Easy Cranberry Coleslaw

Cranberry coleslaw is a sweet and savory salad with seasonal vegetables in a tangy dressing. This cranberry coleslaw recipe is perfect for the holidays.

When planning a holiday dinner, any recipes I can make ahead of time to save myself time and stress the better. Cranberry coleslaw checks all the boxes. Quick and easy to make, this cranberry coleslaw recipe is the perfect salad for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any potluck.

Jump to:

• Coleslaw Ingredients
• Coleslaw Ingredient Substitutions
• Dressing Options
• Making/Serving the Coleslaw
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Holiday Salad Recipes to Try!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

I don't know about you, but planning a big holiday dinner is sometimes stressful, especially if everyone attending isn't vegan. However, I've improved my meal planning over the years, and no one, vegan or otherwise, enjoys every dish I make. And my dishes are all vegan. I even fool my father, who is not vegan.

Everyone loves coleslaw! It’s crunchy, creamy, and slightly sweet, and it goes with just about anything, and it just happens to be good for you too.

Coleslaw Ingredients

• Coleslaw Mix: I used a combination of shredded kale, cabbage, and radicchio. I suggest using a box grater or a food processor. Or, buy a bagged brand for a shortcut.
• Cucumber: Using English cucumbers prevents a salad from getting too watery because it has fewer seeds.
• Red Onion: Red onions are sweet and give the salad a wonderful tangy flavor.
• Almonds: I used raw slivered almonds.
• Dried Cranberries: Many dried cranberries have oil, so if you follow a plant-based plant plan that doesn't use oil, check the label. I ordered my oil-free dried cranberries with no added sugar or juice online.
• Parsley: Parsley gives a fresh taste to cranberry coleslaw.
• Pepitas: Pepitas and pumpkin seeds seem so similar you might think they are the same thing. But while they are not the same, they are closely related. Pumpkin seeds are whole seeds with their shells still on, whereas pepitas are found in shell-less or hulless pumpkin varieties.

Coleslaw Ingredient Substitutions

• Any coleslaw combination works well for this coleslaw recipe. The key is to shred the base ingredients to make them the correct texture.
• If using a regular cucumber, I suggest removing the seeds with a knife before chopping. as a result, the salad won't get soggy.
• Yellow or white onion works well instead of red onion. Green onions are also a great option.
• If you don't have almonds, I like raw walnuts in this recipe as well.
• Instead of parsley, try fresh chopped dill instead.
• Or if you don't have fresh parsley, a general rule of thumb for the dried-to-fresh herb ratio: Use one-third the amount of dried herb for the fresh herb called for in the recipe. For example, you convert fresh to dried parsley in a recipe that calls for 1 Tbsp. Of fresh parsley, use 1 tsp. Of dried parsley instead.
• Sunflower seeds can easily substitute for pepitas due to their small and similar taste. They even have a higher nutritional value than pepitas, and some might even prefer them in their recipes. If you want to use them, remove the hull and measure the same quantity as you would have with pepitas.

Dressing Options

For this cranberry coleslaw recipe, I make two different dressing options; one is creamy, and the other is a vinaigrette. So, you choose the coleslaw dressing you prefer.

Creamy Dressing Ingredients

• Raw Cashews: Raw cashews supply the creaminess in the dressing. However, see the substitutions below for nut-free options.
• Water: Water thins the dressing instead of using oil.
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup supplies sweetness without using sugar.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard supplies tanginess to the dressing.
• Liquid Smoke: I used hickory-flavored liquid smoke.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider pairs perfectly with the harvest salad ingredients.

Creamy Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose silken tofu instead of cashews and reduce water by ½ the amount.
• Try sunflower seeds instead of cashews.
• Or, use white beans and ½ the amount of water.
• Agave nectar or date syrup replaces maple syrup in recipes.
• Stone ground mustard is similar to dijon mustard in the flavor profile.
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika = ½ teaspoon liquid smoke. You could also add another ½ teaspoon of regular paprika for color.
• White wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar have a similar level of acidity, making for an easy swap. Or, try champagne vinegar.

Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients

• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is tangy and tastes like apples; its the perfect vinegar for a fall coleslaw.
• Shallot: Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavor with a hint of sharpness, while onions bring a more intense heat.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard has a tangy, sharp, and strong flavor with a bit of spice. 
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds sweetness to the dressing.
• Liquid Smoke: I used hickory-flavored liquid smoke. However, there are different flavors of liquid smoke available.
• Lemon Juice: I prefer using fresh lemon juice whenever possible.
• Water: Water helps to emulsify the dressing without using oil.

Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Champagne vinegar is often substituted for apple cider vinegar.
• Instead of a shallot, add ¼ of a small red onion.
• Stone ground mustard tastes similar to dijon mustard.
• Try date syrup or agave instead of maple syrup.
• Paprika is a substitute for liquid smoke.
• If you don't have fresh lemon juice, bottled lemon juice works in a pinch.

Regardless of the dressing chosen, the salad can be dressed up a day ahead of time. The dressing helps soften the kale, cabbage, and cranberries, and the flavor of the salad enhances while it marinates.

Making/Serving the Coleslaw

First, shred all the base ingredients. Then, chop the cucumber, red onion, and parsley. I like to use a vegetable chopper, so the onions and cucumbers are diced into small, similar-sized pieces.

The rest is easy; put all the ingredients into a large bowl. Choose the dressing option that appeals to you the most, and blend the ingredients together. Pour over the top of the cranberry coleslaw and toss to coat.

If you love this cranberry coleslaw recipe, serve vegan cranberry bread and cranberry orange sauce on the side this holiday season.

Cover the coleslaw and place it in the refrigerator for up to a day in advance. Then, toss again right before servings. Try not to eat it all before your holiday party!

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Use a box grater or a food processor to shred the cabbage and other base ingredients in the coleslaw mix.
• A vegetable chopper saves time when meal prepping.
• English cucumbers contain fewer seeds, which reduces the amount of water in the salad, preventing it from getting soggy.
• For an added crunch, toast the pepitas and slivered almonds, and don't add until right before serving.
• Serve cranberry coleslaw as a side dish, or add tofu and serve it as an entree salad.
• Coleslaw lasts for 3 to 4 days sealed tight in the fridge.

Try cranberry coleslaw for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, or add it to your lunch rotation with some air-fried tofu.

More Holiday Salad Recipes to Try!

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