Tropical coleslaw is full of flavor, made without mayo, and can be served with a variety of meals. It’s light, refreshing, and great for warmer months. 

Even though the vibrant color will catch your eye, the taste is even better. I love that the dressing is more of a vinaigrette than mayonnaise or Greek yogurt based. This is a great side dish, but we also love it on burgers and sandwiches to add an extra punch of flavor. 

Salads are a go-to in the summertime around here. They are refreshing, simple to make, and most of the time you don’t even have to turn the oven on (another plus in my book). We love Mediterranean Cucumber Salad and Tuna Pesto Pasta Salad.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• Dijon mustard

• Honey

• Jalapeno pepper – these are optional but add just enough spicy to balance out the flavors. 

• red wine vinegar

• minced garlic – if you don’t have fresh cloves, use garlic powder instead. 

• extra-virgin olive oil – this is the best type of oil to use for dressings. 

Salad:

• Cabbage – I used shredded Napa Savoy, green, and red cabbage.

• Mango – be sure it’s ripe. 

• Carrot – to save on time you can grab a bag from the produce section. 

• Scallions 

• Spices: parsley, black pepper, salt

How to Make Tropical Coleslaw 

Whisk the mustard, honey, red wine vinegar, jalapeno, garlic, and oil together in a small bowl. 

To a large mixing bowl, add the cabbage, mango, carrot, and spices. Then stir together. 

Pour the dressing over top of the coleslaw and toss until coated. 

Tips for Making

• You can use just green cabbage instead of it and the purple. However, the purple color really shines once you get the slaw plated up, 
• For a softer slaw, refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. 
• Serve immediately for crisp slaw. 
• If you need to make the dressing sweeter, add a little more honey. 

What to Serve With

Serve alongside broiled scallops or Instant Pot shrimp for a coastal feel. You can also add a scoopful to pulled chicken or pork sandwiches and burgers. 

How to Store 

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The longer it sits, the softer it will be. Also, if you use red cabbage, don’t be alarmed when you see a pinkish tint in the dressing. It’s just the color bleeding from the cabbage. 

More Delicious Summer Sides: 

• Pineapple Habanero Salsa
• Coconut Lime Rice
• Pickled Celery
• Greek Vegetables

Tropical Coleslaw

Tropical coleslaw is full of flavor, made with mayo, and can be served with a variety of meals. It’s light, refreshing, and great for warmer months.

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Abbie

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1/2 Jalapenos pepper minced (optional)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

• 6 cups cored and shredded Napa Savoy green, and/or red cabbage
• 1 Large Ripe Mango peeled and julienned
• 1 Large Carrot grated
• 2-3 scallions diced
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix together Dijon, honey, jalapeno, red wine vinegar, garlic, and oil.
• In a large bowl, add cabbage, mango, carrot, pepper, parsley, and salt and mix together.
• Add dressing and serve immediately for a crispy/crunchy slaw. Chill at least one hour or overnight for a softer slaw.

Video