Coleslaw, the way my mother taught me to do it, is really just mayo and cabbage. But surely there must be other things you can add to it?
What’s your ultimate coleslaw recipe?
Coleslaw Crunch salad. I got the link from someone here and made it, and it is really good. I use half a cup of oil and half a bunch of green onions - it’s a really big salad, but a whole bunch of green onions is A LOT.
Cabbage must be finely and uniformly chopped. Shredded carrot, and onion to taste. (for real decadence, a little drained crushed pineapple mixed in, like the coleslaw they sell at the fried fish place). Mix with mayo and a little sour cream, a good pinch of sugar, a capful of white vinegar, and salt and pepper. Really, that’s it. I’ve tried a dozen versions, but always gone back to this one. No matter how much I make, it just disappears within a day.
Sometimes I add some grated jicama to add a touch of sweetness and even more crunch.
Coleslaw needs celery seed, in my opinion. Doesn’t need mayo, though. I like my coleslaws without mayo, but with cider vinegar, salt, celery seed, perhaps some dried mustard or even yellow mustard (if I’m going Memphis mustard slaw style), and sugar to balance.
I second the mustard. Whole seeds are nice too.
Use Brussel sprouts instead of cabbage. Add some fennel and your crushed nut of choice = almonds, walnuts or pistachios.
And I agree with the mustard seeds - black and yellow.
My secret ingredient is a pinch of saffron. Really good in potato salad dressing too!
I like it simple, NOT drenched! Lemon, mayo, a bit of sweet pickle juice, shredded carrot, salt and pepper.
Around here, we like a sweet n’ creamy slaw. The hubby likes mayonnaise so much it’s a wonder he doesn’t just eat it right out of the jar, with a spoon! (Ewwwwww). So our slaw has a ton of mayo in it. Actually, I add ‘enough’ mayo for the rest of us, then he adds more after it’s plated.
Anyway. . .my slaw is shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, a couple spoonfuls of sugar, and a nice crispy shredded apple! All this, mixed together, a couple of grinds of pepper, and plenty of mayo. Makes a slaw that makes us happy. Can’t speak for anyone else.
Red cabbage, carrot and shallots. A touch of balsamic vinegar can be very nice addition, possible with some walnuts and/or cellery for a Waldorf-salady feel.
I have one that uses grated green apple, concentrated apple juice and poppy seeds. It’s really yummy but no one in my family will eat it because they say it gives them gas :-/
My mom’s cole slaw dressing was made with evaporated milk, vinegar, and a little sugar, which sounds like a disgusting curdled mess, but it wasn’t. I assume the reason I’ve never been able to duplicate it is because I don’t have the teacup she made it in. 
I make a version of that, with a head of red cabbage instead of the coleslaw mix, no carrots, and fewer green onions (I agree that a whole bunch might be too much). My recipe also doesn’t include the sunflower seeds, but instead, I add a touch-a smidgen- a drizzle of sesame oil. It’s important you don’t add too much as it goes a long way and can be overpowering. That touch of sesame oil is the secret ingredient to my Asian style coleslaw, it really finishes it. Also this Asian slaw always seems to get better and more flavorful with some time marinating in the fridge, which I suppose would also apply to most coleslaws… instead of serving immediately, maybe make your coleslaw up 24 hours ahead of time… could be the difference between good and great slaw.
Thin sliced bell peppers and celery seed. Add a little more vineger and some more sugar to balance it out. Use a mix of green and red cabbage if you can. Cole slaw will have a different kind of taste if you chop the cabbage instead of thin slicing it.
The secret to my mom’s excellent coleslaw is that she adds a bit of horseradish to give it bite. Otherwise, it is the usual creamy miraclewhip, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and bit of milk.
My mother has always drained the cabbage after it’s sliced (chopped/grated) for a few hours. She said it helps prevent that puddle of thin dressing that always ends up at the bottom of the bowl.
But to be honest, I’m not sure if it works or not. Coleslaw is one of those things I just buy from the deli at Publix.
Ooh, I’ll have to try the sesame oil. I agree with you about making up the coleslaw ahead of time; I think if you leave out the ramen noodles, it would be fine - just add those before serving so they are still crunchy.
Yea, I was going to come back and point out that with this Asian salad that is specifically supposed to be crunchy, a 24 hour marinating time would be overkill and leave you with limp ramen. Although, I have had it days later and it is still very good, it does lose its crunch and the ramen become noodly rather than crunchy and they become reddish purple from the red cabbage that I use exclusively in my recipe, although the coarsely chopped red cabbage does seem to stand up well to the marination and stays very crunchy. I suppose you could say that there are two stages to this dish… initial, crunchy, and fresh (first day), and a more flavorful and developed flavors, cabbage and noodle slaw on the second day. I still like this slaw to sit at least two hours before serving it fresh, however.
I should have broken into a second paragraph rather than elipsizing my afterthoughts, but my basic just, was that I think most of the “classic” dressing or mayonaise based coleslaws and the sweet and sour vingear based varieties would do well by a prolonged marinating time. Maybe not 24 hours in every case, but at least several hours.