You know those little side dishes of coleslaw that usually come with your sandwich or burger at a restaurant? Is anyone ever excited to get that with their meal? A huge pile of hot and freshly seasoned fries to accompany of a juicy burger is definitely something to do a happy dance about. But coleslaw, not so much, especially when it’s a pitiful pile of limp cabbage shreds that are drenched in the most mayonnaise-y, overly sweetened dressing. Every time!
Don’t get me wrong. I love a good slaw. But let’s cut back on the dressing so that crunchy texture of the cabbage shines through…kind of like I did with this Corn and Jalapeño Slaw. I dressed it with lime juice only so the chopped jalapeño and cabbage retained their crunch. And I should add, it gave these Crispy Cauliflower Tacos some extra pizzazz.
I’m ready to win the battle against restaurant slaw again with this Bacon Cranberry Kale Coleslaw. My goals with this recipe were first, to lighten up the dressing while retaining a creamy consistency. And second, to add extra layers of texture and flavor that go beyond just the bagged grocery store coleslaw mix.
For the dressing, we’re using a combination of Greek yogurt and dijon mustard as the creamy components and adding a bit of lemon juice for zest, honey for some sweetness, and celery seed for that classic coleslaw taste.
Next, you’ll start with a base of bagged coleslaw mix. Or, if you’re motivated, chop your own cabbage and carrots. To that, we add chopped kale, dill for some added freshness, and the two bonus ingredients, bacon and dried cranberries! This is where it gets fun because if you’re not a fan of any of these add-ins, you’re free to customize. Chopped cauliflower, broccoli slaw, and shredded Brussels sprouts would all be excellent substitutions. For the herbs, try chives, parsley, or mint! And for the bonus ingredients, the possibilities are endless. Crispy prosciutto, ham chunks, grilled chicken, coconut bacon, dried cherries, dried apricots, blueberries, grapefruit slices.
But, no matter which ingredient route you choose to take, this salad will beat restaurant coleslaw by a landslide. Stay tuned, you’ll be seeing more of the Bacon Cranberry Kale Coleslaw in an upcoming BBQ chicken recipe!
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
- ¼ cup light sour cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion or shallot
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 bag (14 ounces) coleslaw or cabbage mix
- 2 cups fresh chopped kale
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- Combine the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, and celery seed in a large bowl.
- Add in the coleslaw mix and dill. Stir until the mix is coated in dressing.
- Add in the cranberries and bacon and stir to combine.
Calories: 104.8 Fat: 2.2g Carb: 17.4g Fiber: 2.4g Protein: 4.5g Sugar 12.2g Sodium: 176.8mg
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
Hi Krista,
I just came across this recipe while looking for vegan recipes and noticed it had bacon in it. Perhaps you could modify it for the vegan section to show soy bacon or equivalent. Love many of your recipes <3
Thanks so much.
Hi Gary! Thanks so much for the kind words. I’d love to modify this recipe and make a vegan version without the sour cream and regular bacon. I’ve never tried soy bacon. I bet cashew cream and coconut bacon could be great substitutes too! Thanks so much for the suggestion!