Time:  5 min (+ refrigerating time)

Difficulty:  Easy

Festive Salad

It is perfect for serving with a traditional South African Braai, as well as serving it on a summer Christmas lunch table.

Basic Recipe for Coleslaw with Pineapple

Coleslaw recipe Braai salad recipe

Easy Coleslaw recipes that anyone can make

We got these coleslaw recipes from South Africa.  This is two family recipes that a friend kindly shared with us, and now we are sharing it with you. (with their permission)

Basic Ingredients:

  • A bag of ready sliced cabbage and carrots.
  • 1 Cup of your favorite mayonnaise
  • 1/3 Cup of White Sugar

Additional Ingredients:

  • Handful of raisins
  • Thinly sliced red or orange Sweet pepper
  • Can of Pineapple (drained)
  • Appel (grated)
  • Fresh Lemon juice

How to make coleslaw:

  1. Empty the mixed bag of cabbage and carrots in a very big bowl. 
  2. Now you can add the raisins, sweet pepper, and pineapple if you like (all according to your personal taste).
  3. If you like to add an apple, sprinkle the grated apple with a bit of lemon juice before adding it to the salad.  (I use all of the above.)
  4. Now mix the mayonnaise and sugar and then mix it into the cabbage mixture.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to mix.
How to make Coleslaw

Chef’s Tips:  You can add almonds and even finely chopped bananas. 

If you want to make it look very festive, serve it in a big cabbage leaf settled into a big glass bowl, and use green, red and yellow chopped sweet peppers.  

You can always add more carrots if the mixed bag you buy in the shop doesn’t have enough color.  Or add some red cabbage.

More Serving Suggestions:  In my opinion, it always looks best in a big glass bowl.  (The bigger the better.)  However, you can also serve it in small individual bowls or on a big platter board.

Recipe for Festive Coleslaw with apple and Cranberries

Basic Ingredients:

  • A bag of ready sliced cabbage and carrots. (about 500 g in total)
  • 1 Cup of your favorite mayonnaise
  • 1/3 Cup of White Sugar

Additional Ingredients:

  • A big handful of cranberries (about 
  • Thinly sliced red or orange Sweet pepper (or a combination of both)
  • Appel (very finely sliced – I like to keep the skin on)
  • Almonds (chopped)

To serve:

Extra chopped almonds and some raisins.

How to make it:

  • Empty the mixed bag/s of cabbage and carrots in a very big bowl. 
  • Mix in the mayonnaise and sugar.  (Add the mayonnaise little by little, in order not to add too much.  You just want to lightly cover everything, but not smother it.)
  • Add all the other ingredients as well (all according to your personal taste.  If you like more mayo or less, or more apple, etc. it is all up to you).
  • Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to mix.
  • Serve with an extra sprinkle of almonds and raisons on top.

Tip from the cook:

“You can really play around with this recipe.  Double the amount of Basic Ingredients to make a bigger bowl for a party and add as much additional ingredients as you like.  Some days I feel like adding a lot of raisons, other days I prefer more apple.  You can really do almost anything with this basic recipe.  Just try not to add too much mayonnaise.”

Planning a trip to South Africa?  Read our article on a hidden gem:  Italy and Paris in South Africa