Fennel and Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (2024)

Published: · by Julia Mueller · Updated: · This post may contain affiliate links.

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It wasn't until I started making slaw myself that I began to understand its merit.I never could get on board with mayo-drenched cabbage, but tossing fresh in-season vegetables together with zesty dressing makes for a flavorful, healthful slaw that is utterly addicting. As in I'm-eating-slaw-for-dinner, back-away-from-my-slaw, #slawfordays, I-can't-get-no-slawtisfaction, we're-getting-slawshed sort of addicting.

I'm just going to call a spade a spade: this slaw made me want to date myself. As in pat-myself-on-the-back, dang-I-look-good, who's-that-lady, wine-and-dine-me date myself. I loved how simple yet flavorful and refreshing the recipe turned out to be and was too busy eating it by the forkful to bother putting it on anything. I used Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise, which gave the slaw a nice creamy tang and kept it light.


If you're new to fennel, no need to be scared! Fennel is a spring vegetable (so get it while the gettin's good!) with a very unique flavor. Both the fennel bulb and seeds have a peppery, anise-like taste, which is delicious in soups, salads, slaw, and stir fry. When you buy fennel, look for a bulb that is firm and very white. Fennel bulbs begin to turn brown as they get older, and while they are still very usable in this state, the freshest bulbs are the hard, white ones. Because fennel is so firm, I like to slice the bulb very thinly when I use it in salads. When fennel is cooked in soup or stir fry, it has a similar consistency to onion and gives a wonderful depth of flavor to a dish.

Fennel slaw is the perfect accompaniment to your springtime meals. It's full of vibrant spring vegetables with tasty dressing and funky fun sesame and poppy seeds. And no mayonnaise! It adds flavor and texture to your burgers, sandwiches, and tacos. But if like me, you have not the patience to actually prepare food upon which to place the slaw, the fork-to-mouth approach works just dandy too.

Now get thee a fennel bulb and no-mayo yourself some slaw!

Recipe

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (3)

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw

A light, refreshing springtime slaw made with fresh fennel.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: coleslaw recipe, Fennel and Cabbage Slaw

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 64kcal

Author: Oh My Veggies

Ingredients

  • ½ medium red cabbage sliced (about 4 cups)
  • 2 large carrots peeled and grated
  • 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions sliced
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt or Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Toss the cabbage, carrots, fennel, and green onions in a large bowl.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make a dressing for the slaw. Pour the dressing over the veggies and mix well.

  • Serve on your favorite veggie burger, sandwich, or taco, or alongside your favorite main dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 480mgPotassium: 456mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4311IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 1mg

Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!

« This Week's Meatless Meal Plan | 04.07.14

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Fennel and Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (4)

About Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller writes the food blog, The Roasted Root, and is the author of Delicious Probiotic Drinks and Let Them Eat Kale!. A Lake Tahoe native, Julia loves to play outdoors, and enjoys developing recipes that are nutrient-dense and approachable to make any night of the week.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. dishing up the dirt says

    Julia I love this slaw. The fennel is such a wonderful addition. The crunch and creaminess of this sound fantastic!!!

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Thanks, Andrea! If you and Taylor grow fennel on the farm, you should definitely uproot one and give this recipe a go! Hope you had an excellent weekend!

      Reply

  2. Alexis @ Hummusapien says

    So much yumtasticness is one bowl! Loving all the colorful veggies and the creamy yogurt sauce all mixed up with the little seedies. Spring has sprunnnggg!

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Ohhhhh yeah, the slaw has spring written all over it! It's be perfect for topping one of your scrumptious veggie burgers!! 😀

      Reply

  3. Anne|Craving Something Healthy says

    I love the flavor of fennel in a salad, and can't wait to try this! So pretty too 🙂

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Thanks, Anne! I just love how vibrant the colors are - definitely a cheerful slaw for coming out of the long winter months. So glad you're a fellow fennel-lover!

      Reply

  4. Hari Chandana says

    Lovely combination.. great clicks!!

    Reply

  5. Joanne says

    I'm definitely super iffy on fennel and it's licorice-y flavor, but I can't walk away from a mayo-free slaw!! They are just way too few and far between.

    Reply

    • Julia says

      Yeah, I can see how fennel isn't for everyone. You could just add some extra cabbage to the recipe and take out the fennel altogether if you'd like 😀 It'd still be great!

      Reply

  6. Jill says

    Hi this looks wonderful- what I use instead of yogurt to make this dairy free?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Hi Jill, that's a great question. I'd skip the yogurt altogether and use a lemon-olive oil dressing. I'd start with 3 tbl olive oil and 3 tbl fresh lemon juice and see how that tastes. You can also try using coconut milk yogurt, but I can't stand the stuff. Let me know how it works out for ya 🙂

      Reply

      • Jill says

        Thank you so much for your advice- I am new to this vegan cooking thing and I appreciate your wonderful blog!
        Xoxo

        Reply

  7. Rae Duarte says

    I found this over on foodgawker while looking for a recipe to use up the extra fennel I had sitting in my refrigerator. What an absolute delight this slaw was! I paired with with a Dutch fennel gratin and it was perfect. The yogurt sauce perfectly complimented the tartness of the fennel and lemon. Yums!

    Reply

    • Julia Mueller says

      Yaaaay! So happy you made and enjoyed it, Rae! It really is such a flavorful and healthful slaw. Definitely perfect for this time of year! I'm going to a BBQ this weekend and am thinking I'll have to make another batch of this to share with my friends 😀 Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback!

      Reply

  8. Alyssa says

    I used kohlrabi instead of fennel (using what the garden gave!), and a shallot instead of green onions. It turned out beautifully! Super fresh. I love that yogurt/mustard/lemon dressing so much I could drink it through a straw on its own. Yum!

    Reply

  9. Melissa Nassif says

    Beautiful salad thanks for sharing. I added some crunchy fresh apply and served with pork fillet. Delicious

    Reply

Something to say? Leave a comment.

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between cabbage slaw and coleslaw? ›

While cabbage salad often consists only of one vegetable seasoned and dressed, coleslaw can include a few other ingredients like shredded veggies, fruits, or seasonings to give some variety to the dish. While both feature cabbage as the star of the show, the different dressings set the two apart.

What is fennel slaw made of? ›

Toss the fennel, cabbage, scallions, and bacon together in a medium bowl. Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, fennel fronds, sugar, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a small bowl. Add the dressing to the slaw and toss to coat.

Can you eat raw fennel? ›

Every part of it is edible, from the bulb to the flowers, and it can be eaten raw or cooked. Though the stalks and leaves are edible, fennel recipes most often call for the bulb. When raw, it has a crisp texture similar to celery and a fresh licorice flavor.

Why is KFC coleslaw so good? ›

Fresh ingredients are key to a good slaw, and KFC does alright for a fast food restaurant. You won't find any wilted cabbage pieces, and the carrots are nice and hard as well. What's more, KFC finely dices everything so you don't have to chew that much, and all the flavors and textures blend perfectly.

What shreds cabbage to make coleslaw? ›

Shred cabbage with a box grater

(We like these flexible chopping mats that make pouring cabbage into a pot or bowl easy.) Then, hold the flat side of the cabbage head against the largest holes on the box grater and slide the cabbage down over the holes. Repeat until the cabbage is shredded.

Why do chefs use fennel so much? ›

Though often overlooked by home cooks, this versatile ingredient is beloved by chefs for its pleasantly sweet, fresh flavor and mild aromatic character.

What is the main ingredient in fennel? ›

A raw fennel bulb is 90% water, 1% protein, 7% carbohydrates, and contains negligible fat.

Why do you soak fennel in water? ›

If you're especially sensitive to licorice flavor, you may even find raw fennel to be too pungent for your tastes. To tone down the flavor, Chowhound suggests slicing or chopping fennel and soaking it in water for half an hour.

Do you have to peel fennel? ›

Wash, then trim off the green tops (they can be used as a garnish). Slice off the shoots and root and peel off the tougher outer layer (if the bulb is particularly young and tender you can leave this layer on).

Does fennel need to be washed? ›

The first step to preparing fennel is to give it a good rinse under cold water. Once rinsed, trim away the long green stalks protruding from the bulb with a sharp knife. The stalks tend to be rather bitter, and are typically discarded. For a nice bright green garnish for your dish, reserve some of the green fronds.

Who should not eat fennel? ›

Hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Fennel might act like estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by estrogen, do not use fennel.

What does fennel do for a woman's body? ›

Some women find relief from bloating and pain when incorporating fennel seeds into their diet during their periods. However, individual responses can vary, and it's essential to consult with a healthcare provider for personalized guidance on managing menstrual issues.

Does fennel make you gassy? ›

In many parts of the world, it's common to eat a little bit of fennel after a meal to aid with digestion and relieve gassiness. Fennel has been shown to help with digestion by reducing inflammation in the bowels and decreasing bacteria that cause gassiness.

Why is coleslaw now called slaw? ›

Whatever the reason for the formation, people familiar with the food item began tinkering with its name. For instance, the Latin-based cole was substituted for cold and the spelling variant slaugh was used with cold or cole. The name was also chopped to slaw or slaugh.

What is cabbage slaw made of? ›

For the Slaw Mix: Combine cabbage, onion, carrot, and parsley in a large bowl, leaving plenty of room to toss (you may have to use 2 large bowls if your bowls are not large enough). Sprinkle with sugar and salt and toss to combine.

What does "slaw" mean? ›

Slaw is a cold salad commonly made from sliced or chopped raw vegetables, especially cabbage or carrots, mixed with a dressing made with mayonnaise or vinegar.

Why did KFC stop selling coleslaw? ›

The fast food chain was forced to stop selling its coleslaw tubs when a supply issue meant the slaw would have to be served up without the dressing. “We are currently experiencing a supply issue with our KFC coleslaw dressing,” a KFC spokesperson said. The slaw is made up of cabbage and carrots coated in mayonnaise.

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