Crisp Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw, w/ purple cabbage, carrots, Granny Smith apples, & raisins, is tossed with poppyseed dressing, and served cold.
Do you enjoy a cold, crisp and crunchy coleslaw? We sure do, especially during the warm Spring and Summer months when we grill burgers and other sandwiches!.
Coleslaw is one of those easy side dishes that just seems to compliment sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken, and other main dishes. This recipe only has 4 ingredients (plus dressing), and is super simple to make.
I’ve posted several coleslaw recipes here on my blog, Each one is unique and delicious side salad. Today’s poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw is one I created, after my husband came home from our local Farmer’s market with a big purple cabbage in tow.
I asked him to bring home a couple veggies that I could have around to use for our dinners. He surprised me with a head of purple cabbage (did NOT expect that!). After straining my brain as how to use it, I decided to create something new.
Let me tell you… this turned out to be a great tasting coleslaw. Crunchy from cabbage and carrots, slightly tart from Granny Smith apples and chewy sweet from plump raisins, this is a coleslaw you’ll enjoy! Here’s how to make it:
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Plump Those Raisins!
Many, many years ago I learned a little tip to help plump up raisins. When I make this coleslaw, I simply soak the raisins while I am doing the prep work on the other ingredients.
It plumps them up a bit, and I feel it makes them more juicy. It doesn’t take any more time to do this step, if you let them soak while you grate and chop the cabbage, apples and carrots.
Place the raisins into a medium bowl, and cover them completely with boiling water. Let them sit, undisturbed, while you chop the apples and carrots, and grate the cabbage (takes about 10 minutes).
When done, place the raisins in a strainer and drain off all of the water, before you add them to the coleslaw.
Prepare The Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw
Grate the cabbage into a large mixing bowl. You can do this using a box grater, or a food processor with a grating disc blade.
For this coleslaw recipe as written (making 4-5 servings), you will need a total of 3 cups of grated cabbage.
Slice and chop the peeled carrot into small bite-sized pieces. Do the same with the Granny Smith apple BUT LEAVE THE PEEL ON THE APPLE. It adds a pop of green color to the salad.
Granny Smith apples also lend a slight tartness and crisp bite to the coleslaw, which is a great contrast to the sweet, chewy raisins.
Pour poppyseed dressing over the coleslaw ingredients and toss gently to fully coat the salad. I use my homemade poppyseed dressing, but any poppyseed dressing will taste great, too!
Chill And Serve Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw
After the poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw (dressing and slaw) is fully combined, cover the bowl, and refrigerate the coleslaw for at least one hour, or until well-chilled, for best flavor.
Poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw is best served cold, so if you can chill it longer, go for it (up to 6 hours). It will taste better if you chill it longer, trust me!
When ready to serve the coleslaw, give it a quick stir, transfer the salad to a nice serving bowl (if desired) and dish it up. I think you will be surprised how delicious it is!
When I first made this and told my husband what ingredients were in the coleslaw he gave me “THAT LOOK”. He said he would try “a tiny bite”, but that he “didn’t think he would like it”.
Well… he was being honest with me, but he was wrong. He LOVED it, and told me he was surprised at how good it was. YEP. It tastes great!
Hope you have the opportunity to make this dish for yourself or for those you love. It’s quick and easy to make, and is a colorful, delicious side dish, that will pair well with a number of lunch or dinner dishes!
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.
Looking For More SALAD SIDE DISH Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have many recipes for salad side dishes to choose from, including:
- Broccoli Salad
- Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad
- Potato Salad
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Thai Coleslaw In Peanut Sauce
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Crisp Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw, w/ purple cabbage, carrots, Granny Smith apples, & raisins, is tossed with poppyseed dressing, and served cold.
- 3 cups grated purple cabbage
- 1 medium carrot , peeled, sliced & chopped
- ½ large Granny Smith apple , unpeeled, sliced & chopped
- ½ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup poppyseed dressing
Place raisins in a medium bowl; cover completely with boiling water. Let sit, undisturbed, while you prep other ingredients (about 10 minutes). When done, place raisins in a strainer to drain.
Grate cabbage into a large bowl. Slice and chop peeled carrot into small bite-sized pieces. Do the same with the apple, BUT LEAVE THE PEEL ON.
Add apples, carrots and raisins to slaw. Pour poppyseed dressing over coleslaw; toss gently to coat ingredients.
Cover bowl, and refrigerate coleslaw for at least 1 hour, or until well-chilled, for best flavor. This is best served cold; you can chill it for up to 6 hours. To serve, give coleslaw a quick stir, transfer to a serving bowl (if desired), and dish it up. Enjoy! Cover/refrigerate leftovers for up to 2-3 days.
NOTE: Caloric calculation was made based on 4 total servings. Caloric calculation for this salad does NOT include poppyseed salad dressing, as homemade or store bought versions may vary quite a bit in calorie count.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!