Creamy Tangy Apple Slaw With Blue Cheese Recipe

There's something about a fresh slaw that hits the spot as a summer side dish alongside your favorite barbecue entrees. That said, standard coleslaw can start to feel a little basic when you're eating it weekend after weekend. So the next time you're looking to freshen up your favorite sides, try this creamy and tangy apple slaw on for size. "I love how fresh it is," explains recipe developer Jennine Rye. "I find standard coleslaw OK, but it's often a bit boring. The addition of apple adds such a delicious sweetness and fruity freshness to the recipe, and the blue cheese adds creaminess and a real depth of flavor, making it a far superior coleslaw in my humble opinion!" 

This slaw is also an incredibly easy recipe to whip up, requiring only about 15 minutes of prep work — most of which is slicing and dicing the apples and veggies. And to that end, it's an easy recipe to double, triple, or even quadruple as needed. As written, it serves up to 6, but it can easily be beefed up to feed a party-sized crowd for all your summer plans.

Before you start mixing and chopping, check your fridge and pantry for common staples required in the dressing for this recipe, including mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. For the salad itself, you'll need a carrot, red cabbage, white cabbage, a red onion, apples, blue cheese, and fresh parsley.

As for what apple types would be a good fit for this recipe, Rye uses Gala for "their crispness and sweetness, as well as their beautiful red skin." She goes on, "Jazz apples also work well, as do Bramleys, and if you really want to lean into the tang, then go for Granny Smith apples. The salad won't be as visually striking, but the flavor will be great."

The first step is to whip up the dressing for the slaw. You'll simply mix together the mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. You can add those last 2 seasonings to taste, so make sure you test the flavor of the dressing to make sure it's where you want it to be. Also, keep in mind that the acidic apple cider vinegar and lemon juice play an important role not only in flavor, but also in keeping the apples fresh-looking rather than brown, so it's best not to skip or adjust those ingredients.

Next up, it's time to get chopping. Grate your carrot and slice up your cabbages and the red onion. Put them all in a large bowl. Then, chop the apples and add them to the same bowl. It's important to make sure you chop the fruit last so it doesn't start to oxidize and turn brown before you mix it with the dressing, Rye explains. Once the apples are mixed in the salad, she says, "they last really well."

With the apples and veggies sliced, pour the dressing on top and mix everything thoroughly so the fruit and veggies are fully coated. Finally, add the blue cheese and parsley to the bowl, mixing it all again to combine the ingredients. 

It's now ready to serve! "This coleslaw is a great side dish for many different meals, especially during the summertime. It's a great accompaniment for barbecues, on any salad bar, at a picnic, or as an offering for a potluck meal," suggests Rye. "It's also great with baked potatoes, grilled or fried meats, and halloumi, and it is delicious in sandwiches." 

This slaw also keeps very well when stored in the fridge in an airtight container. "It can be consumed for 3-4 days, and although it won't be as crisp as it is when it was first made, it will still be delicious," Rye says.