Celeriac is the surprise in this Hairy Bikers coleslaw recipe, cut into fine matchsticks alongside cabbage, carrot, onion and grated apple. That whole bowl comes from Meat Feasts, where 4 servings work out at about 140 calories after 20 minutes of chopping.
In Perfect Pies, Si and Dave call their rainbow version “a salad for all seasons”, and the same is true of this coleslaw. But the dressing here is mostly buttermilk, so there are only 2 tbsp of mayonnaise in the whole bowl.
Toss the grated apple in the lime juice first, since Granny Smith browns fast once it hits the air. Then the rest of the vegetables can go in around it, because the lime has already stopped the apple browning.
Hairy Bikers Coleslaw
Description
This coleslaw leans on buttermilk rather than a thick mayonnaise dressing, which keeps it light enough to eat a bowlful. Everything gets cut fine and mixed raw, so it is ready in the time it takes to grate an apple.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut the celeriac: Peel the celeriac and cut it into fine matchsticks, then finely shred the cabbage.
- Fill the bowl: Put the celeriac and cabbage in a large bowl with the grated carrot, chopped onion and grated apple.
- Lime it straight away: Sprinkle over the lime zest and juice, then turn everything over well so the apple is fully coated.
- Whisk the dressing: Whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise and soured cream together in a jug until smooth. Add the sugar, then season with plenty of salt and pepper and taste it before it goes anywhere near the veg.
- Bring it together: Pour the dressing over the bowl and stir thoroughly, so every strand is coated before you serve it.
FAQs
Can I make it without mayonnaise?
You can, and it is a proper Hairy Bikers dressing rather than something I made up. Their red slaw in the Hairy Dieters book skips mayonnaise completely, using crème fraîche, wholegrain mustard and sherry vinegar instead.
Swap that dressing straight into this bowl of veg, then taste it before serving because mustard varies a lot in strength. It comes out sharper and lighter, so it suits oily fish and rich meat better than the buttermilk one does.
What if I want it creamier, with more mayonnaise?
Go the other way and copy their rainbow coleslaw from Perfect Pies, which is the mayonnaise-heavy one of the four. That dressing is 150g of mayonnaise with 150ml of natural yoghurt and a crushed garlic clove, so it clings much thicker.
Use roughly a third of it for this amount of veg, since the rainbow recipe stretches to 6 to 8 people. If you want another creamy cold side to sit next to it, their potato salad runs to 160 calories a portion.
Where does the buttermilk come in, and what if I cannot find it?
It is the base of the dressing, not a splash, so 100ml of it carries the whole thing. Look for it near the cream in most supermarkets, though it does sell out and it is not stocked everywhere.
Their four slaws use buttermilk here, yoghurt in the green coleslaw, mayonnaise in the rainbow and crème fraîche in the red. Buy the big tub if you see it, because their fried chicken soaks in 250ml of buttermilk overnight.
How do I cut celeriac into matchsticks?
Cut the knobbly skin off with a knife rather than a peeler, since a peeler will not get through it. Slice the peeled celeriac into rounds about 3mm thick, then stack a few rounds and cut down through them.
You want strips like thick matchsticks, because anything chunkier stays hard and will not soften in the dressing. Do this bit first, as celeriac browns like apple and the lime juice is waiting in the bowl anyway.
Does it keep, or is it best fresh?
It is best within a few hours, though it will sit in the fridge until the next day. Salt draws water out of cabbage over time, so a bowl left overnight loosens and goes watery at the bottom.
Stir it well and drain off any liquid before serving if that happens, then check the seasoning again. Perfect Pies suggests serving slaw with a quiche, so their cheese and onion quiche works, as does cold gammon ham.
