Blue cheese Coleslaw with Cranberriesfeatured
When it comes to coleslaw there are endless recipes and variations…oil or creamy, chopped or shredded, green or red cabbage, etc. I don’t think it’s possible to only have one go-to coleslaw recipe, but you can definitely have a favorite and this is mine. So what is going to make you want to try out this recipe…well there are two things that make this coleslaw recipe unique and amazing: intensely flavorful chunks of blue cheese and tart and chewy dried cranberries.
The idea to add blue cheese to my coleslaw actually came from my husband. He has always raved about the blue cheese potato salad they served at the restaurant he worked at in high school. Rather than messing with my potato salad recipe, I figured that I would give it a try with the coleslaw. It was fantastic! But after the first few bites I realized that the blue cheese was overwhelming the salad and I needed to find something to balance it out.
I almost immediately thought of one of my favorite coleslaws that I have ever had…the creamy cranberry coleslaw at Pine Ridge restaurant in Stone Lake, WI. This place is in the middle of nowhere in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, but serves the BEST fish fry, broasted chicken and coleslaw that I have had in my life! Everyone in my extended family tries to get to this restaurant as an annual pilgrimage. They serve a chopped creamy coleslaw with dried cranberries that is really, really good! The area is known for their cranberry bogs, so the addition into the coleslaw makes sense. So I started thinking that the tart and sweet flavors from the dried cranberries would be the perfect counter balance for the blue cheese. Amazing…I was right! The cranberries were exactly what the coleslaw needed for balance. With these two additions, my regular coleslaw can become something extraordinary.
I also use a mix of both green and red cabbage, but just use whatever you prefer as long as you keep the total quantities the same.
Personally I like my cabbage shredded very finely. I cut the cabbage head into quarters, remove the core and then work with it a little at a time. I find that if I do that, it makes it more manageable to keep my cuts small and thin. A little shredded carrots and the mix is complete. (Of course you could always just pick up a couple of bags of pre-cut coleslaw mix…don’t worry, no one will know any better)
Mix up all the other ingredients in a small bowl, except the blue cheese and the dried cranberries. I pour half the sauce over the cabbage, mix it up and see how it is. You don’t want to overdress the coleslaw and make it soggy. Just keep adding a bit at a time until it has the right consistency.
After the coleslaw is dressed, add the cranberries and then add the blue cheese. Mix it up and it’s ready to eat!
Ingredients
- 1 small head green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1/4 head red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 large carrot, finely shredded
- 1 C mayonnaise
- 1/4 C apple cider vinegar
- 1 rounded tsp. celery seeds
- 3 TB. sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 C dried cranberries
- 3 oz blue cheese, cut into medium sized dice
Instructions
- Put the cabbage and carrots into a large bowl.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, celery seeds, sugar, and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
- Pour about half of the dressing over the cabbage mixture and stir to combine. Add additional dressing and mix until the coleslaw is evenly dressed.
- Add the cranberries and blue cheese. Mix to combine and serve.
