Classic Coleslaw Recipe with Mayo and Yogurt Dressing

Step-by-step recipe

1. Whatever the role of coleslaw – a salad, a snack, a fast food topping or a side dish – the main ingredient is always white cabbage. Sometimes it's the only ingredient apart from the dressing. Adding sweet carrot makes the dish much tastier and prettier. There are plenty of dressing variations around the world, but mayonnaise is still the most popular. Yogurt dressings are popular too, though.
   
2. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage – they're usually limp and often damaged. For a few servings, half or a quarter of a large head is enough. How you cut the cabbage is pretty much up to you. Most often it's shredded or sliced into thin strips with a knife. A mandoline shredder does the job perfectly and quickly.
   
3. It's best to use sweet carrots. Large carrots often have coarse flesh with a distinct grassy taste – better not to use those. In spring and summer, young carrots are the ideal choice. Grate the carrot on the coarse side of a grater or use a julienne slicer. Put the cabbage and carrot in a bowl, add a little salt and 0.5 tsp sugar. I recommend adding a pinch of sweet paprika. Mix gently so the cabbage doesn't release its juice – it's better to just toss the salad.
   
4. All that's left is the coleslaw dressing. Worth mentioning: for fast food, the salad is usually used as is, with the dressing added right before serving – the same ketchup and mayo that hot dogs get generously drizzled with. We make a simple dressing from easy-to-find ingredients: homemade or store-bought mayonnaise, thick yogurt or sour cream, Dijon mustard and freshly ground black pepper. Add a few drops of white wine vinegar. Mix thoroughly, and the dressing is ready.
   
5. All the ingredients should be cold, so keep the vegetables and dressing in the fridge. Combine the vegetables with the dressing just before serving. It's handy to mix with two long-handled spoons – that way the vegetables release less juice. In a properly made salad you won't notice any liquid at all. The dressing is thick enough that the salad doesn't turn watery. Serve it as a side dish, on its own or as a hot dog topping.
   
6. For extra ingredients, depending on your taste or preferences, you can use red cabbage, bell pepper, onion (preferably red), grated cheese, or fruit such as apple, pineapple, pear and so on. You can also dress the salad with just mayonnaise or just yogurt, heavy cream, soured milk or buttermilk.