I used to really hate coleslaw until I made my own homemade coleslaw. It’s so fresh, crunchy, and creamy, and not at all gloppy or heavy like the storebought stuff. AND you can make it different flavors to suit your meal! This Cumin Lime Coleslaw has a bright and sunny dressing made with fresh lime juice, earthy cumin (which has always smelled kind of lemony to me), and a small pinch of cayenne. Green onions and shredded carrots add color and flavor to the crunchy cabbage and round out this easy, breezy coleslaw.
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How to Serve Cumin Lime Coleslaw
As with any coleslaw, this one makes a great side dish for things like Cilantro Lime Chicken, Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas, or Turkey Taco Skillet. But you can also pile it onto a sandwich, use it to top tacos, or even use it as a base for a bowl meal! And last week, I served it as a side to some tacos made with my Chili Rubbed Pulled Pork and Pickled Red Onions. That combo was to die for!
Take a Short Cut
If you’re short on time, you can skip shredding your own cabbage and carrots and use a bag of coleslaw mix (pre-shredded cabbage and carrots). You’ll want one bag (14-16oz.) for this recipe.
How Long Does it Stay Fresh?
This cumin lime coleslaw stays good in the fridge for about 2-3 days. It does soften a bit as it refrigerates, but it’s still quite tasty. You’ll want to give it a good stir before serving each time to redistribute the dressing.
Cumin Lime Coleslaw
Servings 6 3/4 cup eachIngredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise ($0.80)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime) ($0.50)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.01)
- 1 tsp sugar ($0.02)
- 1/2 head green cabbage (about 6 cups shredded) ($0.68)
- 2 carrots ($0.16)
- 4 green onions ($0.22)
Instructions
- Prepare the coleslaw dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, salt, sugar, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
- Remove the core from the cabbage and then finely shred. Peel the carrots, then use a large holed cheese grater to shred the carrots. Thinly slice the green onions.
- Combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, and green onions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top, then stir until everything is well coated in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. After refrigerating, make sure to stir the slaw well before serving.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Cumin Lime Coleslaw – Step by Step Photos
Begin by making the dressing so the flavors have a little time to blend. Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Finely shred 1/2 of a head of cabbage (about 6 cups), shred two carrots using a cheese grater, and slice four green onions. Add the cabbage, carrot, and onions to a large bowl.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and then stir until everything is well coated. Serve the Cumin Lime Coleslaw immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. As will all slaws, the salt in the dressing will cause the cabbage to slowly soften and let off a little water, so be sure to stir the slaw before serving to redistribute the dressing.
But if you need to prepare it ahead of time, go ahead and make the dressing and prep the vegetables, but combine the two just before serving for the crunchiest coleslaw possible.
Thank you so much for this wonderful delightful way to use my leftover cabbage! I roasted some for the first time, absolutely delicious!! Oh and I made Miss Brenda Gantt’s cabbage casserole 😊so delicious 😋 I love just having shredded cabbage in a bag with my veggie oil, garlic and apple cider vinegar 😀
I didn’t know slaw could be this good, straight up. We had it with fish tacos last night but i’m eating leftovers by themselves.
I love the coleslaw. But I added a lot of black pepper to the recipe, and liked the slaw better. Before the pepper the cumin was too up-front for me. With the pepper, the cumin receded a bit, with a pleasing flavor complexity added by the pepper.
This was crazy good! Maybe my body needed the nutrients, but I couldn’t seem to get enough of it. Who knew coleslaw could be so good?! I used prepackaged carrots + cabbage and it was so easy.
What can I use if I don’t have Mayo please??
Hi! Sub with 1/2 cup sour cream with 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt mixed in. If you don’t have sour cream, you can put 1/2 cup heavy cream in a mason jar with 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. Close the jar and shake it up until the cream thickens. XOXO -Monti
I would use Greek yogurt, and increase the sugar by one half to one teaspoon. If it is too sour, add more sugar. Often for standard coleslaw I use half mayo and half Greek yogurt, without adding more sugar.
This is soooo good I’ve made it so many times ❤️ The tangy lime in the sauce makes it different to boring bland coleslaw, so yummy we love this. It’s my favourite coleslaw recipe ever
Cumin is an unusual ingredient in this, but once it got cold it was very yummy. I added cilantro.
I made this tonight and it was really good! Very fresh and light tasting with the cumin and lime. I used coleslaw mix already chopped up and it saved on time and wasn’t too expensive. Very easy. I’m not going back to coleslaw dressing from a bottle.
I love coleslaw and this recipe didn’t disappoint! I put it in a turkey sandwich with a sprinkle of caraway seeds.
Love this! We substituted canned coconut milk for the mayo due to allergies and it turned out great. :)
I used to hate coleslaw and this recipe converted me!
My husband smoked a brisket and we chopped up some of the leftovers for brisket tacos. Made this cole slaw to top them off- delicious!
lo adoro
Just mixed up a batch of this to go with fish tacos tonight. I included the zest from the lime (waste not!), subbed honey for sugar and chipotle for cayenne. My quality control.bite tasted great! Can’t wait to see how the flavors combine after a little fridge time.
Any thoughts on using a vinegar-based dressing rather than mayo? Partner doesn’t care for mayo, and I like the idea of reducing some calories.
I’ve wanted to develop a mayo-free coleslaw recipe for a while, but haven’t had the chance to test it yet.
I always substitute plain greek yogurt for mayo. Or you could try a lime dressing like ones used for apple jicama slaw. Heres a basic of what I usually start with.
2 T lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
2 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
2T avocado oil ( or of your choice)
1 T water
S&P to taste
I’d add the seasonings listed in the dressing above
Try plain Greek Yogurt
I love this. Upped the cayenne for personal preference, swapped green onions for a shallot because it’s what I had on hand. It is delightful!