Easy Coleslaw for a Crowd

Need an easy side dish to share at a potluck or party? This easy coleslaw for a crowd is perfect! It’s simple to whip up, and a hit every time!

Once a month, our church fellowship sets aside a Saturday afternoon and feeds homeless and immigrants in the area. There are usually between 50-100 people who come by looking for lunch, and that’s a lot of mouths to feed! Even though my family is on the larger side, I’m not used to making dishes that feed that volume of bodies, so every now and again I need to figure out how to triple or quadruple a recipe in order to have enough. This easy coleslaw for a crowd is one of those recipes….

I will admit, I am not a coleslaw fan, but my family (and those who ate it) assured me that this was a keeper coleslaw recipe. So I decided to put it out there for others who need a big ol’ bowl of coleslaw to share!

Easy Coleslaw for a Crowd

Cabbage. I’m pretty sure that coleslaw wouldn’t be coleslaw without cabbage. Right? Even though I have coleslaw recipes that only use white cabbage, for this one I use a mixture of white and red cabbage. I guess that’s more American or something? If you have other kinds of cabbage that you like in your coleslaw, feel free to swap those in here. I’m sure they’ll be great. I think napa cabbage would be a fun addition – or even bok choy!

Carrots. I just use regular ol’ organic carrots in here. Shred them down nice for ease, or if you like them chopped, go for it!

Mayonnaise. My homemade mayonnaise is perfect for this coleslaw for a crowd! Of course, it only makes half the amount needed, so if you make homemade you’ll need to make a double batch. Otherwise just use whatever mayo you normally do. Just make sure you have four cups of it! 

Vinegar. I use regular white distilled vinegar for this recipe. I have used apple cider vinegar in place of it, and the taste changes a little, but it’s totally fine. I do love that apple cider vinegar gives a little more nutritional value than white vinegar, but not everyone likes the taste. 

Sugar. Yes. Sugar. In a side dish. What in the world is this blog coming to?! Sigh…. It has been a struggle for me to come to the realization that *normal people* like sugar in all the things. And if you don’t put sugar in your coleslaw dressing, people will not like it. It’s hard, but true. I console myself by using coconut sugar and reminding myself that if 50 people eat this batch of coleslaw they’re each only getting 1/16 of a tablespoon of sugar. 

Seasonings. Would it really be a good savory dish without sea salt, black pepper, garlic and onion in it? Most likely not. So go ahead and add those in to this coleslaw for a crowd. The crowd’s taste buds will thank you.

More delicious side dishes.

Need more healthy and tasty side dishes? Here are a few of my family’s favorites…

• easy, cheesy mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot
• homemade cranberry sauce
• fluffy gluten-free buttermilk cornbread
• grain-free scalloped potatoes
• spicy Italian roasted brussels sprouts
• sweet potato oven fries
• easy homemade pickle chips 

In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!