Creamy but mayo-free, this fresh, crunchy, tangy, Pineapple Slaw with Yogurt Dressing can be prepared well in advance making it a fabulous side to serve with all your weekend grill feasts.
All year long, you can almost always find a head of cabbage in my fridge. So versatile, and so forgiving – even when I forget it for almost two weeks in the crisper drawer – cabbage is a wonderful vegetable to roast, grill, or braise. But as soon as the warm weather hits, it’s all about the slaws around here. Such a great way to get a quick fresh salad on the table that will serve a crowd. And you gotta love a salad that you can still enjoy the next day. I actually can’t think of a slaw combo I wouldn’t like, though these days my slaw recipes have evolved into mayo-free dressings that are lighter, healthier, but still creamy and delicious.
There is nothing new about a summery slaw, but this one with the inclusion of pineapple and a refreshingly light yogurt dressing, is truly reminiscent of tropical beaches. Crisp-cool, crunchy, and sweet, this quick to make pineapple slaw with yogurt dressing is the perfect side to anything grilled on a hot summer day. You can serve it immediately, or give it some time in the fridge to let the flavours meld. Either way, the beauty of this slaw is that it can sit out on a patio, a picnic blanket, or a poolside, for up to 3 hours and still be crunchy and delicious.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This pineapple slaw is fabulous with the limey yogurt dressing featured in this recipe. That said, you can use just about any dressing for this slaw and it will still be delicious.
Ingredients for pineapple slaw
- Cabbage – Green or purple cabbage, or a combination to make it more colourful as I have used here, will all work for this slaw. I love the crinkly, crunchy leaves of savoy cabbage but regular green cabbage is fine. Napa cabbage is a little softer so I would use it only if you plan on eating the slaw soon after you make it. If you are really pressed for time you can grab a bag of pre-shredded cabbage mix.
- Pineapple – Refreshing and sweet, pineapple is wonderful combined with the crispy cabbage. If you don’t enjoy pineapple, you can use mango or simply omit it.
- Scallions – The scallions add an allium-y flavour to this slaw that I find pretty delicious and pretty essential. If you prefer, you can use thinly sliced red onion just maybe soak it in water for a few minutes to reduce its sharpness.
- Toasted sunflower seeds – Optional for a little extra crunch.
Ingredients for yogurt dressing
If you don’t use all the dressing, it will keep well in the fridge for about 4 days.
- Yogurt – Any plain yogurt will work for this slaw but I prefer to use full-fat which has better flavour and consistency.
- Dijon mustard – Excellent for emulsifying dressings, a dab of pungent dijon also adds great flavour.
- Lime zest and juice – The zest and juice of 1 lime gives this dressing its tangy, zippy notes and also teases out the sweetness in the pineapple.
- Olive oil – For a little extra flavour.
- Maple syrup or honey – Just a bit of sweetener helps balance all the flavours.
- Salt and pepper – All salads benefit form the addition of salt and pepper.
Pro-tip: If you have leftover dressing, use it as a veggie dip or served over baked potatoes. Yum!
How to make Pineapple Slaw With Yogurt Dressing
The only bit of effort to make this slaw comes from shredding the cabbage and chopping the pineapple. If you have a mandolin, it will make shredding the cabbage easy and fast. Otherwise, a sharp knife will get the job done just as well. If you need some pointers for peeling and dicing the pineapple, have a look at this quick video I found.
- Prepare the slaw: Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, then wash it under running water. Dry well with a clean kitchen towel. Cut the cabbage into quarters then remove the core. Thinly slice the cabbage with a mandolin or sharp knife and place it in a large bowl. To the bowl of cabbage add the diced pineapple and scallions.
- Prepare dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, lime juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning and sweetener, if necessary.
- Assemble and serve: Pour half the dressing over the bowl of prepared slaw and toss to coat evenly. Add another 1/4 cup of dressing, and toss again. At this point, depending on how much slaw is in the bowl, it may not need more dressing. Add more if needed or chill the remaining dressing for later use. Serve the slaw immediately or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep chilled until ready to serve.
Make Ahead Tips
This pineapple slaw lends itself well to make in advance. Simply shred the vegetables and chop the pineapple a day or two in advance then place in a resealable bag or large produce container. Transfer to the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The dressing can be mixed and stored in a container with a tight lid for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
A day, or a few hours, before serving the salad, you can toss the slaw with the dressing to allow the flavours to meld. Once assembled, the pineapple slaw with yogurt dressing will last about 3 days in the refrigerator. It will lose some crunch but it will still be delicious.
What To Serve With Pineapple Slaw
This crunchy, fresh, tangy pineapple slaw is the perfect side dish to serve with any and all the grilled foods that are served during summer. It’s great with fish, grilled chicken, and (my favourite) a huge platter of grilled veggies.
If you like Mexican food, this slaw is excellent with tacos, tostadas, and even as a side to enchiladas.
This slaw is also fabulous tucked into burgers, sandwiches, and wraps.
Is Pineapple Slaw With Yogurt Dressing Healthy?
The foundation of most coleslaws is cabbage which is low in calories and full of good-for-you vitamins such as vitamin C and K. Cabbage is also full of fibre and antioxidants which help with digestion and inflammation.
The problem with most coleslaws, especially pre-made ones, is that they are loaded with dressings that are full of sugar and not-so-good fats. This dressing is made with full-fat, plain and unsweetened yogurt and just a bit of sweetener is added. If you follow the recipe as written, this pineapple slaw is a very healthy side dish.
Other salad recipes perfect for grill season:
- Grilled Romaine Caesar salad
- Mexican Chopped Salad with Chipotle Pepitas
- Yellow Watermelon and Feta Salad
If you give this Pineapple Slaw with Yogurt Dressing a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!
Pineapple Slaw with Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
For The Coleslaw:
- 1/2 head green cabbage
- 1/4 head red cabbage
- 1 small pineapple, finely diced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds optional
For the Greek Yogurt Coleslaw Dressing:
- 1/2 cup full-fat plain yogurt
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, then wash it under running water. Dry well with a clean kitchen towel. Cut the cabbage into quarters then remove the core. Thinly slice the cabbage with a mandolin or sharp knife and place it in a large bowl. To the bowl of cabbage add the diced pineapple and scallions.
- Place the green and red cabbage in a large bowl. Add the pineapple and scallions and toos well to combine.
- In a medium bowl or jar, mix together yogurt, lime zest and juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage-pineapple mixture and toss to combine. Garnish with sunflower seeds, if using.
Debi Koenig
4 cups of green onions?
Sandra Valvassori
Fixed now – should have said “1/4 cup”. Thank you for letting me know!