Kale Slaw with Alabama White Sauce

Alabama white sauce kale slaw is a tangy, peppery alternative to sweet coleslaw. It’s great as a side or served on barbecue sandwiches.

Why use kale instead of cabbage

When making coleslaw, traditional recipes are made with shredded cabbage, because it holds up really well to sauce. Whereas, lettuces tend to get soggy once you apply dressing. 

Kale is an excellent alternative to cabbage, because its leaves are tender like lettuce, but they have they’re more meaty than iceberg or romaine, so they can take on your favorite sauce and still maintain crunch. 

It’s also packed with vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber. Plus, it’s high in antioxidants, so eating it may help reduce inflammation.

There are a few different types of kale.

• Lacinato kale (AKA Dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale): narrow, dark green leaves with a leathery texture.
• Curly kale: Bright green with tight frilly leaves.
• Red Russian kale: flat fringed leaves with purple steams and veins.
• Siberian kale: flat, blue-green leaves with frilly edges.
• Baby kale: small tender kale leaves, usually sold packaged, not on the stalk.

I’m the first to admit, I am not a kale expert. When I go to the grocery, I just look for a bunch that has curly green leaves.

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How to prep kale

When making cabbage-based coleslaw, you have to remove the core of the cabbage, because it’s pretty tough. The same principle is true with kale. Each leaf grows on a stem, and the stems themselves are rather tough. 

Separate the kale and rinse it in the sink to remove any dirt or sand. Then, grab the stem at the base and run your knife up and along the stem, allowing the leaf portion to fall off. Discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves.

How long can you store kale slaw

Pour the Alabama White Sauce over the kale leaves and toss to coat.

Alabama White Sauce is a dressing made with mayo, vinegar, apple juice, horseradish, salt and pepper, plus garlic, mustard, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce.

PRO TIP: If you prefer a vegan kale slaw recipe, either omit the mayo and use olive oil or use vegan mayonnaise. 

The slaw ingredients will start to pick up the sweet notes from the carrots and a bite from the red onions. If you want it to taste sweeter, add cranberries or raisins.

I like to let the flavors marry together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, but it can also be made a day in advance if you like to meal prep. I do recommend eating it all within three days. Otherwise the leaves will get softer as they start to wilt. 

This crunchy kale slaw recipe makes about 4 cups of salad, which will give you eight 1/2 cup servings. You can eat it as an entree, as a side or served on top of Smoked BBQ Pulled Turkey Sandwiches. 

The flavors of this dressing also go great with other protein like pork and chicken.

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More Side Dish Recipes

• Fresh Grilled Vegetable Spring Salad
• Classic Potato Salad
• Best Baked Beans
• Kale Salad with Mangos