This crunchy miso slaw is ready to be your go-to coleslaw recipe for picnics, potlucks and summer dinners. Miso paste adds salty, rich flavor so your coleslaw will never be bland and under-seasoned again!
The creamy miso dressing is tangy and lightly sweetened with honey. A touch of mayonnaise makes the dressing very similar to classic coleslaw dressing.
This creamy umami-packed coleslaw is a perfect side with Instant Pot pulled pork, grilled chicken, burgers and sausage. It's also delicious piled onto a crunchy tofu sandwich!
The secret ingredient in this creamy dressing is yellow miso paste. Once you open a container of miso, it will stay fresh in the refrigerator for months. But there's no reason to let it sit for months! I have several easy recipes that will use up the miso paste you buy for this slaw.
You can use miso paste as an ingredient in other recipes like miso butter salmon, miso butter sweet potatoes, Instant Pot mushroom barley soup or miso mushroom pasta.
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Miso Slaw Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Two Ways to Cut Cabbage for Coleslaw
If you're cutting a whole head of cabbage for coleslaw, there are two ways to slice it: very thinly or in smaller, crunchier chunks.
Shredded: If you like coleslaw made from very thinly sliced cabbage, then use the slicing blade on a food processor to slice the cabbage. Most food processors have a 2-in-1 slicing/shredding blade. Make sure to insert the blade with the raised slicing blade facing up.
The benefit of using the slicing blade for cabbage is that it's an easy way to slice cabbage very thinly. The downside is that very thinly sliced cabbage loses its crunch faster and this type of coleslaw will have a softer texture that doesn't stay crisp.
If you flip the slicing blade over, you'll see the shredding blades. The shredding blades look similar to a cheese grater and can be used to grate vegetables like carrots. This side of the blade can be used to grate carrots that can also be added to the slaw, if you like carrots in your slaw.
Confetti Chopped: If you really like crunchy cabbage, then use a knife to "confetti chop" the cabbage. This makes small, thick chunks of cabbage that don't get soggy in a creamy dressing. Confetti chopped cabbage is easy to eat with a spoon, which is my preferred way to eat coleslaw and salad!
Step-by-Step Instructions
For detailed instructions & ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1: Combine shredded cabbage and carrot in a large bowl.
Step 2: Mash together yellow miso paste and rice vinegar.
Step 3: Whisk in the remaining dressing ingredients (mayo, honey and oil).
Step 4: Right before serving, toss the creamy miso dressing with the cabbage and carrot.
Storage and Leftovers
This slaw tastes best if the dressing is tossed into the cabbage right before eating. It will stay fresh for several days in the refrigerator. However, thinly sliced cabbage will get soft and soggy fairly quickly. Chopping the cabbage into small pieces (rather than slicing it thinly) will keep the slaw crunchier longer.
More Slaw Recipes
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Miso Slaw
This crunchy miso slaw is ready to be your go-to coleslaw recipe for picnics, potlucks and summer dinners. Miso paste adds salty, rich flavor so your coleslaw will never be bland and under-seasoned again!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Asian American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced or confetti chopped (see notes below)
- 2 carrots, peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoons yellow miso
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon sunflower oil
Instructions
- Combine the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl use a fork to mash the miso and rice vinegar into a smooth paste.
- Use a whisk to whisk in mayonnaise, honey and oil until smooth.
- Toss the dressing with the shredded cabbage and carrots. For the crunchiest coleslaw, wait to dress the cabbage until right before serving.
Notes
The easiest way to thinly slice cabbage is to use the slicing blade on a food processor (or buy pre-shredded coleslaw mix from the grocery store). If you like crunchier slaw, then "confetti chop" the cabbage. This means using a knife to chop the cabbage into small, thick chunks that are easy to scoop up with a spoon.
This slaw tastes best if the dressing is tossed into the cabbage right before eating. It will stay fresh for several days in the refrigerator. However, thinly sliced cabbage will get soft and soggy fairly quickly. Chopping the cabbage into small pieces (rather than slicing it thinly) will keep the slaw crunchier longer.
You can substitute white miso paste for the yellow paste. However, don't use red miso which has a stronger, saltier flavor.
Jen
This is my go-to recipe now when I want a "traditional" coleslaw. Miso is a secret ingredient that really boosts the flavor.