Remember my famous Best Healthy Coleslaw Ever recipe? The one made without ANY mayo that’s perfect served with all of your fav summer grilling recipes? Well, this beauty is the coleslaw’s *spicy*, fancy, extra special twin that I couldn’t stop eating straight from the bowl.
Summer is all about packing in beautiful, fresh produce at every meal, and this super fresh, hella crunchy cucumber jalapeño cabbage slaw is the best way to do that. All of these gorgeous veggies get tossed in a light dressing that adds a little sweetness to every bite, and then BOOM you’re ready to top burgers, sandwiches (hint: new recipe coming in a few days), proteins, or just to eat it by the forkful.
I know you’ll be making this one again and again all season long. Whip it up this weekend for your dinner or BBQ and enjoy!
Ingredients in this cucumber jalapeño cabbage slaw
We’re packing in tons of freshness with a rainbow of crunchy veggies, then tossing them in a simple, flavorful dressing. There’s NO mayo involved (or needed) to make the best slaw ever! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Produce: get tons of crunch from shredded cabbage, Persian cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, scallions, and jalapeño.
- For the dressing: instead of traditional mayo, we’re whisking together a dressing made with lime juice, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, a little honey, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Easy ingredient swaps
This cucumber cabbage slaw is easy to customize with ingredients you might already have on hand. Here’s what I can recommend for swapping:
- For the veggies: feel free to add more of one veggie and less of another depending on what you like and what you have! For example, if you’re out of carrots you can easily replace the amount with more shredded cabbage, etc.
- For the sesame oil: I love the rich flavor that toasted sesame oil adds to the dressing, but you can also use olive oil.
- For the rice vinegar: a little rice vinegar adds sweetness and acidity to the slaw, but you can use apple cider vinegar instead.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes! As-is, this slaw is not vegan because of the honey, but you can easily swap it for a little sugar or maple syrup instead to make the recipe vegan.
Beautiful cucumber jalapeño slaw in 3 easy steps
- Toss the veggies. Add all of your shredded and sliced produce to a large bowl and toss well to mix them up.
- Make the dressing. In another small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
- Mix the slaw. Pour the dressing over the veggies, toss to combine, then serve!
Delicious ways to serve this slaw
- Top burgers like these Jalapeño Curry Turkey Burgers or these Moroccan-Spiced Turkey Burgers
- Add it to sandwiches like these Grilled Tahini Chicken Caesar Sandwiches or these Incredible Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
- Pile it high on your fav proteins like this Grilled Jalapeño Cilantro Chicken, this Grilled Sesame Chicken, or this Sticky, Sweet & Spicy Grilled Ginger Chicken
Get even more grilling inspo here!
Storing tips
This particular cucumber jalapeño slaw is best when enjoyed the day of because the cucumber tends to break down over time. If you know you’re not going to use it all, I recommend making it ahead of time, leaving the cucumber out, and storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay good for up to 5 days, and you can toss in the sliced cucumber when you’re ready to serve it.
More side dishes you’ll love
- Tony’s Melt-In-Your-Mouth Grilled Brussels Sprouts
- Honey Lime Basil Peach Fruit Salad
- Vegan Caesar Salad
- Spicy Green Feta Sauce
- Homemade Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Get all of my side dish recipes here!
I hope you love this cucumber jalapeño cilantro cabbage slaw! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Cucumber Jalapeño Cilantro Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- 2 ½ to 3 cups shredded cabbage (a mix of red and green is great!)
- 1 heaping cup julienned persian cucumbers (from 2 persian cucumbers)
- ½ cup julienned carrots
- ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced (seeds removed if desired)
- 1 small lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar works too!)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (or sub olive oil)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons honey, to taste
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the cabbage, cucumber, carrots, cilantro, scallions and jalapeno. Toss with tongs to combine.
- In a small bowl, add the lime juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey and garlic. Whisk together until well combined.
- Pour the dressing all over the veggies and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately. Salad is best the day it is made.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had cucumber jalapeno cilantro cabbage slaw before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
This slaw is a fresh, light and flavorful accompaniment for summertime meals! I subbed matchstick- cut green apples for the cucumbers(they weren’t looking great) and it was also very tasty the next day probably b/c the cucumbers didn’t water it down. I hope you will be doing some tv promos for the new book, looking forward to more deliciousness.