Ukrainian Coleslaw - Real Life Dinner

A delicious, traditional Ukrainian salad is finely chopped and made with a base of cabbage, fresh dill, and grated garlic, giving it an amazing flavor. It’s the perfect side dish for almost any meal. I’m not sure how to pronounce its real name, so I am just going to call it Ukrainian Coleslaw. Might sound crazy, but it tasted amazing as a side with Shepard’s Pie.

We’ve had a wonderful woman from Ukraine living with us for a couple of weeks, and she has been making us some of her favorite dishes. We’ve had Borscht, a potato meat pie, and fried sausages with mashed potatoes (my personal favorite). With almost every meal, she has made a side of this yummy salad.

Each time she makes it, she does it a little differently from what we have on hand, but this version has been my favorite so far. So yummy and so fresh! I love that it doesn’t have a mayonnaise-based sauce. It’s just a little oil and garlic salt. Makes it perfect to take to a potluck where it might sit in the sun for a while. You’re going to love this recipe!

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step-by-step photos on how to make Ukrainian coleslaw

Frequently Asked Questions & Tips about how to Ukrainian Coleslaw

what is the difference between Italian parsley and regular parsley?

Italian parsley has broad flat leaves and regular parsley leaves are thicker and ruffled. The broad flat-leaf parsley color ranges from dark green to bright green and has a bold, aromatic flavor. Regular parsley is bright green with a mild taste and is usually used as a decorative garnish. For this recipe, I do not recommend substituting Italian parsley for regular parsley.

can I substitute the fresh herbs for dried Herbs?

I do not recommend replacing the fresh dill or the Italian parsley with dried ones. This salad is best made with all fresh ingredients.

does it matter what type of cucumber I use?

For this recipe, I used an English cucumber and left the skin on it. If you are going to use a regular cucumber, I recommend peeling it first.

Tips:

Make sure to use canola or vegetable oil in this salad. Don’t use olive oil.
Use a food processor to finely chop the cabbage.
For the best flavor, let the salad marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

chef’s tools:

Ukrainian Coleslaw

Prep time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

A delicious, traditional Ukrainian salad. Finely chopped and made with a base of cabbage, the fresh dill and grated garlic give it an amazing flavor. It's the perfect side dish for almost any meal.

Author: Our friend, Anna, from Ukraine

Recipe type: Salad/Coleslaw

Cuisine: Ukrainian

Serves: 7-8 cups

Ingredients

3-4 cups finely chopped green cabbage
1½ cups cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
½ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced or chopped
1 small clove garlic, zested
2-3 tbsp canola or vegetable oil (don't use olive oil)
¼-1/2 tsp salt or garlic salt (to taste) (I prefer garlic salt the Lawry's brand)

Instructions

In a medium or large salad bowl, combine the chopped cabbage, sliced cucumber, chopped dill and parsley, and green onions. Zest the garlic directly into the bowl. Toss the ingredients together.
Sprinkle with the salt or garlic salt and let sit for 30 minutes or until you are ready to serve dinner.
After 30 minutes or when you are ready to serve, add the oil, starting with 2 tbsp. Thoroughly toss together. Taste the coleslaw, and if needed, add another tbsp oil and a little more garlic salt.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Enjoy!