This Healthy Cole Slaw is fat free and full of flavour! Cabbage, corn and peppers are mixed in a spicy, sweet and sour dressing.

I love coleslaw but I do shiver a bit about all that mayonnaise.
I was thrilled when I found a healthy coleslaw recipe years ago in the President's Choice BBQ Cookbook - with no added fat! I was even more thrilled when I tasted it - full of flavour and spicy! The down side is the President's Choice recipes were designed around their specific products, many of which are no longer available.
Chef's Tips
There is a lot of corn in this salad. You can use canned or frozen or fresh if in season. If I am using canned or frozen I add it as is...no cooking of the corn. If you want to use fresh I think you would want to microwave the corn in a zip log bag with a tablespoon of water for about 3 minutes before cutting the kernels off the cob.
I had to improvise when I wanted to make this again. The original recipe called for PC Memories of Thailand Fiery Thai Dipping Sauce that had quite a bite to it. I replace that with Oriental Chili Garlic Sauce a bit of Franks' Red Hot Sauce. There is also tang in the dressing from apple cider vinegar. A good hit of maple syrup offers the 'sweet' component of the sweet and sour final effect.
This salad comes in at 4 Weight Watcher Smart Points- because of the sugar content. If you want to slim it down you could reduce the sweet chili garlic sauce to 2 Tbsps from 4 to shave off a point per serving.
Not everyone is a fan of heat in their slaw so you can adjust to taste.
My husband thinks it is tangy enough just from the apple cider vinegar so he is not a fan of the addition of Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
If you like heat add the hot sauce and adjust to your taste. You could also add ½ teaspoon or so of dried red pepper flakes. When the hot sauce is in the dressing you get a bit of heat in every bite. With the pepper flakes it is a bit of heat here and there. The red pepper flakes are also a good way to suit different people's taste. Those who like the heat can add a pinch of the flakes to their portion and not affect the entire dish.
Storage
You can make this slaw well ahead of serving. The dressing tends to filter down to the bottom of the bowl but the cabbage stays quite crunchy. Just serve with a slotted spoon.
It keeps well in the fridge so leftovers are also great. It also makes a great picnic salad with no mayonnaise!
Other Related Recipes
Not the slaw for you?
How about this Creamy Sweet and Sour Cole Slaw...
or this Freezer Cole Slaw...
Ingredients
Slaw
- ½ head green cabbage
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels
- ½ cup sweet onion
- 1 sweet red pepper
Dressing
- ¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tbsps sweet chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot Sauce or to taste See Note 1 below. (Optional)
Instructions
- Shred cabbage. Finely dice onion and red pepper. Mix slaw ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Mix dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well till Dijon is incorporated.
- Toss salad and dressing. Refrigerate and remove salad from fridge about 20 minutes before serving.
Leave a Reply