Mediterranean Coleslaw

$7.21 recipe / $1.20 serving
by Beth - Budget Bytes
4.81 from 26 votes
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HELLO, NEW FAVORITE! Sorry about the caps, but I’m really excited about this Mediterranean Coleslaw. It’s so freaking delicious. This coleslaw is actually very similar to my Marinated Cauliflower Salad, but with a coleslaw (shredded cabbage and carrot) base instead of cauliflower, and a more lemon-y dressing. It’s fresh, crisp, colorful, and the perfect side dish for dinners or potlucks!

Overhead view of an oval serving dish with mediterranean coleslaw and tongs

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What is Colesaw Mix?

This recipe uses bagged “coleslaw mix” that you can purchase in most grocery stores in the U.S. It’s simply a mix of shredded green cabbage and carrots. While I don’t use convenience products like this often, I find that coleslaw mix is extremely convenient, usually very inexpensive, and doesn’t leave me with ½ head of leftover cabbage.

If you do want to use fresh cabbage, you’ll need about six cups of shredded cabbage (loosely packed) and one shredded carrot.

What to Serve with Mediterranean Coleslaw

I think this slaw would make a great side dish to burgers (particularly my Mediterranean Turkey Burgers), Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables, or even Beef Kofta Meatballs. Or, make it part of a vegetarian platter with Herby Potato Salad and some Hummus.

You could also pile this coleslaw into a wrap with some Garlic Marinated Chicken to make a wrap sandwich. Or top the Mediterranean Coleslaw with some Garlic Butter Shrimp and make it a meal salad.

How Are The Leftovers?

As with any coleslaw, the cabbage will begin to wilt as it is refrigerated. I enjoyed the leftovers of this coleslaw for about two days before it got a little too limp for my tastes. You’ll definitely want to give it a stir every time before serving to make sure the dressing and all the flavors get redistributed.

Close up of mediterranean coleslaw in tongs with the serving dish in the background
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Mediterranean Coleslaw

4.81 from 26 votes
This bright and fresh Mediterranean Coleslaw has a light lemony dressing (no mayo!) and a medley of crunchy and colorful vegetables.
Side view of mediterranean coleslaw in a serving dish
Servings 5 1 cup each
Prep 20 minutes
Total 20 minutes

Ingredients

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.42)
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice ($0.18)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
  • 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
  • 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)

Salad

  • 16 oz. coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) ($1.69)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced ($0.75)
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley ($0.23)
  • 1 2.25oz. can sliced black olives ($1.50)
  • 1/2 12oz. jar banana pepper rings ($1.00)
  • 2 oz. feta, crumbled ($1.25)
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Instructions 

  • Prepare the lemon garlic vinaigrette first. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl or jar. Whisk until combined, or close the jar and shake until combined. Set the dressing aside.
  • Dice the bell pepper and chop the parsley. Add the coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots), bell pepper, black olives (drained), banana peppers, feta, and parsley in a large bowl.
  • Pour the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients then toss until everything is combined and coated in dressing. Let the slaw sit for 15 minutes before serving. Stir one last time just before serving to redistribute the vinaigrette.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 15gSodium: 482mgFiber: 3g
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Side view of mediterranean coleslaw in a serving dish

How to Make Mediterranean Coleslaw – Step by Step Photos

Lemon Vinaigrette in a bowl with a fork

Prepare the lemon garlic vinaigrette first. Combine ¼ cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl or jar. Whisk until combined, or close the jar and shake until combined. Set the dressing aside.

prepped vegetables for mediterranean slaw in a bowl

Dice ½ a red bell pepper and chop about ¼ cup fresh parsley. Drain the black olives. Add one 16oz. bag coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) to a large bowl along with the bell pepper, parsley, black olives, about ½ jar of banana peppers, and 2 oz. crumbled feta.

Lemon garlic vinaigrette being poured over salad ingredients

Pour the prepared lemon garlic vinaigrette over the salad ingredients in the bowl.

Finished mediterranean coleslaw in a bowl with tongs

Toss the ingredients together until everything is combined and coated in the vinaigrette. Let the salad sit for about 15 minutes for the flavors to combine, then toss once again before serving.

Overhead view of mediterranean coleslaw in an oval serving dish with tongs in the side
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Comments

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  1. What a great looking version of cole slaw. I’ll have to try this out for summer bbqs.

  2. This. Was. Delish! Paired with the Black Bean Burger Patties (original recipe with Worcestershire of course) and your Mushroom rice… Mwuah! So good! I actually omitted the peppers bc I didn’t have them but added in some finely chopped red onion. Very good recipe. Thank you. I also followed some comments advice about waiting to add certain ingredients e.g. the dressing till later when you’re ready to eat except the only thing I omitted was the feta till the serving of the dish bc I think leaving the dressing on the hearty cabbage and carrots really helped to kind of soften and pickle them a little bit before eating. I’m excited to have some today (the following morning) to see how the flavors have developed overnight. Thank you for the recipe. I like how this was a twist on the conventional Asian style cabbage slaws grocery stores tend to lean towards in their bagged salads. Keep coming out with new variations, please! Always a fan of how simple but delish your recipes are and how as a new cook, I can practice my hand at tweaking them to our family’s liking!

  3. Hi! If I were to make this recipe meal prep style to eat throughout the week, would you keep the dressing on the side and add it in the morning before I am going to eat it?

    1. It just depends if you prefer the salad to be really crunchy or not. If you want it to stay super crunchy definitely keep the dressing on the side. If you prefer your cabbage a little softened (sometimes it’s easier to digest that way), you can dress it ahead of time and let the dressing wilt the cabbage. :)

  4. I can’t stand soggy salads or slaws, so I just kept the dressing separate and my husband and I just dressed our slaw at the table. It was delicious and stayed crunchy for a couple of days. Yum.

  5. THIS WAS DELICIOUS – I have made it no less than 5 times in the last 2 weeks (without black olives). One of your best yet! thank you.

  6. I love a good coleslaw. 
    The vinaigrette didn’t have quite the kick and balance I like so I added 1 tbsp each of honey and apple cider vinegar.
    Subbed feta for capers  because I was out.
    Tripled the parsley

  7. I was in a rush preparing a dinner for a friend, so I got the premade slaw kit at Trader Joe’s (it included their honey dressing). So I just added the sliced olives, parsley, sliced bell pepper, and the feta cheese. It was excellent and went very well with the lasagna I’d made!!! It was a hit for my friend and her family! Thank you! Now I’ll try it with your lemon
    vinaigrette dressing!!!

  8. Loved the slaw!  My mother enjoyed it as well.  I shredded my own cabbage and added shredded carrots as none of the bagged slaw at my local grocer looked good.  A little extra work, but not too much.  It ages well, mom prefers it after it has a chance to sit in the dressing for a few days.  Will be making this again.

  9. We loved this! It was a nice change up from your typical slaws. Great with grilled sweet Italian sausages!!

  10. … hmmm… ideas still coming… could add canned tuna to the braised veggie/rice combo… ?

  11. Will try this… but also wonder if the limp leftovers could be gently ‘cooked’,… i.e., braised, simmerec, etc. until the veggies are tender. Sounds like a ‘sin’, but I think it might be an improvement over soggy raw vegs. Hmmm…. Serve the ‘cooked’ veggies over rice?

  12. This turned out great! I made a double batch of the dressing and used it to marinate chicken thighs to go with it.

  13. This looks so good! I am going to the store to get everything to make it tonight!

  14. This sounds seriously amazing, and will be the next Coleslaw I make.  The flavor must be out of this world!  I’m sure we’ll love it.