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Turn autumn vegetables into a colourful, vibrant coleslaw! With a little help of a food processor this stunning Rainbow Slaw with Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing is ready in just 10 minutes!

For a coleslaw perfect for a holiday table, try this Festive Red Cabbage Slaw!

Bowl of slaw on a table
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It’s always a good idea to eat seasonably as much as possible so that fruit and vegetables are as fresh as they can be. Autumn is a fantastic time of year for seasonal recipes that are heavy in stunning vegetables.

To celebrate the bounty of this year, I am making dishes that do just that, letting fresh and seasonal vegetables shine in all their colourful, crunchy glory!

The idea for this rainbow slaw came to me at night as I was wondering what to do with a new pile of vegetables in my fridge. This slaw has been created to show off the beautiful vegetables in the full range of colours, crowned with a vibrant dressing.

Bowl of vegetables on a wooden chair

The combination of slightly bitter cabbage, spicy onion and sweet beets, carrots and apples is lovely. They all bring something special to the mix, with a diverse range of flavours that meld beautifully.

The no mayo dressing is designed to add to the autumn flavours. The light nuttiness of tahini and fresh lemon juice with floral olive oil adds to the taste of the slaw while still letting the fresh flavours shine.

The result is a slaw that looks as tastes as good as it looks, making it a stunning addition to the dinner table. It’s a fresh side dish that is a perfect match with savoury meat dishes like roast chicken or pork loin roast.

Top down of a bowl of rainbow slaw

Making Rainbow Slaw

I am sure I won’t be the only one thinking that preparing vegetables deters us from recipes like this one. It takes a while to peel and cut them, doesn’t it!

That is why I am such a huge believer in the right equipment for the kitchen. I don’t love gadgets but I do love useful appliances like a food processor. I’m a huge fan of mine and use it almost daily.

This pile of vegetables took a whole FIVE minutes to turn into a slaw. Why would you buy a store ready-made mix that costs double and comes out dry or, worse yet, discoloured!

If you don’t have a food processor, then a mandoline will help you to have evenly cut vegetables. Of course, you can cut the vegetables by hand if you really must! Just do you best to cut them thinly and evenly.

Close up of a bowl of rainbow slaw

Coleslaw ingredients

Any salad made of crunchy vegetables can be called a ‘slaw’. But to be a ‘coleslaw’ the salad needs to be made with cabbage. Any crunchy vegetables such as broccoli, radishes and even turnips can be included too.

For this coleslaw, I mixed a number of vegetables together that would be a tasty mix with lots of colours together for visual appeal. They also add a nutritious boost as different coloured vegetables are rich in various vitamins and minerals.

One last word about beets, or beetroot as it is called in England. They are a polarising vegetable that people either love or hate.

If you love it, you are already with me. But if you hate beets, I suggest trying them raw as they are in this rainbow slaw. Raw beets are delicious in salads and taste surprisingly similar to carrots!

Bowl with shredded vegetables on a chair

The dressing recipe

For many people, classic coleslaw is made with a mayonnaise dressing, but I love the chance to try something different. I’ve created this rainbow slaw as a no mayo coleslaw option, which also happens to make it vegan!

This version is a very healthy option, made with all natural ingredients. I built the dressing around tahini, the same ingredient that gives hummus its great taste. I’ve then added lemon, garlic and olive oil to really add some punch!

Bowl of rainbow slaw with lemon garlic tahini dressing

More fresh side dishes

4.50 from 4 votes

Rainbow Slaw with Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
A stunning rainbow slaw with a fresh dressing, ready in 10 minutes!
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Equipment

Ingredients 

For the rainbow slaw

  • 1/2 small white cabbage, core removed
  • 1 large red pepper
  • 2 apples
  • 1 beet
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 large carrot
  • a large bunch cilantro/coriander, chopped

For the lemon garlic tahini dressing

  • cup/85 ml This is an affiliate link.tahini paste
  • 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 lemon, juice of
  • 4-5 tbsp cold water
  • salt to taste
  • black sesame seeds, optional

Instructions 

  • Fit your food processor with a slicing blade and cut cabbage and red pepper using it.
  • Wash and scrub all the vegetables well but do not peel. Remove the ends from beets and carrots. Then switch to a large grating blade and process the rest of the vegetables. Alternatively you can use a sharp knife to cut the cabbage and red pepper and a vegetable grater for the rest.
  • Chop cilantro and combine all vegetables in a large bowl.
  • In a jam jar combine all the dressing ingredients but the water and shake vigorously to combine. Add water 2 tbsp at a time to achieve a desired consistency.
  • Add half of the lemon garlic tahini dressing to the slaw and toss gently to coat. Salt to taste. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. (Keep the remaining dressing in a fridge for another use.)

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1833IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Julia from Vikalinka

About Me

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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Recipe Rating




8 Comments

  1. bonnie says:

    4 stars
    beautiful slaw and delicious dressing but i used all the dressing (recipe indicated you would only need half to dress the slaw) and it still got a bit lost in all the flavors of the slaw. my slaw may have been much larger than the recipe intended? in that case weights would help. will reuse the tahini sauce recipe again because it was soooo yummy!

  2. Cathy says:

    5 stars
    So pretty – So easy to make – and great flavors. I made this for our Family Thanksgiving in Ohio – we had 18 to feed! The salad looked so lovely against the sea of white, tans and browns. And the Garlic/Lemon/Tahini Dressing was devine. Even my brother-in-law had seconds and the leftovers were devoured the next day. Definitely one for the holidays!

    1. Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says:

      So glad to hear it, Cathy!! I make this salad for holidays too!

  3. Carmen says:

    4 stars
    Great flavours in this recipe. I don’t have a food processor so had to do it all by hand which takes a bit longer but very much worth the effort.

  4. Laura | Tutti Dolci says:

    Such a pretty slaw, I love the rainbow colors and all that great texture!

    1. vikalinka says:

      Thanks so much, Laura! I love salads that have no lettuce in them!

  5. Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says:

    5 stars
    This is just sooo pretty!!

    1. vikalinka says:

      And you are just sooo sweet! Thanks, Natasha!!