Swap Mayo With This Popular Dipping Sauce For Zestier Coleslaw

There are a myriad of ways to boost the flavor of coleslaw, from pre-marinating your shredded cabbage to using unusual spices. However, if you're looking for a super-easy way to elevate your slaw using only pantry ingredients, you need to swap your regular mayo dressing for a tangy honey mustard dipping sauce. This simple switch creates a zestier coleslaw that has a gentle kiss of heat, a delicate sweetness, and a moreish creamy texture.

Honey mustard is typically a blend of mayo, honey, mustard, and a dash of acid (either from vinegar or lemon juice). Powdered seasonings, such as cayenne or black pepper, and freshly chopped herbs can also be included for extra flavor and visual appeal. While honey mustard makes the perfect addition to a cheese board, turkey sandwich, or chicken salad, it's also a flavorful substitute for some of the classic mayo in a homemade coleslaw dressing recipe for several reasons.

First, when the honey and mustard combines with the mayo, it creates a dressing with a looser viscosity that's perfect for evenly coating each shard of shredded cabbage. Secondly, the dressing has a beautiful balance of flavor that's totally customizable. All you need to do is taste as you go and add an extra dash of honey for a sweeter finish or dollop in more mustard for a punchier, zestier kick. The mayo acts as the perfect neutral base, allowing you to personalize your dressing to your tastes.

To make an egg-free honey mustard dressing, forgo the mayo and emulsify your honey and mustard with a fruity olive oil using an immersion blender or balloon whisk. While this lighter version has a thinner consistency, it still boasts an invitingly luscious texture and concentrated taste, which means you can use a smaller measure to impart a strong flavor into your veggie base. The beauty of making your own dressing in this way is that you can use a mustard that suits your palate, such as sweet American mustard, textured wholegrain, spiced Creole mustard, or smooth Dijon. You can also experiment with floral, grassy, or even hot varieties of honey to create a blend that complements the ingredients in your slaw. For example, a coleslaw made of hardy red cabbage can stand up to the flavors of an intense whole grain mustard and retain its crisp texture for longer than a softer, mild green cabbage.

Serve your coleslaw with mains that pair well with the zesty character of honey mustard, such as sheet pan chicken and potatoes, fried chicken tenders, or baked salmon. Any extra coleslaw can be piled into a deli meat hoagie or combined into a simple cobb salad with crispy croutons or pitta chips.