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Broccoli slaw with creamy dill pickle dressing is brimming with bold flavours and crunchy textures. Packed with nutritious raw carrots, white cabbage and broccoli, and doused in a tangy yoghurt and mayo sauce that’s spiked with dill pickle juice, this side is proving itself beyond summer.
And good news for vegans! Not all slaw recipes require dairy ingredients. My Korean-inspired carrot slaw is a powerful, plant-based suitable for all diets.
I don’t believe slaws should be restricted to summer, especially when plenty of recipes make use of seasonal produce, like this festive red cabbage slaw, complete with pomegranate seeds and mandarin oranges. And what’s more, as they are made from raw vegetables, they offer a much-needed vitamin boost when the cold and flu season comes around, like this immune-boosting rainbow slaw with tahini dressing.
I am a germ magnet so anything I can do to keep bugs at bay is included in my daily ritual. And when the remedy is food based and as delicious as this salad, I am all in. Anyone else serving a side of slaw or sauerkraut with everything now?!
Ingredients
What makes a slaw a slaw? Shredded raw vegetables in dressing. That. Is. It. My broccoli slaw version ticks both those boxes and some!
It’s important to highlight ‘raw’. Classic coleslaw vegetables like uncooked cabbage and carrots are solid. Take care to slice them even and slender. We’re not making crudités here.
My recipe features the bright carrots and white cabbage that coleslaw is famous for, but I’ve swapped out the traditional red-leafed brassica for vitamin-rich broccoli instead. Not only is it nutritious, but the flash of green is visually pleasing on the plate.
There are lots of options to tailor-make this salad though. If you’re a cabbage fan, keep the red one! I’ve also avoided onions in mine (I think the dressing does enough), but red or green will bring a bonus tang if that’s your thing. Fruit like dried raisins or cranberries will offer sweetness and chew, but anything too wet, like pineapple, will fight with the creamy dill dressing.
Lastly, nuts. Slivered almonds or chopped walnuts would be my choice. However, I’ve gone for a seed mix topping for crunch factor instead. I am obsessed with these right now!
Broccoli slaw dressing
The surprising hero in this slaw recipe is the secret ingredient in the dressing: dill pickle brine (which is basically an aromatic vinegar).
I always have a ghostly jar of pickle juice haunting my fridge. The pickles have been long since devoured and the glass jar full of liquid lingers on sadly waiting for purpose. Until now! I get through a lot of vinegar making dressings, and then one day, realising I had run out at a crucial point, I had a eureka moment. The lonely pickle vinegar!
As uplifting as any other vinegar, but pre-peppered, salted and herbed, it substituted nicely. So nicely I have gone back to it again and again. What a revelation.
I don’t know about you, but I find creamy coleslaw recipes that rely on mayo exclusively, instantly off-putting. Store-bought mayo is too rich, salty and synthetic for my evolved tastebuds (joking, not joking). So, I will always use a combo for a mayo-based dressing. Here, I’ve gone for 2 parts Greek yoghurt to 1 part mayo. The Greek yoghurt is thick and zippy, which brings down the mayo, and also compliments the pickle-y dill.
Although the idea for creamy dill dressing came about to dress this slaw, I’m so addicted that I have used it as a sauce for roast chicken, baked salmon (salmon and dill are a dream combo btw), and to brighten up boiled new potatoes too!
Recipe tips and notes
- Chopping raw vegetables requires a sharp knife and a steady hand.
- As a constant cook and creator, I have some clever kitchen gadgets to help:
- A mandoline slicer (for cabbage), a manual vegetable chopper, and a julienne peeler (for carrots and broccoli stalks). They achieve a professional, uniform evenness.
- Since discovering a use for pickle juice, this has become my favourite dressing. Ahh! The thrift and flavour! (And you don’t even need the pickles.)
- I’ve used Greek yoghurt in this recipe as I always have some in the fridge. But you could just as easily use sour cream or crème fraiche if that’s what you usually buy.
- Broccoli is the key ingredient here, everything else is swappable. You could try beets or kale to play with colour.
Serving suggestions
You think slaw, you think barbecue. And yes, I would definitely appreciate this juicy, tangy pickle-y slaw with a homemade beef burger (the best bit is the gherkins, right?) or alongside a mustard slathered hotdog.
Picnics are a given too, with a tuna sandwich and sausage rolls.
But there’s more- this versatile side dish can easily take the place of a regular green garden salad. Try with family-friendly sausage pasta bake or salmon fish cakes. Or a more grownup salmon fillet with lemon and dill sauce.
Storage and leftovers
The broccoli slaw in its creamy dill dressing will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
More salad recipes to try
Broccoli Slaw with Creamy Dill Pickle Dressing
Ingredients
For the slaw
- 1 head broccoli, (300g / 10oz)
- 2 carrots, large
- 2 cups white cabbage, sliced
- 2 tbsp seed mix, (sunflower and pumpkin skin)
- Salt to taste
For the dressing
- 150ml / 2/3 cups Greek yoghurt, full fat
- 75ml / 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp dill pickle brine
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped or 1 tsp dried dill for strong flavour
Instructions
- Prepare the broccoli by separating the florets and finely chopping them, then peel the stalks and either cut them into matchsticks or use a julienne peeler to cut the into long strips.
- Peel the carrots and grate them, slice the cabbage and combine the vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl or a glass jar mix the Greek yoghurt, mayonnaise, the dill pickle brine, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar and the fresh dill. (Only add salt if needed since the brine is already very salty).
- Start by adding 2/3 of the dressing over the slaw mix and toss to combine. At this point you might decide to add the remaining dressing or save it for another use. Now add the seeds and toss once more time. Add salt to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very tasty!! I used both fresh and dried dill bc I kinda love it!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it.