Quick and Easy Southwest Coleslaw

Southwest coleslaw recipe combines coleslaw, vegetables, and beans in a slightly spicy Southwest dressing topped with air-fried tortilla strips. This Mexican coleslaw recipe is a great salad for a picnic, barbecue, 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 Mexican coleslaw as a side dish or an entree! 

Jump to:

• Southwest Coleslaw Ingredients
• Southwest Coleslaw Ingredient Substitutions
• Southwest Coleslaw Dressing Ingredients
• Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Air-Fried Tortilla Strips
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Vegan Salads to Try
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

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 Mexican 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 Coleslaw Dressing Ingredients

One of my favorite salad dressings, vegan southwest dressing, is perfect for this southwest coleslaw recipe. 

• Raw Cashews: Soak the raw cashews overnight or boil them for 10 minutes for a quick and easy way to soften them. However, you can skip soaking and boiling with a high-quality blender.
• Fresh Salsa: I buy fresh salsa in the produce section or homemade salsa.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: The apple cider vinegar gives the dressing tanginess.
• Lime Juice: I prefer fresh lime juice. For extra lime flavor, add the lime zest as well. The lime juice cuts the acid in the vinegar and adds an extra citrus flavor.
• Water: The water is used to thin the dressing recipe if necessary (depending on the chunkiness of the salsa).

Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Try silken tofu, white beans, or sunflower seeds for a nut-free option.
• Raw almonds also work as a substitute for raw cashews.
• Substitute jarred salsa for fresh salsa.
• Try pico de gallo instead of salsa.
• White vinegar is an excellent alternative to apple cider vinegar.
• Use bottled lime juice instead of fresh lime juice.

How to Make Air-Fried Tortilla Strips

If you love the crunch of tortilla chips or 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

I used white corn tortillas and cut them into strips using a pizza cutter. Then, I added the cut tortillas to 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 a Mexican coleslaw recipe, I 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 Mexican coleslaw recipe, can be made healthy and plant-based. 

Recipe FAQs

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 Mexican coleslaw recipe for your next weeknight meal, picnic, or barbecue!

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!

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