Blue Cheese Coleslaw
What I Love About My Blue Cheese Coleslaw
I like pairing blue cheese with a sharp vinegar dressing, since the acidity balances the richness the same way a good vinaigrette works on any salad. This combination becomes my go-to every time I make a batch for a cookout.
- No mayo means the cabbage stays crisp and holds up well for a few days in the fridge.
- Pairing blue cheese with the vinegar dressing gives me tangy, salty, and a little funky in every forkful.
- With just three ingredients, vinegar, sugar, and olive oil, I whisk the dressing together in under a minute with no food processor needed.
- For color and crunch, I fold in both green and red cabbage, and the red cabbage holds its bite even after a few hours in the fridge.
- As a trained chef, I balance the vinegar-to-oil ratio carefully so I coat every shred of cabbage without turning the bowl soggy.
- This recipe grew out of a buffalo shrimp taco I tried at a local tavern, and it’s become my go-to slaw for pairing with anything spicy.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Cabbage: A mix of green and red cabbage gives me color and texture. Green cabbage shreds thin and tender, while red cabbage holds a firmer bite.
- Carrot: One large carrot, shredded, adds sweetness and color. I’ll use pre-shredded carrots from the produce aisle when I’m short on time.
- Blue cheese crumbles: Crumbling a wedge of blue cheese by hand gives me bigger, cleaner pieces throughout the slaw, and it only takes a minute.
- White vinegar: White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar work well too, but I usually reach for plain white vinegar for its sharp, clean acidity.
- Sugar: I add just enough sugar to round out the vinegar’s sharp edge, so the dressing doesn’t taste one-note.
- Olive oil: I reach for a mild, everyday olive oil here, since I don’t want a peppery oil overpowering the blue cheese.
How to Make Easy Blue Cheese Coleslaw
- I start by tossing the cabbage, carrot, blue cheese, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl before I add the dressing. This gets the seasoning distributed evenly through the whole bowl, not just on top.
- For the dressing, I whisk the vinegar, sugar, and oil together in a small bowl until the sugar fully dissolves. This only takes about 30 seconds, but skipping it leaves gritty sugar at the bottom of the bowl instead of a smooth dressing.
- I pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture gradually while tossing, rather than dumping it all in at once. This way, I coat every shred of cabbage evenly instead of just the pieces on top.
- Once everything is combined, I refrigerate the coleslaw for at least 30 minutes before serving. That extra time softens the cabbage slightly and helps the flavors meld together.
How Long Does Blue Cheese Coleslaw Last in the Fridge?
Store leftover coleslaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. The cabbage will keep softening slightly the longer it sits, so it’s best in the first day or two if you want maximum crunch. Give it a good stir before serving again, since the dressing settles at the bottom of the container.
Blue Cheese Coleslaw Recipe FAQs
No, I don’t add any mayonnaise. I coat the cabbage and blue cheese in a vinegar and olive oil dressing to keep the slaw light and crisp.
Any firm, crumbly blue cheese works here, like Danish blue, Gorgonzola, or a classic domestic blue cheese. I prefer a milder blue cheese so it doesn’t overpower the cabbage, but I’ll reach for a stronger variety like Roquefort when I want a bolder, funkier bite.
Classic burgers, buffalo chicken meatballs, and pulled pork sandwiches are my favorite pairings for this coleslaw. I also love it as a topping for tacos or a side for anything fresh off the grill at a summer cookout.
Yes. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar both work in place of white vinegar, and each brings a slightly different level of sharpness. I’d steer clear of balsamic vinegar here, since its dark color and sweetness change the coleslaw’s look and flavor.
More Recipes From Me
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Tropical Coleslaw
- Pulled Pork Sandwich
- How To Make The Best Burgers
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!
Blue Cheese Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cabbage shaved
- 1/4 small red cabbage shredded
- 1 large carrot shredded
- 4 oz blue cheese crumbles
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded cabbage, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrot, blue cheese crumbles, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar and oil.
- Pour oil mixture into the cabbage mixture and mix very well.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Store: in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Use a mandoline or sharp knife for thin, even cabbage shreds so the dressing coats everything evenly.
- Crumble a wedge of blue cheese yourself rather than using pre-crumbled bags for cleaner, bigger bites.
- Whisk the dressing until the sugar fully dissolves before pouring it over the cabbage.
- Let the coleslaw rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to meld.
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Have been to Poe’s, had this delicious cole slaw, was hoping to find a recipe here… thank you!!
Hope you like it!
Visiting Sullivan Island and had this amazing cole slaw but with the addition of diced bacon. It was served as a side dish with flounder fish sandwich. Awesome!
Denise, that sounds really good! I hope you’ll try making it!
Mmmmm looks great! It would be awesome with some buffalo chicken tacos or sandwich!
It blew my mind how good it was with buffalo!
Thank you, Chris!
I like the addition of Blue Cheese, it gives it a nice pop!
It really does! Thank you, Amy!
The blue cheese caught my eye. I’ve never thought of adding blue cheese to a coleslaw, but I bet it’s amazing!
You will love it! Hope you give it a try!
Thank you, Judee!
You had me at “blue cheese” and I love the idea of a blue cheese coleslaw! Definitely going on our must-try list! And thanks for the link to our Asian Slaw! Have a great weekend!
Of course!
Thank you, Martha!
I love cole slaw, but when you add blue cheese OMG, looks amazing Lyube
Thank you so much, Heather! It really was something super yum!
Yup! I want to eat this right now with a grilled burger! Love coleslaw!
Haha, hope you get to soon! Thank you, Tahny!
YUM! I bet the blue cheese added to this coleslaw is amazing! Thanks for the link love. : )
It really was, Liz! I love this flavor combo!
It’s my pleasure!
It looks so good and I prefer a vinegar based cole slaw versus the creamy. As usual your photos are outstanding.
Thank you so much, Marisa!