You’ve heard of Montreal bagels and the Montreal Express, but what about Montreal Slaw? That’s the style of no-mayonnaise coleslaw our friend Joanne has been making for years, and to everyone’s delight. Lightly pickled, sweet and crunchy, it makes you wonder why mayo ever intruded in the first place. 

I recently stumbled upon the name “Montreal Slaw” in Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven’s marvelous book, The Way We Cook: Recipes from the New American Kitchen. Coleslaw recipes date back to the 1700s in the Netherlands (koolsla, or “cabbage salad”), before the Era of Mayonnaise. And while Americans gleefully embraced mayo in slaw, Europeans—and apparently our Northern Neighbors as well—chose to stick with a simple, tangy vinaigrette.

Joanne learned to make slaw from her German grandmother, who avoided mayo even for potato salad. Over the years, Joanne has adapted the slaw to make it her own. She doesn’t use a recipe, but she shared her guidelines: finely shredded cabbage, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, a bit more sugar than her grandmother used, a little neutral oil, and—this is key—lots of fresh herbs. She brightens the slaw with dill, cilantro, basil or a combination of herbs. Sometimes she’ll throw in some shredded carrot, too, which we like for color and texture.

You can shred the cabbage with a knife, but a good mandolin will speed it up and make a finer texture. And we like to crank out cute little carrot curls with our spiralizer.

Mix up the slaw the night before for best flavor, holding off on the herbs until near serving time. The slaw travels well to a picnic or a potluck, and goes beautifully with everything from BBQ ribs to grilled fish.

Leftovers keep for days and you can get creative with them. Our slaw with cilantro and parsley eventually found its way into a Chinese stir-fry. We wouldn’t try that trick with a mayo coleslaw.

So go heavy on this slaw—but hold the mayo.

Montreal Slaw with Fresh Herbs

Special thanks to Joanne Hults

Note: Prepare in advance, preferably the night before, for best flavor.

• 1 head green cabbage, cored and shredded
• ½ cup, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, more or less, to taste
• 3 tablespoons sugar, more or less, to taste
• 2 or 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Shredded or spiralized carrots, to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Handfuls of freshly chopped herbs: dill, cilantro, parsley, etc., individually or in combination
  
  Mix vinegar and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add shredded cabbage and carrot and toss well. Add canola oil and toss again. Taste and adjust sugar and/or vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for a few hours or overnight, tossing occasionally to distribute the dressing. Add chopped herbs and toss well before serving.