Simple Healthy Slaw
This healthy slaw recipe tastes amazing! It's made with a simple lemon dressing and features toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Gluten free and vegan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Let’s talk about this healthy slaw recipe. It’s proof that sometimes, the most humble of ingredients can make for the best recipes.
Take cheap cabbage, with all of its potent antioxidants, and toss it with carrots, the humble root vegetable that is packed with beta carotene. Drizzle in a simple, garlicky lemon dressing (no mayonnaise or vinegar here). For extra texture and savory flavor, add some freshly toasted seeds to the mix. Toasting them makes all the difference.
Ta da! You have a colorful coleslaw that’s bursting with fresh flavor and amazing health benefits.
This slaw is one of my favorite simple side dishes, so I’m sharing it today with updated photos in the hopes that it captures your attention. It keeps well in the fridge for up to four days, so it’s a very easy way to add a burst of color and fresh flavor to your meals.
Of course, this slaw goes great with veggie burgers and grilled mains in the summertime. It would also be fantastic with my vegetarian chili, sandwiches of any kind, and rich meals that need something light for balance (even mac and cheese).
Healthy Coleslaw Preparation Tips
It is easier to slice cabbage on a mandoline (affiliate link) than with a sharp knife, but it certainly can be done. Be careful either way. If you’re in a hurry, buy a 12-ounce bag of pre-shredded slaw mix at the store.
For the prettiest shredded carrots, use a julienne peeler or spiralizer. If you don’t have one of those, a plain old box grater or the grating attachment on your food processor should work pretty well. Or, grab a bag of shredded carrots at the store!
Last but not least, I used three-fourths of a cup of mixed seeds here, but you could definitely get by with less. Whichever seeds you use, and however much you use, don’t skip the toasting step! Just keep an eye on those little seeds because they can turn too toasty in a blink.
Watch How to Make Healthy Coleslaw
More Vibrant & Healthy Recipes to Try
- Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles
- Extra Vegetable Fried Rice
- Versatile Buddha Bowl
- Mega Crunchy Romaine Salad
Please let me know how this slaw recipe turns out for you in the comments! I’m always so eager to hear how you like my recipes.
Simple Healthy Slaw
This healthy coleslaw recipe tastes amazing! It’s made with a simple lemon dressing and features toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. It’s gluten free and vegan, which means it’s a perfect potluck dish (you might want to double the ingredients if you’re serving a crowd). Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
Ingredients
Coleslaw
- 2 cups finely sliced purple cabbage (one small cabbage will be more than plenty)
- 2 cups finely sliced green cabbage (one small cabbage will be more than plenty)
- 2 cups shredded carrots (I used store-bought shredded organic carrots, but you could also grate them on a box grater, in a food processor, or julienne the carrots with a sharp knife)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Up to ¾ cup mixed seeds (I used mostly pepitas—AKA green pumpkin seeds—and sunflower seeds, with some sesame seeds and poppy seeds)
Lemon dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium serving bowl, combine the prepared purple and green cabbage, carrots and parsley. Set aside.
- Measure out your seeds into a small skillet. Toast over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the seeds are fragrant and the pepitas are starting to make little popping noises. Pour the toasted seeds into the mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add the garlic, cumin and salt and whisk until thoroughly blended.
- Drizzle the dressing over the slaw and toss until all of the ingredients are lightly coated in dressing. Taste and add an additional tablespoon of lemon juice if the slaw needs a little more zip. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate to marinate for up to several hours.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Adventurous Vegetarian Cookbook by Jane Hughes.
Storage suggestions: I like this slaw best the day it’s made, but it keeps well for several days, covered, in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Nice recipe for healthy life…Thank you!
Fantastic recipe for health…Thank you!
Fantastic recipe..
What a great slaw. The cumin in the dressing added great flavour. I had it with your Crispy Baked Potato wedges, a big green salad and a veggie burger.
Yum!
Healthy food can be delicious! Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe, I’m definitely gonna try today. Can’t wait to eat this. Thank you once again!!
You’re welcome! What did you think, Renees?
Loved this! So tasty! Thank you
Wonderful, Jan!
Made this today to go along with bowtie pasta with a lemon/caper/herring sauce. I used mostly pepitas, but also added white and black sesame seeds. The toasted sesame sets off the cumin very nicely.
Thanks for sharing, Peter!
Great recipe (as usual)!!! I love the “seeds” in the slaw. The 3 colors of red & white cabbage and carrot are beautiful on the plate and livened up the beauty of my meal! I added a combo of pepitas, sunflowers, chia, and hemp seed to mine! Healthy and delicious! :)
So simple and so delicious. I only had green cabbage and added a chopped jalapeño and some garlic powder for an extra kick. I recently moved into a house with a great kitchen for cooking and you seem to always have the perfect recipe for what’s in my fridge!
Love it, Zina! Having a place you enjoy to be in and cook in is key.
I made the Simple Seed Coleslaw last night to have with fresh trout my neighbor brought over. We give it 5 stars all the way. Light, fresh, colorful, crunchy! Amazing texture and taste. It was so easy to toss together and it made a beautiful presentation. Thank you for the best recipe ever.
Thank you for the 5 stars, Carol!
So tasty. I added a splash of apple cider vinegar for an additional bite/flavor profile. Delicious and satisfying (just like everything else on Cookie + Kate). Can’t wait to try another recipe tonight!
Thank you for your review, Katelin!
We were invited to bring a dish to friends to share for dinner. I suggested coleslaw. The hostess said fine, but no mayo. This salad was a very nice addition. Plus I just happened to have all the vegetables from my CSA farm in my frig!
That’s great, Edith!
I just made this for dinner with your Vegetarian Chili and it was so good! I used 1/2 cup of Pepitas and 1/4 cup Chia seeds. The combination with the Chili (which I’ve made before and we all love) is perfect. The zippy coleslaw with the hearty Chili-Yum!
Your recipes are always so delicious. I also made your granola and the apple yogurt parfait this morning from your cookbook! Loved them! It’s been a Cookie and Kate day. Perfect!
Thanks for sharing, Sara! Sounds like a great combination.
I am so excited to make this coleslaw! The only issue I have is that I am not using any oils/fats in my eating plan. Is there some thing that I substitute in for the olive oil?
Thanks!
This dressing really needs oil to spread and taste delicious, sorry! I don’t have a good recommendation for you without knowing testing it myself.
Do you eat avocadoes? You can always smash an avocado for your dressing. I have a kale recipe that uses it and is delightful as well.
Smash an avocado for your dressing! It works well in a kale recipe that I use.
Avocados are mostly fat.
I often sub half water for oil. You might even be able to get away with just lemon juice and water. It will have a different texture but still might work.
Maybe soaked chia seeds?
Chia gel is a great substitute for oil/fat in salad dressings. Soak the chia seeds in 4x as much water until the seeds swell and the water turns into a runny gel.
It took me about 12 minutes of prep time to put this together (didn’t toast the seeds admittedly, just threw them in) and it was delicious! I did add a splash of vinegar as another reviewer mentioned because our family loves it and it complemented the salad nicely. Would make again.
Thanks for sharing, Kristen! I’m glad you loved it.
Thank you for this excellent slaw! So easy to make in the food processor!! The only thing I changed was to ad a bit of honey to the dressing to make it sweet like a traditional slaw. Yum! You’re the best!!!
Thanks, Connie!
This was really amazing! I was looking for a vegetarian recipe to bring to a work event and it was a hit!
I eliminated the carrots and garlic and it was still very flavorful.
Thank you!
Thank you for the review, Myrtle!
You’re welcome Kattie!
No lie: This is the best cole slaw EVER! Love the textures and flavors. Even my fairly-veggie-averse husband likes it. And I think it’s addictive. I just want to keep eating and eating it.
Meant to leave a five-star rating!
Hooray! I’m so happy you think so, Jonny. If you would like to leave a star review since you loved it so much, I would appreciate it!
This was even better than I anticipated. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for such a simple + healthy recipe.
Thank you, Kim!
Such a simple yet tasty slaw. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kiran!
Made this for my children and grandchildren … thumbs up from everyone
Great to hear, Miriam!
Delicious!! I wasn’t sure about the dressing when I first tasted it, but decided to trust your recipes as you have never failed me. Of course, turned out delicious and to rave reviews of my guests. Thanks for all your amazing recipes.
You’re welcome!
Thanks for the recipe! Trader Joe’s sells pre-packaged shredded green & red cabbage and shredded carrots to help cut down prep time! I also bought an extra package of shredded carrots since the package was a little sparse on carrots. Packed this for lunch and had it with a california veggie burger! <3
You’re welcome, Sandy! Thanks for your review.
Made this last night and served it with chipotle walnut-mushroom sloppy joes. Every bite was a flavor bomb! Thanks so much for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Karen!
So fresh, light and delicious! Could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Was a huge hit at a luncheon recently. Rave reviews! Thank you for such an easy recipe that is so yummy!
Wonderful, Susan!
I love how light, bright, and fresh-tasting this slaw is! Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Janet!
Hi Kate, I’m planning to make this for a BBQ this weekend. I’m not a fan of parsley. Have you ever made it with coriander or any other herb?
I ended up not using parsley, coriander or any herb and I added a little honey to the dressing. Love it and will make it again. Thanks!
Cilantro would be a good sub!
Sorry, after living in Ireland for 9 years I’m so used to saying coriander instead of cilantro. I did try a bite with cilantro, but liked it better without. And I LOVE cilantro. The slaw was a huge hit at the BBQ, I got asked for the recipe so I showed them your blog. :)
What are the macros on this?
Hi Dia! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. You just need to click to expand and ensure you allow cookies in your browser!
Healthy, delicious and yummy recipe! Thank you for sharing this
wow ! what a nice recipe
I just added some cilantro and then served the slaw inside some fish tacos. Excellent flavors,easy and fresh!!!
Thanks for sharing! That sounds like a great way to serve this slaw.
I love this recipe. Both my husband and I have made it several times. It’s become our standard when we are asked to bring a salad to BBQs and parties.
Just fanastastic!! Used poblanos instead of bell peppers as suggested by another reviewer. My husband and I loved it, and will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Thank you so much for sharing!!
You’re welcome Roni!
Delicious & so easy. I doubled the recipe to take to a barbecue, but I didn’t need to, i ended up with plenty to spare
I should have rated this forever ago. I have made this recipe so many times! It is so delicious. I recommend your blog to so many people! I have been struggling with morning sickness (all day) for months and not been able to eat anything. This week I am finally starting to feel better and have been craving this slaw. I can’t wait to make it! Thank you for all the hard work you put in to your recipes. I almost feel guilty that I can use these for free! I guess I need to go buy your cookbook to ease my conscience ;-)
I’m happy you are starting to feel better, Sarah! Thanks for your comment and review.
This has become one of our kitchen standards. There is almost always some in the fridge. In addition to using it as a salad (we tuck some arugula underneath), we often use it as a side dish or condiment. I top my lunch salad with it and one of my sons uses it on his rice bowl. It is sooooo good. We appreciate that so many of your recipes use healthy whole plant ingredients and taste yummy. Thank you, Kate and Cookie!
Hi Kate,
I just wanted to comment and let you know that I loved your coleslaw recipe. I’ve featured it on my ‘antioxidant challenge recipe roundup’ list.
Thank you so much!
This was easy, vibrant, fresh, and tasty. I loved it. A feast for the eyes first. My DH loves pickled cabbage but didn’t care for this recipe, which surprised me. Can you suggest another spice or herb to try instead of cumin that plays well with the cabbage? I halved the recipe’s cumin, but he still found it too cumin-y.
Hi Alice! You can just omit, if you like.
Thanks Kate!! I’ve never posted a comment on a cooking blog before and never been a fan of slaw and here I am! This recipe is going to be new go – to for preparing something yummy with raw cabbage. So delicious and healthy. Nice work!
A really tasty and healthy coleslaw! So easy to put together too! My family loved it!
Awesome indeed. Such a beautiful looking, yummy, filling salad. Thank you so much.
it’s delicious thanks! now that I discovered this one, I’m excited to check out your other recipes :)
I’m not a huge fan of cumin. Any suggestions for a different spice in the dressing?
Hi Peyton, you could omit or use a spice that you do prefer in place of the cumin. I wouldn’t know without trying it, sorry! I prefer cumin in these situations.
We had an over abundance of cabbage and was looking for a slaw with no mayo. This was perfect! Fresh, delicious, easy and everyone loved it. Thank you for providing such delicious recipes that I can count on tasting as good as they look and sound!
Wonderful to hear, Kari! Thank you for your review.
My husband and I love this simple seedy slaw. I’ve made it 2 times in the last 3weeks. This time I made the whole recipe and we still have some left over from last week. Given that it’s made with oil & lemon as the base of the dressing, I’m assuming that the slaw is still safe to eat. I appreciate your opinion about how long the slaw stays fresh in the fridge. Thanks
You’re welcome, Gayle!
I found out I needed to bring a salad to the family backyard Memorial Day barbeque yesterday, but I didn’t have traditional greens on hand and obviously didn’t want to make a trip to the store outside our regular one. I searched your site and wasn’t disappointed. I put this together quickly and the grill master said it was perfect with the barbeque.
Yum! I did add a bit more lemon juice and a pinch more salt and it was perfect. Gorgeous too!
I tried the recipe as written and used 1/2 cup of seeds. It was delicious. I am thinking of adding some caraway seeds. Wondering what you think about that and if they should be toasted first. The fine slicing blade on my food processor perfectly shredded the cabbage.
Sure you could add them! I can’t say I have had them toasted before. Let me know if you try it, Gail.
This is awesome! I didn’t know how delicious cumin is. Oh, I added pine nuts and hubby has a new favorite. Thanks so much.