This cranberry-pecan Thanksgiving slaw recipe is so delicious! A zesty vinaigrette adds flavor to the crunchy and fresh slaw ingredients.
The perfect compliment to starchy, heavy Thanksgiving foods, this light and refreshing slaw recipe is incredibly tasty and can stay fresh for hours since the cabbage doesn’t wilt!
The Perfect Vinaigrette for Slaw
While traditional coleslaw usually has a creamy dressing, this vinaigrette for this zesty, refreshing Thanksgiving slaw is vinegar-based adding sweet and tangy flavors to the crunchy veggies.
- neutral-flavored oil
- apple cider vinegar
- pure maple syrup or honey
- Dijon mustard
- salt
How to Slice Cabbage for Slaw
You’ll need about 10 cups thinly sliced cabbage for this recipe. You can buy pre-shredded cabbage – if so, look for thinly sliced cabbage. It works better in this recipe than chunky pieces.
How to slice cabbage:
- Cut the head of cabbage in half
- Trim out the core
- Turn each half of cabbage cut-side down and thinly slice crosswise into thin shreds
You can also use a shredding disc on a food processor for even quicker work (and thinner shreds), if you’d like.
The slaw itself has just a few ingredients: cabbage, dried cranberries, pecans, parsley and red onions.
- Red Onion: if you want to tone down the pungent bite of the red onions, either toss them in with the dressing and let sit for 10 to 20 minutes OR soak the onions in ice water for 10 minutes (drain, pat dry and use in the recipe).
- Pecans: you can sub sliced almonds for the pecans. I highly recommend toasting the nuts before using them in the slaw recipe.
- Make-Ahead: this Thanksgiving slaw does quite well at room temperature for up to 2 hours since the cabbage won’t wilt, or it can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours. If you need to make it a day in advance, prep all the ingredients and refrigerate separately from the dressing. Combine the salad and dressing 1 to 2 hours before serving.
This Thanksgiving slaw is so fantastic!
Judging by the fact that I stood by the bowl and continuously shoveled it in my mouth for a solid five minutes during recipe testing should tell you just how yummy it is. I literally couldn’t tear myself away.
With the crunchy, fresh, tangy-sweet flavors and textures, it makes the perfect accompaniment to a holiday meal filled with tasty, hearty, often-heavy foods.
And despite the name, this slaw shouldn’t be relegated to Thanksgiving only. It deserves to be devoured any day of the year!
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Thanksgiving Slaw
Vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup neutral-flavored oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, avocado)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
Slaw:
- 10 cups finely shredded cabbage (from 1 medium head green cabbage, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
- 1 cup toasted pecans or sliced almonds (see note)
- 1 cup dried cranberries (i.e. craisins)
- ¼ to ½ cup finely diced red onion (see note!)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Prevent your screen from going dark
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For the vinaigrette, in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until well-combined. Set aside.
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In a serving bowl, toss together the cabbage, pecans (or almonds), cranberries, onion and parsley.
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Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss to combine evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.
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Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving. Give the slaw a quick toss to recombine ingredients right before serving if made ahead.
Cabbage: you can use pre-shredded coleslaw/cabbage in place of slicing the cabbage yourself. Look for thinly sliced pre-packaged coleslaw/cabbage.
Red Onions: if you want to tone down the pungent bite of the red onions, either toss them in with the dressing and let sit for 10 to 20 minutes OR soak the onions in ice water for 10 minutes (drain, pat dry and use in the recipe).
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 164mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 16g
Recipe Source: sent to me by a reader, Tami S., last year – I altered the recipe slightly (inspired by this recipe and this recipe)
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