A healthy coleslaw recipe, this Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries is made without mayo, with sweetened apples and dried cranberries. This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit.
clear bowl of Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries

This Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries is a delightful fresh end-of-summer salad to serve as a side dish! It’s also a vegan and gluten-free recipe. 

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Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries

With the simplest ingredeints, whipping up this healthy cabbage salad is as easy as 1, 2, 3! You can make the slaw and enjoy it right away, but it tastes even better after it sits for a good half hour or more in the fridge.

Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries with pasta

At our previous home in southern Oregon, we’d harvest beets in September every year from our huge garden. This was my favorite slaw to make with beets that was made with red cabbage. I’d whip up a delicious combination of cabbage, beets, grated apple, and dried cranberries (inspired by Bon Appetit) into probably our favorite slaw recipe. What a flavorful end-of-summer treat!

But, really, red cabbage slaw isn’t just for the fall, you can make it with pre-cooked beets (buy them at Trader Joe’s) and apples any time of year. It’s also a great heathy coleslaw recipe for summer cookouts and potlucks.

raw beets

Red cabbage slaw ingredients:

  • Shallot
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Shredded red cabbage
  • Cooked beets
  • Apple
  • Cranberries (we love the orange flavor from Trader Joe’s for this recipe)
  • Rice vinegar
  • Orange

The cranberries … I used orange cranberries (love how big and soft they are), which add an even fresher taste.

Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries

How to make red cabbage slaw

Mix together the shallot and the vinegar; set aside.
Chop the cabbage, shred the beets and the apple; mix together. Add the cranberries and the shallot and red wine vinegar mixture. Mix together and set aside for 10 minutes.
Drizzle with the rice vinegar and add the orange zest.
Toss and serve! (Optional to lightly salt if you want to bring out more flavor:)

pasta with cheese and Red Cabbage Beet Slaw

Late summer meal.

We tend to eat later in the autumn season, but there’s always something good cooking on the stove, in the oven, off the grill, or coming out of the crock pot. I just love fall cooking.

So for this dish, I served it with my easy Caprese Pasta Bake recipe, which it paired perfectly with. Sweet summer tomatoes, cheese, and basil with a zingy slaw! 

Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with pasta dinner

Leftover slaw?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will get less crunchy over time, but will still taste delicious.

The slaw will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and makes a great addition to a tuna sandwich. You can also serve it on lamb burgers, hot dogs, and pork sliders–so good!

close up of Red Cabbage Beet Slaw

Tips for making red beet slaw

  • To save yourself a TON of time, purchase pre-roasted beets (look for the Love Beets) and shredded red cabbage at the store.
  • I use a cheese grater for the apples, but you can also cut it into matchsticks or small cubes.
  • If you make the salad ahead, add the dressing, put it in the fridge, and then freshen it up with the lemon juice right before serving.
  • You can always shred your slaw ahead of time and store in a ziplock bag in the fridge.
  • Dress the salad right before serving.
  • Change up the red cabbage for green!
  • If you don’t have fresh garden beets like I used, save yourself time, and buy pre-roasted beets (look for the Love Beets or a similar brand at Trader Joe’s).
  • Another time saver is to buy shredded red cabbage at the store.

Happy end-of-summer cooking, Friends!

Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries | reluctantentertainer.com
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Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 3 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 2 large beets, cooked, peeled, finely chopped (or buy pre-cooked)
  • 1 large apple, preferably Honeycrisp, grated with the peel on
  • ½ cup dried orange flavored cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • Zest of orange

Instructions
 

  • Mix together the shallot and the vinegar; set aside.
  • Chop the cabbage, shred the beets and the apple; mix together. Add the cranberries and the shallot and red wine vinegar mixture. Mix together and set aside for 10 minutes.
  • Drizzle with the rice vinegar and add the orange zest.
  • Toss and serve! (Optional to lightly salt if you want to bring out more flavor.)

Notes

Previously posted September 2014.
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clear bowl of Red Cabbage Beet Slaw with Cranberries and a spoon