Southwest coleslaw combines coleslaw, vegetables, and beans in a slightly spicy southwest dressing topped with air-fried tortilla strips. This southwest coleslaw recipe is a great salad for a picnic, barbeque, or weeknight dinner.

When I lived in Michigan, every summer, my friend Kim made a southwest coleslaw recipe everyone loved. But, of course, it wasn't vegan, so recently, I asked for her recipe to "veganize" it for my family. This southwest coleslaw recipe is a vegan version of my friend Kim's recipe, but I added a few other veggies to make it a meal rather than a side dish. But feel free to serve southwest coleslaw as a side dish or an entree!
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Even though I added a few more veggies and a different coleslaw combination, the creamy coleslaw integrity is the same. Like Kim's recipe, I added tortilla strips but made homemade, oil-free ones instead of bagged ones. And I used my vegan southwest dressing instead of the southwest ranch dressing in her recipe.
So, let's make the southwest coleslaw recipe the vegan way.
Southwest Coleslaw Ingredients
- Coleslaw: I chose a 10-ounce bag of Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch Collection, a bag of shredded kale, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, and red cabbage.
- Red Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers are sweet and a beautiful addition to any salad.
- Corn: I used corn on the cob, grilled, and cut from the cobs. However, canned or frozen cooked corn works as well.
- Black Beans: I used canned rinsed and drained black beans.
- Cilantro: Cilantro gives the salad a fresh herbal taste in the salad as well as a garnish.
- Jalapenos: The jalapenos add a little heat to the coleslaw. The seeds and veins are removed, so the jalapenos are not as spicy.
- Carrots: Carrots add texture to the salad and a sweetness.
- Green Onions: Green onions are lightly flavored and go well with the ingredients in the salad.
- Tortilla Strips: The strips are air fried or baked and added as a crunchy garnish.
- Limes: The lime is used on the tortilla strips and added as a garnish before serving .
Southwest Coleslaw Ingredient Substitutions
- Chop a combination of Napa,red, white or green cabbage
- Or use broccoli or jicama slaw
- Baby bell peppers are sweet like red bell peppers, and they are very colorful.
- Use canned or cooked frozen corn.
- Pinto beans are an excellent substitute for black beans in southwest recipes.
- If you don't like cilantro or taste soap when you eat it (this happens to some people), skip it.
- Serrano peppers substitute jalapeno peppers.
- Any parsnips replace carrots in recipes.
- Try red onions or spring onions instead of green onions.
- Buy tortilla strips in a bag at the store.
- Bottled lime juice works in a pinch to substitute limes.
Southwest Salad Dressing Ingredients
One of my favorite salad dressings, vegan southwest dressing, is perfect for this southwest coleslaw recipe.
Air-Fried Tortilla Strips
If you love the crunch of tortilla chips or tortilla strips, there is an easy way to make oil-free, healthy ones! All you need is a few ingredients and an air-fryer or oven.
First, find your favorite oil-free tortillas. Some of my favorites, for example, are a combination of yellow and white corn but pick your favorite. Here are some no-oil tortilla brands I love.
- Engine 2 Tortillas
- Mission Corn Tortillas
- Del Campo Corn Tortillas
- Mr. Tortilla Tortillas
First, I used white corn tortillas, and using a pizza cutter; I cut the tortilla into strips. Then, I added the cut tortillas into a bowl and tossed them in lime juice. Next, I sprinkled a combination of chili powder and cumin.
Once seasoned, I add the tortilla strips to the air-fryer pan or basket and cook at 370 degrees for 4-6 minutes, tossing once at the top 2-3 minutes mark.
If using an oven, place lime-soaked and seasoned tortilla strips on a baking sheet with a silicone baking and cook in a 375-degree oven.
Then, remove from the oven, turn over, and cook for another 10 minutes.
When I serve southwest coleslaw, I like to add the tortilla strips on top for a little extra crunch.
To "veganize" any recipe, replace the non-vegan ingredients with your favorite vegan ingredients. Any recipe, even my friend Kim's southwest coleslaw recipe, can be made healthy and plant-based.
Recipe FAQs
The word coleslaw can mean the same thing (and slaw is often short for coleslaw). However, coleslaw typically refers to the kind made with cabbage, while slaw can refer to varieties made without cabbage, such as carrot slaw.
The cabbage in coleslaw contains sulfur, which helps remove toxins from the body. Support digestion. The fiber in coleslaw helps to keep the digestive system healthy and functioning correctly.
Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits, therefore recommended for those individuals who are at risk for heart disease.
Tips
- Chopping or shredding cabbage makes it easier to eat and digest when in smaller pieces.
- Because the coleslaw is mostly cabbage, it can be dressed ahead of time. This will help soften the cabbage or kale in the coleslaw, making it easier to eat and digest. In addition, dressing the salad ahead of time doesn't make it soggy.
- If using frozen corn, cook it first and allow it to cool completely before adding it to the salad.
- Wait to add the crunchy tortilla strips until right before serving as a garnish.
- When making the tortilla strips, it depends on how thick the strips are cut, which may alter the cooking time. The thinner the strips, the less time is needed to cook, so keep an eye on the strips in the air-fryer or oven.
Enjoy this Southwest coleslaw recipe for your next weeknight meal, picnic, or barbeque!
More Vegan Salads to Try
If you love Southwest Coleslaw, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Southwest Coleslaw
Ingredients
Salad
- 10 ounces coleslaw I used Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch Collection
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup sliced radishes
- 1 bunch green onions sliced thin
- ½ cup sliced baby bell peppers
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and vein removed
- 15 ounces black beans drained
- 1 can corn drained
- ½ cup cilantro garnish
Air-fried Tortilla Strips (oil-free)
- 4 corn tortillas
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
Coleslaw Dressing (Choose One)
- 1 cup Southwest Dressing
- 1 cup Creamy Green Chili Dressing
Instructions
Coleslaw
- Add coleslaw mix to the base of a large bowl.
- Drain black beans and corn
- Add other chopped vegetables.
Dressing
- Choose one of the two options, or use a dressing of choice.
- Dress the salad in advance, toss and refrigerate. This is recommended, especially if using a kale-based slaw to soften the kale before eating.
Tortilla Strips
Air Fryer
- Using a knife or a pizza cutter, slice tortillas into strips.
- Then, toss in the juice of 1 lime, and season with chili powder and cumin.
- Transfer tortilla strips to an air-fryer pan.
- Set Air-fryer to 370 degrees.
- Cook for 4-6 minutes; tossing at 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the air-fryer pan.
- Let cool.
Baked
- If using an oven, place lime-soaked and seasoned tortilla strips on a baking sheet with a silicone baking and cook in a 375-degree oven.
- Then, remove from the oven, turn over, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve
- Spoon southwest salad into individual bowls or serve as a side dish
- Top with air-fried oil-free tortilla strips and cilantro
Notes
- Chopping or shredding cabbage makes it easier to eat and digest in smaller pieces.
- Because the coleslaw is mostly cabbage, it can be dressed beforehand. This will help soften the cabbage or kale in the coleslaw, making it easier to eat and digest. In addition, dressing the salad ahead of time doesn't make it soggy.
- If using frozen corn, cook it first and allow it to cool completely before adding it to the salad.
- Wait to add the crunchy tortilla strips until right before serving as a garnish.
- When making the tortilla strips, it depends on how thick the strips are cut, which may alter the cooking time. The thinner the strips, the less time is needed to cook, so keep an eye on the strips in the air-fryer or oven.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Pam in Sacramento
☆☆☆☆☆
Very tasty on a hot day. Made it with Cruciferous Crunch and the Southwest dressing. Tasted it immediately after making and thought it was okay. Served it 3 hrs later after having sat in fridge, and found the flavors had really bloomed and it tasted great! Bet it's even better tomorrow. A keeper.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Pam, I'm so glad you liked the southwest coleslaw. You are right; coleslaw always enhances in the refrigerator as the flavors develop. Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it. Let me know if you try any other recipes. I would love to hear your opinion.
Denise Hannig
I made this salad on Friday for a family potluck. They all liked it and my husband said to "keep that recipe". I added extra dressing because I thought it was a little bland, which I think made it better. I will make it again but when I have plenty of time, as it did take quite a while with all the chopping and grating.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Denise, I'm glad you liked it. Next time, maybe buy the coleslaw already shredded to save yourself some time? Thank you for the feedback.
Laura
Hi Kathy- this was so convenient and bursting with flavor!! I used what I had and will probably make this one of my signature potluck and bbq dishes. It was an easy dinner tonight and passed the test with my 20 something and hubby.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Laura! I am so glad it was a hit. It's really good the next day too if you have any leftovers. Thank you so much for telling me. I appreciate the feedback. Have a great day!
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