Recipes / Sides
Pineapple coleslaw
Shredded cabbage and carrot with chopped pineapple in a sweet, tangy mayonnaise dressing. No cooking and ready in 20 minutes.
- CoalsGas
- No fire needed
- Prep
- 20 min
- On the fire
- 0 min
- Plan ahead
- 30 minutes chilling
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Dressing
Method
- Cut the core out of the cabbage. Slice the leaves as thinly as you can, then cut across the shreds once so they are not too long.
- Drain the pineapple in a sieve over a bowl and keep the juice. Chop the pieces small and pat them dry with paper towel.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth.
- Add the cabbage, carrot, pineapple and spring onion. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and add more vinegar or sugar as you like. Cover and chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Done when: the cabbage is evenly coated but still crunchy, and the dressing tastes creamy, sweet and a little sharp.
Tips
- South African mayonnaise is sweeter and sharper than most US brands. With American mayonnaise, add an extra teaspoon each of vinegar and sugar.
- Dress it no more than 3 hours before serving. After that the cabbage releases water and the dressing turns thin.
- Pat the pineapple dry. Wet fruit waters the dressing down.
Coleslaw came to South Africa with Dutch and British settlers, and koolslaai has been a braai side for generations. Adding tinned pineapple became popular in the 1970s, when tinned fruit was a fixture in South African kitchens. The fruit adds sweetness and a little acid, which goes well with salty boerewors and grilled chops. For another pineapple dish from the fire, see braaied pineapple.