This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure.
This creamy coleslaw salad recipe with tart cherries, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts is as easy to make as regular slaw, but with way more flavor!
The Backstory
When Mike and I were on our honeymoon in Jordan it was my first time in the Middle East. Those were (as every honeymoon should be) lazy days, and since it was Mike’s home turf he was in charge of things like food.
We ate out a lot, mostly things that are considered fast food in the Middle East like chicken shawarma, roast chicken, falafel, hummus, etc. He was a college student there at the time, so the takeout way of life was familiar to him. I was a student too (I was in law school) but even so, I was used to homemade meals with a few more fresh vegetables involved.
One night when Mike was about to go pick up dinner, he asked me what I was in the mood for and I told him a HUGE salad.
I was envisioning a thing of beauty; a salad with fresh dark leafy greens adorned with lovelies like snap peas or green beans, red bell pepper, crispy raw broccoli, cherry tomatoes, grassy-fresh parsley or mint, and green onion, maybe with a handful of strawberries or blueberries for sweetness, some nuts for crunch, crumbled feta or blue cheese for creamy texture and salty flavor, and a simple bright-flavored olive oil and vinegar dressing.
Apparently he was in the mood for fried chicken. He came home with half a bucket of KFC and some fries for himself and a bowl of mushy coleslaw for me!
It was a far cry from what I had hoped for, but he said it was the only kind of “salad” they had. The two vegetables in the sad little slaw were cabbage and carrot, and the dressing was thick, goopy, and nearly sickly sweet. Ugh, lol. If I remember correctly, dinner for me that evening was an apple and a square of dark chocolate.
Any time I make coleslaw I remember that honeymoon salad Mike brought me and it brings a smile to my face. This gorgeous slaw is in no way like that horrible coleslaw, except for the fact that they both contain cabbage.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The creamy mayo-based dressing in this recipe is balanced with apple cider vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. I kept the salad itself super simple, with the addition of just a few things that come together for something that is so much more delicious than the sum of its parts.
Dried cherries add both sweet and tart flavor, walnuts give it nutty crunch, and blue cheese adds creamy texture and umami flavor. And don’t skip the onion because it adds the perfect savory touch!
This creamy slaw recipe goes well with just about anything you can grill up. It’s a fun twist on regular coleslaw for any summer picnic, potluck, or barbecue. And it would be a great addition to your Memorial Day, Independence Day, or Labor Day menu!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Creamy Dressing Ingredients
- Mayo – We use mayo as the base for this creamy slaw salad dressing. Go for a good-quality store-bought mayo, or make your own.
- Apple cider vinegar – I like the fruity flavor of apple cider vinegar in this dressing. Use organic raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar for the health benefits. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, the flavor of red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar will also work well.
- Honey – We use a little bit of honey for sweetness instead of sugar. You can swap it out for maple syrup, agave nectar, or regular sugar if you like.
- Dijon mustard – The tangy flavor of Dijon adds a sharp bite that helps create a balanced dressing.
- Poppy seeds – Poppy seeds are optional, but add pretty little flecks to our salad dressing.
- Salt and black pepper – These basic seasonings enhance the flavor of our salad.
Blue Cheese Coleslaw Salad Ingredients
- Savoy cabbage – Savoy cabbage is a bit milder and sweeter than regular green cabbage. Napa cabbage is a good substitute if you can’t find it, although green cabbage will also work here.
- Red cabbage – We add a little bit of red cabbage to this slaw mostly for the beautiful color. Also, it echoes the color of the dried cherries here.
- White onion – A little bit of white onion adds sharp depth of flavor.
- Walnuts – Walnuts add delicious nutty crunch to our slaw, not to mention healthy fats. Make sure to toast the nuts first to bring out their nuttiness.
- Dried tart cherries – The combination of dried tart cherries, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese is really what sets this coleslaw apart! I like to use no-sugar-added dried tart cherries, but you can use sweetened dried cherries if you prefer.
- Blue cheese – Blue cheese in coleslaw elevates the whole salad. It lends creamy texture, and a savory umami flavor.
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl.
- Add the veggies. Stir in the Savoy cabbage, red cabbage, and onion. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days before serving, if desired.
- Garnish with the goodies. Right before serving, sprinkle the walnuts, cherries, and blue cheese on top.
Storage
Creamy coleslaw dressing will keep well for up to 5 days in a jar in the fridge.
Once you mix the dressing with the cabbage and onion, you can keep this salad in the fridge for up to 2 days. Wait to add the walnuts, cherries, and blue cheese until right before serving.
Cook’s Tips
Feel free to play with this recipe to make it your own. Swap out the walnuts for any type of nuts you like. Use fresh cherries instead of dried if they’re in season (or go for any fruit you like!). If blue cheese isn’t your thing, add feta or goat cheese, or just skip it. You get the idea.
And heads-up, a little sprinkle of chives on top right before serving really makes the flavor of this slaw pop!
Coleslaw Salad Recipe FAQs
Traditional creamy coleslaw dressing has a sweet and tangy flavor and creamy texture. It’s usually a combination of mayo, sugar, vinegar, and salt.
You’ll find that a variety of vinegars are used, including distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and red wine vinegar, and some recipes will add lemon juice along with the vinegar. Sometimes the sugar is swapped out for other sweet ingredients, such as honey or maple syrup. And some recipes fancy it up with a variety of herbs or spices.
Coleslaw mix is essentially a cabbage salad; you can find bagged coleslaw in the produce area of most grocery stores, and it frequently comes “triple-washed” or “ready-to-eat”. It typically contains a combination of shredded or thinly sliced cabbage (commonly both green and red cabbage), and julienned carrot. Before serving, this mix of vegetables is tossed with a creamy dressing to make slaw.
More Salad Recipes with Cabbage to Try
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Creamy Coleslaw Salad Recipe with Tart Cherries, Blue Cheese, and Toasted Walnuts
Email This Recipe
Get this recipe link emailed straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
Creamy Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon raw honey local if possible
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad:
- 1 small head Savoy cabbage thinly sliced (about 4 cups sliced)
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 small white onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup dried tart cherries coarsely chopped
- 1 ounce good-quality blue cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl.
- Stir in the Savoy cabbage, red cabbage, and onion. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days before serving, if desired.
- Right before serving, sprinkle the walnuts, cherries, and blue cheese on top.
Notes
- Storage: Creamy coleslaw dressing will keep well for up to 5 days in a jar in the fridge. Once you mix the dressing with the cabbage and onion, you can keep this salad in the fridge for up to 2 days. Wait to add the walnuts, cherries, and blue cheese until right before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on August 26, 2016 and updated on June 26, 2024.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
I can’t wait to make this!
MMmm… looks so delicious!! And I loooveeeed the cute story of foods on honeymoon :)
This salad sounds wonderful, but I would definitely reduce the amount of onion. In my old age I just can’t tolerate a lot of raw onion (the taste lingers in my mouth for hours, which I find very unpleasant). Definitely a salad I would enjoy eating.
Susan, I definitely enjoy onion more than most people, lol! It’s actually one of my favorite foods, so yes, I completely understand someone wanting to reduce the amount I use. :) I hope you enjoy this if you give it a try!