and more evenly than with a knife that way.
Blue Cheese Coleslaw Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 16 oz cole slaw mix
- 6 stalks celery, diced
- 4 large green onions, diced
- 1/2 cup bleu cheese
Blue Cheese Coleslaw Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, best foods is better than miracle whip
- 2 medium lemons, juiced, 1.5 tbsp or so
- 1 tbsp sugar, white
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled into small pieces
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the first 3 vegetables for the coleslaw (leave bleu cheese aside). In a jar or bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for your dressing until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and toss to coat. Gently fold in the additional 1/2 cup bleu cheese chunks. Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving for best results.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to serve
Serve your blue cheese slaw with slow cooker pulled pork, on top of a serving of Instant Pot buffalo chicken or with steaks right off of the grill.
What can I add to store bought coleslaw to make it taste better?
You could buy it ready made at the store in containers and transition it into a version of this. First I would dump your container into a larger bowl. Mix in some fresh shredded cabbage to lighten up the mixture (usually it’s dressing heavy). Chop up some things like fresh celery and then integrate this type of cheese or some Feta is good too.
How do you save leftover coleslaw?
If you do have leftovers you can save them but I always suggest that you eat it within 24 hours. It will change in texture when it sits in the fridge. You will want to keep it in a sealed container so it stays nice and moist. Typically what I will use it for is on top of pulled pork sliders the next day vs. eating it right out of the container.
I am a texture gal so it works for me that way, if you don’t care that it is more wilted then either way works. There is nutritional information listed below such as calories, saturated fat, etc…
