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Crisp Apple Creamy Coleslaw

A quick salt-and-drain treatment gives this creamy cabbage slaw its clean crunch, while apple brings a bright, unexpected snap.

A bowl of creamy green cabbage coleslaw with carrot shreds and crisp apple matchsticks.

Watery coleslaw is usually a timing problem, not a dressing problem. Drawing moisture from the cabbage before it meets the mayonnaise lets the finished bowl stay thick, crisp, and balanced rather than turning loose as it waits.

Season before dressing

Salting the shredded cabbage and carrots in a colander gives their excess water somewhere to go. Pressing and blotting afterward matters as much as the rest itself: the drier vegetables can accept a thin, even coating of dressing without diluting it.

Keep the dressing direct

Mayonnaise provides the creamy body, while cider vinegar and Dijon keep it lively. A little sugar rounds the sharp edge instead of making the slaw sweet, so the cabbage and carrot flavor still lead.

Salted shredded cabbage and carrots drain in a colander over a bowl before dressing. — Salted cabbage and carrots drain in a colander before the creamy dressing is added.

Let apple stay crisp

Thin apple matchsticks are folded in after the vegetables are dressed, rather than salted with them. That sequence preserves their fresh snap and makes the fruit feel like a clean contrast to the savory, tangy coating.

Serve with a final toss

A brief chill helps the dressing settle onto every shred without giving the cabbage time to slump. Before serving, toss gently and leave behind any liquid that has accumulated, keeping the bowl creamy from the first scoop to the last.

Crisp cabbage, carrot shreds, and apple matchsticks are coated in a thick creamy dressing. — Creamy cabbage shreds, carrot ribbons, and crisp apple matchsticks show the finished texture.

Crisp Apple Creamy Coleslaw

6 servings

50 minutes total

Ingredients

• 8 cups finely shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 crisp apple, cored and cut into matchsticks

Method

Salt the cabbage
Put the green cabbage and shredded carrots in a large colander, sprinkle with kosher salt, and toss well so the salt reaches all the shreds.
Look for: The cabbage and carrots are evenly coated with a light film of salt.
Drain and dry
Set the colander over a bowl and let the salted cabbage and carrots stand for 20 minutes, then press out the released liquid and blot the vegetables dry.
Look for: Liquid has collected below the colander and the vegetables feel pliable but still crisp.
Whisk the dressing
Whisk the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until the dressing is smooth and the sugar dissolves.
Look for: The dressing is glossy, smooth, and tastes tangy with gentle sweetness.
Dress the vegetables
Add the dried green cabbage and shredded carrots to the mayonnaise dressing and toss until every shred is lightly and evenly coated.
Look for: No pooling dressing remains at the bottom of the bowl.
Add the apple
Fold the crisp apple matchsticks through the dressed cabbage just before chilling so they stay fresh and distinct in the slaw.
Look for: The apple matchsticks are distributed throughout without being crushed.
Chill briefly
Cover and chill the creamy coleslaw for 10 minutes to let the dressing cling to the vegetables without softening the cabbage too much.
Look for: The slaw is cold and the cabbage still gives a firm crunch.
Toss and serve
Give the creamy coleslaw one final toss, leaving behind any liquid that has collected, then serve it cold.
Look for: The finished slaw looks creamy rather than wet and the cabbage remains crisp.