A simple vegan coleslaw: it’s crunchy and tangy with just the right amount of sweetness.
I used to avoid coleslaw like nobody’s business. Back in my KFC eating days, anytime that neon-green excuse for coleslaw was ordered, I’d take a fork full, thinking Maybe I’ll like coleslaw this time. And then I take a bite.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
KFC coleslaw is grrrrross! (Imagine I said that in a Tony the Tiger voice).
I recently got a massive head of red cabbage from some leftover CSA bags at the TVA and I decided to make some stuff with it. You may have noticed that I added some cabbage to my soba noodle bowl and it’s in this baby bok choy stir fry that I recently developed for Ontario Produce Made Simple. I ended up getting another head of cabbage and now I’m stuck with a ton of it. Here’s to finding out ways to use cabbage!
This coleslaw recipe is actually pretty simple. Nothing too fancy, just run of the mill coleslaw-y ingredients, but I really like the honey-mustard flavour of it. Yes, I’m aware that honey is technically not vegan. But for me, veganism isn’t black and white. And I guess I’m still sort of transitioning because I have 3 sticks of butter left in my fridge from October. I’m not quite sure what to do with it. I currently eat honey, but I stick to honey from local apiaries, none of the Honey Bee pasteurized stuff from massive companies that neglect their bees. I also haven’t done enough research about it to divulge anymore here, so I’ll leave the honey discussion where it is for now.
But on another note, I have a confession:
I broke vegan for one day.
I worked an 11 hour shift and I was starving. I was doing promo for a non-vegan cookie and it was my 5th day working and literally thousands of people had told me that they were delicious. I was just so bloody hungry and I felt guilty about throwing away the little broken pieces that we didn’t give out as samples, so I ate a piece.
And then there were some more crumbs.
And then I ate those too.
But it gets worse.
When I got home, I had to bake 100 cookies for the vegan bake off. As I was buying the ingredients after work, I scoured the grocery store for vegan pizza. No cigar. I opted for Gardein un-chicken strips and thought that would satisfy my craving.
Neeeewp.
My roommate decided to order pizza and she asked my opinion for toppings: feta cheese, spinach, and roasted garlic. It sounded like a freaking fantastic idea, and I was so bloody hungry that I wanted a piece.
So I had two.
And you know what? It wasn’t even worth it. I didn’t have a moment of euphoria over the cheese I had been missing. I mostly just felt guilty and weak. Honestly, I think I just really wanted pizza. Vegan pizza would have been fine, but 1 am vegan pizza delivery isn’t always an option, even in Toronto.
So what have I learned?
- My body definitely does not like dairy
- I need to have better self control
- Pizza does not satisfy as much as I think it does
So lesson learned. I will not be breaking vegan again anytime soon. The cheese isn’t worth it. The eggs aren’t worth it. Losing my integrity isn’t worth it.
Vegan Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard seed
- 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tsp liquid sweetener of choice
- 2 tbsp grated onion
- 1 carrot, shredded or grated
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
Instructions
- Whisk together vinegar, salt, black pepper, mustard seed, vegan mayonnaise, honey or agave, and onion until combined. Pour over shredded cabbages and carrot and mix until well coated. You can enjoy immediately, but for best coleslaw-y marinated results, let sit in the fridge for a couple hours. Enjoy!
Isolt Lea says
never EVER feel guilt for breaking you are good it happens stay focused I have been a vegetarian for 41 years sometimes I cant find vegan coffeeandcream thank you for the work you do on this site
Lisa Le says
Thank you Isolt <3 I admire your commitment and your perseverance for 41 years! Here's hoping I can do the same.
Amanda Larry says
I’ve learned the hard way that sometimes you need to have something that one Last time to find out how not worth it it actually is?thank you for being honest and brave✊vegan power lol
Amy says
You’re human, we make mistake; learn from them. I feel your pain, literally I know what pain your talking about. The one where your stomach says what did you just do? Yep, dairy is my enemy, always has been and probably always will be. Life moves on and we vow to do better next time. So off to the kitchen to make this slaw for lunch. Probably have some roasted potatoes with it too.
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
I feel the same way about colesalw. I think it’s because I never had it growing up. Isn’t it traditionally made with mayo, too? Eewwww. I might have to try yours though! :) Aw, the end of your post made me sad. I like the saying, “Progression, not perfection”. Don’t beat yourself up! I’ve definitely been in the empty breakroom at 4pm, where chocolate cupcake party leftovers where just chillin’…tempting me. If I ate one, nobody would of seen. And I was ssttttarrrvvinnng!
But, I would know. I imagine the milk that came from that specific cow, probably in a tiny pen, who probably gave birth and had her calf ripped from her. When she can’t produce as much milk, she’ll be slaughtered. Annnnnd that pretty much does it for me. Yep. Sorry to get kind of graphic. In case you need a little strength, that’s what worked for me in the beginning ;) Now I’m sad. Haha, must eat vegan cupcakkkeee!
Amalie says
Loved your post and I can relate. I’ve had plenty of the same moments that quickly became regrets. Pizza is still one go my favorites but I just order it with no cheese now. It still tastes great! My favorite grocery store pizza is Amy’s roasted vegetable. I can (unfortunately) devour the whole thing.
Lisa Le says
Thanks Amalie =) Yes, Amy’s anything is so delicious. I honestly prefer pizza without vegan cheese on it =)
Becky Crider says
I found this on Pinterest, but before I pinned it I actually made it – we had just pulled a small cabbage from our garden. I am blown away by how similar it is to regular coleslaw! I used Vegannaise, granulated onion (my DH is put off by real onion), and omitted the salt and purple cabbage (something we failed to grow in our garden this year). It is perfect – I plan to let it sit for at least a few hours to let all the flavors incorporate, but this is the first coleslaw I’ve ever made myself and I’m over the moon! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Lisa Le says
=) I’m so happy you like it! I didn’t like coleslaw until I made it myself. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment to let me know!
Anna says
I’ve been off and on about the honey thing, too. I don’t really like the flavor, so I never buy it, but when it’s in bread or the occasional granola bar, I usually don’t make a big deal about it. It’s the long-run habits that we make that make a difference, not the occasional pizza slice or recipe with honey. (Also, I never liked coleslaw until I went vegan!)
Kelsey Apley says
This sounds so good. I make a KFC coleslaw recipe but never thought to try and do a vegan version. Gonna have to try this out very soon.