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    Home » Fall Into Winter » Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw

    Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw

    Published: Jun 3, 2015 · Modified: Nov 14, 2022 by Linda Baker · This post may contain affiliate links

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    This recipe for Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw is packed with good tasting, good for you, ingredients, tossed with a simple, light dressing, that will go beside anything you care to serve it with. Plus it's low in sugar, calories, and fats!

    A bowl of Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw with fennel fond garnish.

    Behind the scenes of the making of Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw

    When it comes to slaws, I love them all.

    Well, almost all.

    I do though, like to taste the ingredients, not just the dressing.

    So many homemade, store-bought, and restaurant-prepared slaws are dressing, with some cabbage thrown in for good measure.

    Not so with this recipe for Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw. It's packed with good tasting, good for you, ingredients, tossed with a simple, light dressing, that will go beside anything you care to serve it with.

    I chose to serve it with my recipe for The Bestest Most Tenderest Ribs Ever over the weekend, and it was perfect. The fennel and apple really worked well with the ribs and gave the slaw a sweeter touch without adding a lot of sugar.

    The Cabbage Part

    For my slaw, I used both red and green cabbage. You could use all of one or the other, but I like the colorful way the salad looks when it's all put together by using both. You only need about a half head total, so use the extra to make some German Style Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage and/or Apple Onion Bacon Braised Cabbage. Cabbage is considered one of the world's healthiest foods, so putting more of it in your diet is a good thing. It's great for weight loss, with only 33 calories per cooked cup; it's got lots of vitamin K and that aids brain function (we all need help with that right?) plus it's good for your skin and immune system. So cabbage up!

    Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw cabbage

    Slice the cabbage as you like your slaw. Thinly or thickly. Or, if you must, you may buy a bag of pre-shredded.

    Fennel, the secret ingredient

    Fennel is a really great ingredient in a slaw. Raw fennel often gets overlooked by those who don’t like the flavor of licorice. But the licorice flavor is really not all the pronounced, and in this preparation, it just adds a deeper sweetness.

    fennel for Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw

    So take that fennel bulb, cut off the top, cut the bottom into quarters, and thinly slice it laterally so you have fennel strands that are just slightly larger than the sliced cabbage.

    Pick your Apple

    The apple component can be either red or green. Your choice. Red will be adding more sweetness, green more tart. I chose a green Granny Smith for its tartness since I already had the sweetness coming from the fennel.

    cabbage-fennel-apple-slaw apples

    Slice, dice or do as I did, cut them into matchstick pieces to mimic the cabbage and fennel. I used my mandolin, but you could just thinly slice with a good sharp knife and then cut into matchstick pieces. Any way you cut it, the flavor will be there, and that's what we are looking for. Flavor.

    Dressing, Fresh or Jarred?

    I don't know if you've actually researched jarred slaw dressing, but sugar and corn syrup are right there in the top three ingredients on the list. As a person who wants to limit their sugar intake, I try to find other ways to add sweetness without adding sugar. And no, I'm not a Splenda™ or any other artificial sweetener kind of person. I want to eat real food. Real sugar, real butter, real oils. Moderately and only as much as is necessary.

    Yep, moderation is my middle name.

    Well, it's actually Jean, but I really prefer moderation.

    Low-Fat, Low-Sugar, High Flavor.

    The dressing is a simple concoction of reduced-fat mayo, 2% milk, 2% buttermilk, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and just a couple of tablespoons of sugar. It is coleslaw after all.

    Put it together and what have you got?

    Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slawin a bowl

    Creamy crunchy deliciousness.

    A bowl of Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw with fennel fond garnish.

    Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw

    LindySez
    This recipe for Cabbage-Fennel-Apple Slaw is packed with good tasting, good for you, ingredients, tossed with a simple, light dressing, that will go beside anything you care to serve it with. Plus it’s low in sugar, calories, and fats!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Salads
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servinga
    Calories 81 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • For the Slaw
    • 1 pound about ½ total head shredded cabbage, red, green or combination
    • 1 bulb fennel cut into quarters, then thinly sliced laterally to mimic the cabbage
    • 1 apple red or green, sliced into matchsticks, or diced
    • For the Dressing
    • ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
    • ¼ cup 2% milk
    • ¼ cup reduced-fat 2% buttermilk or low-fat yogurt mixed with a bit of water
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 teaspoon celery seed optional if desired

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients, whisk well until combined. Add the slaw ingredients and toss well to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 servingSodium: 274mgFiber: 4gCholesterol: 4mgCalories: 81kcalPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gFat: 3gProtein: 2gCarbohydrates: 12g
    Keyword coleslaw, different slaw, easy cabbage slaw with apples, gluten-free, salad, vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brian

      June 05, 2015 at 3:57 pm

      cool recipe...love the crunch and acid....
      I know I am not as good in the kitchen as you but I added some pine nuts to it after I made it...added a nice nutty earthy tone

      Reply
      • LindySez

        June 05, 2015 at 5:48 pm

        I agree... as I was munching on it I kept thinking, pine nuts or toasted walnuts would be a great addition. They might add a little fat, but it's all good fat, so...why not? As always all recipes have room for your own personal touches. Cheers!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lindy.

    I am a home-trained chef who loves to cook and eat delicious food. As I like to say, "Life is too short to eat mediocre food". And I find too much food out there is mediocre. I don't think good food needs to be fussy, or difficult to prepare. Most of my recipes are fresh, quick, easy, and tasty while keeping both calories and fats in check. 

    More about me →

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