A great side dish for the warm weather when you are having a barbecue, picnic, party, buffet or just want a lighter and refreshing side is coleslaw. There are so many different things that you can do and ingredients that you can use to make a coleslaw that your options seem almost endless. Even better, with the bags of coleslaw mix that are available in most grocery stores today you do not have to go through the effort of shredding cabbage and carrots on your own (unless you want to of course). Many times during the summer these bags of coleslaw are on sale at my store for a dollar a bag or less, which makes them a great deal to buy. I have tried a bunch of coleslaw recipes in the past and am always on the lookout not just for something new, but one that uses little or no mayonnaise at all. I found this recipe on Kitchen Daily for an apple coleslaw and made a few modifications to make it my own.

Apple Coleslaw

1 package of coleslaw mix or 1 cup shredded green cabbage, 3/4 cup shredded red cabbage and 1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 apple, julienned

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the green cabbage, red cabbage, julienned carrots, or the 1 bag of coleslaw mix (whichever you happen to be using) and the julienned apple.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the mayonnaise, the olive oil, the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, the poppy seeds (if using) and the salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the dressing mixture over the cabbage mixture and stir everything together using a rubber spatula. Stir until everything is well combined. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least one hour so that the flavors can meld. Serve the coleslaw cold.

Personally, I left out the poppy seeds because I didn’t have any on hand and I didn’t think they would add that much to the dish. While they will look nice and add some texture, it just wasn’t for me this time. I loved the freshness that the apple added to the mix with the cabbage and carrots and since there was very little mayonnaise it didn’t get all watery as it chilled. I think you could probably eliminate that mayo all together if you wanted to go without it and just stick with the olive oil, but the mayo does help to bind everything together nicely. You could certainly try substituting yogurt or sour cream for the mayo as well. I used Gala apple for mine but I think you can use whatever apple you like the best for crispness and flavor. The original recipe called for Granny Smith, which I find to be very tart so I opted to change that out. in any case, I think it was a great coleslaw with excellent flavor that is a great side dish for burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, sandwiches or just about anything else you can think of for a summer meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!