Fennel and Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (2024)

Published: · by Julia Mueller · Updated: · This post may contain affiliate links.

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It wasn't until I started making slaw myself that I began to understand its merit.I never could get on board with mayo-drenched cabbage, but tossing fresh in-season vegetables together with zesty dressing makes for a flavorful, healthful slaw that is utterly addicting. As in I'm-eating-slaw-for-dinner, back-away-from-my-slaw, #slawfordays, I-can't-get-no-slawtisfaction, we're-getting-slawshed sort of addicting.

I'm just going to call a spade a spade: this slaw made me want to date myself. As in pat-myself-on-the-back, dang-I-look-good, who's-that-lady, wine-and-dine-me date myself. I loved how simple yet flavorful and refreshing the recipe turned out to be and was too busy eating it by the forkful to bother putting it on anything. I used Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise, which gave the slaw a nice creamy tang and kept it light.


If you're new to fennel, no need to be scared! Fennel is a spring vegetable (so get it while the gettin's good!) with a very unique flavor. Both the fennel bulb and seeds have a peppery, anise-like taste, which is delicious in soups, salads, slaw, and stir fry. When you buy fennel, look for a bulb that is firm and very white. Fennel bulbs begin to turn brown as they get older, and while they are still very usable in this state, the freshest bulbs are the hard, white ones. Because fennel is so firm, I like to slice the bulb very thinly when I use it in salads. When fennel is cooked in soup or stir fry, it has a similar consistency to onion and gives a wonderful depth of flavor to a dish.

Fennel slaw is the perfect accompaniment to your springtime meals. It's full of vibrant spring vegetables with tasty dressing and funky fun sesame and poppy seeds. And no mayonnaise! It adds flavor and texture to your burgers, sandwiches, and tacos. But if like me, you have not the patience to actually prepare food upon which to place the slaw, the fork-to-mouth approach works just dandy too.

Now get thee a fennel bulb and no-mayo yourself some slaw!

Recipe

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (3)

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw

A light, refreshing springtime slaw made with fresh fennel.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: coleslaw recipe, Fennel and Cabbage Slaw

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 64kcal

Author: Oh My Veggies

Ingredients

  • ½ medium red cabbage sliced (about 4 cups)
  • 2 large carrots peeled and grated
  • 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions sliced
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt or Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Toss the cabbage, carrots, fennel, and green onions in a large bowl.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make a dressing for the slaw. Pour the dressing over the veggies and mix well.

  • Serve on your favorite veggie burger, sandwich, or taco, or alongside your favorite main dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 480mgPotassium: 456mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4311IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 1mg

Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!

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Fennel and Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (4)

About Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller writes the food blog, The Roasted Root, and is the author of Delicious Probiotic Drinks and Let Them Eat Kale!. A Lake Tahoe native, Julia loves to play outdoors, and enjoys developing recipes that are nutrient-dense and approachable to make any night of the week.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. dishing up the dirt says

    Julia I love this slaw. The fennel is such a wonderful addition. The crunch and creaminess of this sound fantastic!!!

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Thanks, Andrea! If you and Taylor grow fennel on the farm, you should definitely uproot one and give this recipe a go! Hope you had an excellent weekend!

      Reply

  2. Alexis @ Hummusapien says

    So much yumtasticness is one bowl! Loving all the colorful veggies and the creamy yogurt sauce all mixed up with the little seedies. Spring has sprunnnggg!

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Ohhhhh yeah, the slaw has spring written all over it! It's be perfect for topping one of your scrumptious veggie burgers!! 😀

      Reply

  3. Anne|Craving Something Healthy says

    I love the flavor of fennel in a salad, and can't wait to try this! So pretty too 🙂

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Thanks, Anne! I just love how vibrant the colors are - definitely a cheerful slaw for coming out of the long winter months. So glad you're a fellow fennel-lover!

      Reply

  4. Hari Chandana says

    Lovely combination.. great clicks!!

    Reply

  5. Joanne says

    I'm definitely super iffy on fennel and it's licorice-y flavor, but I can't walk away from a mayo-free slaw!! They are just way too few and far between.

    Reply

    • Julia says

      Yeah, I can see how fennel isn't for everyone. You could just add some extra cabbage to the recipe and take out the fennel altogether if you'd like 😀 It'd still be great!

      Reply

  6. Jill says

    Hi this looks wonderful- what I use instead of yogurt to make this dairy free?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Hi Jill, that's a great question. I'd skip the yogurt altogether and use a lemon-olive oil dressing. I'd start with 3 tbl olive oil and 3 tbl fresh lemon juice and see how that tastes. You can also try using coconut milk yogurt, but I can't stand the stuff. Let me know how it works out for ya 🙂

      Reply

      • Jill says

        Thank you so much for your advice- I am new to this vegan cooking thing and I appreciate your wonderful blog!
        Xoxo

        Reply

  7. Rae Duarte says

    I found this over on foodgawker while looking for a recipe to use up the extra fennel I had sitting in my refrigerator. What an absolute delight this slaw was! I paired with with a Dutch fennel gratin and it was perfect. The yogurt sauce perfectly complimented the tartness of the fennel and lemon. Yums!

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Yaaaay! So happy you made and enjoyed it, Rae! It really is such a flavorful and healthful slaw. Definitely perfect for this time of year! I'm going to a BBQ this weekend and am thinking I'll have to make another batch of this to share with my friends 😀 Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback!

      Reply

  8. Alyssa says

    I used kohlrabi instead of fennel (using what the garden gave!), and a shallot instead of green onions. It turned out beautifully! Super fresh. I love that yogurt/mustard/lemon dressing so much I could drink it through a straw on its own. Yum!

    Reply

  9. Melissa Nassif says

    Beautiful salad thanks for sharing. I added some crunchy fresh apply and served with pork fillet. Delicious

    Reply

Something to say? Leave a comment.

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between cabbage slaw and coleslaw? ›

Or coleslaws — what's the difference? Really nothing. Technically, coleslaw involves cabbage, whether green, red or napa, while the category of slaws can include all kinds of chopped or shredded crunchy vegetables. The two words are used interchangeably for the most part however.

What is fennel slaw made of? ›

Mix cabbage, onion, carrot, fennel, and parsley in a large bowl. Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a separate bowl; pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

How to make Jamie Oliver's coleslaw? ›

Peel the onion and shallot, and slice as finely as you can, along with the cabbage, if using. Add these to the bowl of veg. In a separate bowl, mix half the lemon juice, a lug of extra virgin olive oil, yoghurt and mustard. Pick the herb leaves and chop, then stir into the dressing.

How to make coleslaw Gordon Ramsay? ›

In a bowl mix together 2 Tbs vinegar, juice of half lemon, 3 Tbs mayonnaise, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and pepper and mix well. Add the dressing into the cabbage and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving as a healthy side dish to your burger!

Why is KFC coleslaw so good? ›

KFC's coleslaw stands out because of its sweet and tangy dressing, but the slaw's texture is what makes it one of a kind. The very finely chopped cabbage and carrots are a stark contrast to the typical stringy shredded veggies found in bagged coleslaw mix.

Why did KFC stop selling coleslaw? ›

The fast food chain was forced to stop selling its coleslaw tubs when a supply issue meant the slaw would have to be served up without the dressing. “We are currently experiencing a supply issue with our KFC coleslaw dressing,” a KFC spokesperson said. The slaw is made up of cabbage and carrots coated in mayonnaise.

Why do chefs use fennel so much? ›

Though often overlooked by home cooks, this versatile ingredient is beloved by chefs for its pleasantly sweet, fresh flavor and mild aromatic character.

What type of vegetable is fennel? ›

Fennel is a member of the carrot family, though it's not a root vegetable. The base of its long stalks weave together to form a thick, crisp bulb that grows above ground. Above the bulb, at the tip of the stalks, it has light, feathery leaves that resemble dill.

What nationality eats fennel? ›

Fennel, with its white bulb and green, feathery top, is a member of the carrot family. The vegetable is native to the Mediterranean and is eaten both raw and cooked in a variety of cuisines, most famously Italian food.

What is in Mary Brown's coleslaw? ›

Mary Brown's shreds fresh cabbage and carrots in house, and tops it with a creamy dressing. The freshly shredded veggies give you a light yet satisfying crunch while the dressing gives you the tanginess you're looking for.

Why does my homemade coleslaw taste bitter? ›

Cabbage Core:Issue: The core of the cabbage can be bitter, especially if it's not removed before shredding. Solution: Ensure that you remove the core of the cabbage before shredding it. Cut the cabbage in half, then cut out the triangular core from each half. Old Cabbage:Issue: Older cabbage may develop a bitter taste.

Why does my homemade coleslaw go watery? ›

Cabbage contains lots of water. Alton Brown suggests salting the cabbage and letting the water drain for two hours, then rinsing the cabbage and spinning it dry before dressing it. That purges the excess water out of the cabbage before it is dressed, so it doesn't get watery.

What's the difference between vegetable slaw and coleslaw? ›

The real difference is that the raw, chopped vegetables in coleslaw are primarily cabbage: Napa, red, savoy, or bok choy. Slaw without the cole can feature any crunchy veggie in place of cabbage, including chopped or shredded broccoli, carrots, snow peas, jicama, and more.

What is traditional coleslaw made of? ›

What is traditional coleslaw made of? Traditional coleslaw is little more than shredded cabbage and a creamy dressing. This recipe adds a bit more flavor with shredded carrots and onion. The creamy dressing is made with mayonnaise, sugar, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, for a just right tangy-sweet flavor.

Do you rinse cabbage for coleslaw? ›

Rinse! Rinse well to purge the salt. Get rid of the excess water. Squeeze cabbage dry with paper towels or take it for a spin in a salad spinner to remove the excess water.

Is cabbage and coleslaw the same thing? ›

Most people refer to sliced or shredded raw cabbage coated with mayo- or vinegar-based dressing as coleslaw (or just slaw). It may also contain lemon juice, onions, shredded carrots, slivered almonds, and even fruit.

Why is coleslaw now called slaw? ›

According to the OED, they said “slaw” slightly before they said “coleslaw”, but “cold slaw” was first (by folk etymology of Dutch koolsla). On 29 December 1972 at an Internationa Salad and Finger Food Convention on the Isle of Mauritus. The motion was raised in Committee by the Rumannian Slaw Association.

Why is it called coleslaw and not cold slaw? ›

However cold your coleslaw may be, you are wise to spell it coleslaw. The word comes from a Dutch word (koolsla) that combines the Dutch words kool, meaning "cabbage," and sla, meaning "salad." Etymology is the main course.

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