1tablespoonpineapple juicereserved from canned pineapple
1tablespoonlime juice
½tablespoonapple cider vinegar
½cupchopped green onions
⅓cupchopped red onion
⅓cupchopped cilantro
1(20-ounce) canpineapple tidbitsdrained (reserve juice for dressing!) and patted dry with paper towels
1Jalapeñostem and seeds removed and chopped
Instructions
Place coleslaw mix in large bowl and cover with ice-cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and stir, then allow to sit for 15-30 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels (squeeze dry for a creamier slaw).
Whisk mayonnaise, sugar, pineapple juice, lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large salad bowl until smooth.
Add all remaining ingredients and prepared coleslaw mix; toss well to coat with dressing.
Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days.
Notes
Ingredient notes
Coleslaw mix: I love shredding my own cabbage (don't know how? Learn how to cut cabbage!) and carrots for the most delicious slaw, but a bag of Tri-Color coleslaw mix is something I definitely use for convenience when time is short. Either bagged or shredded from scratch is fine for this recipe.
Pineapple: I use canned pineapple tidbits here because they don't turn brown (compared to fresh pineapple), and canned pineapple is what I grew up with in coleslaw. If you absolutely want to use fresh pineapple (I also have a tutorial for cutting pineapple), keep in mind that the enzymes in fresh fruit can affect creamy dressings over time. I do highly recommend sticking to canned pineapple if you are not eating the slaw right after making it.
Jalapeño: I usually don't add this to the slaw in my season of life, because I have three young kids. You can use a finely diced ¼ of a green bell pepper (what do you know, I also shared how to cut a bell pepper with minimum mess and waste ?). When I can find them at the market, I will use a fresh mild green chile. Just leaving out the Jalapeño is perfectly fine, too.
Sugar: Want to stick to natural sweeteners? Use the same amount of honey in place of the sugar.
Cilantro: If you're not a fan of cilantro, try using flat-leaf parsley instead.
Vinegar: I always use apple cider vinegar in this recipe, but a white wine vinegar or a white balsamic are also acceptable.
Mayonnaise: If you're not a fan of mayonnaise, feel free to use Greek Yogurt or sour cream in its place. You can also do a mix of half mayo, half yogurt for a lighter slaw that still has the creaminess of mayonnaise. If you're planning to add yogurt or sour cream to your coleslaw, you must stick to canned pineapple. The enzymes in fresh pineapple quickly break down dairy and lead to a metallic, bitter taste in food.
Recipe tips
To keep the slaw from becoming watery as it sits, do not skip patting dry the pineapple with paper towels before adding to the bowl. You'll also want to soak the cabbage as mentioned above, then squeeze out any extra water with paper towels (I do not recommend using a kitchen towel, as the purple cabbage can leave stubborn stains). Just as a side note, this will soften the cabbage, so your slaw will no longer be crunchy - but the upside is that the slaw doesn't become watery if you're making it a day ahead.
If you like a very saucy/creamy slaw, feel free to double the dressing.
Store the slaw covered in the refrigerator at all times. Eat within 2 days.