High Protein Coleslaw

Big takeaway from this recipe – once the Gym Bro crowd realizes that they can make high protein mayo out of silken tofu, it will end up in all kinds of high protein foods and us vegans will have a bunch of accidentally vegan options!

This high protein cole slaw is super easy to make. It’s lighter and healthier, because it has way more protein (and less fat) than a typical creamy coleslaw, and is just as flavorful. I used a mix of broccoli and cabbage slaw in this recipe to add some variety, but you could use whichever you prefer! This is a great side dish to bring to BBQs, summer cookouts and family gatherings/potlucks! You can make it just a few minutes, especially if you use bagged slaw, which is another win!

I love to let to make this high protein cole slaw the night before and let it rest in the fridge. It softens up the veggies and really lets the dressing soak in! It’s great on a BBQ sandwich too!

Ingredients

Dressing

• Extra Firm Silken Tofu – this is the secret ingredient, since this is a no-mayo high protein cole slaw! It’s low fat too! I use Mori-Nu brand which can be found at most grocery stores, usually in the International Food Aisle (near some of the canned Asian veggies). You can also buy it online – sometimes I get a 12 pack on Amazon because my store is frequently out of it (probably because I buy so much). This is the shelf stable variety, but there is also a refrigerated type of silken tofu that would work equally well. I would advice against using non silken tofu for this recipe as the texture will not be as creamy and smooth.
• Lemon Juice – I used a fresh lemon but you could definitely use lemon juice out of one of those squeeze bottles. If you’re going this route, I would use 2 tablespoons.
• Mustard – you can use Yellow or Dijon; it won’t make that big of a difference so just use your preferred mustard or whatever you have on hand.
• Sugar – you could swap this with date sugar if you wanted, but I do think you need the sweetness for it to taste like a classic coleslaw.
• White Wine Vinegar – I have been on a White Wine Vinegar kick and so this is my preference. If you don’t have White Wine Vinegar, you could use Apple Cider Vinegar or Rice Vinegar; the flavor may just be a little different.
• Onion Powder and Salt – seasoning is our friend. Also, feel free to throw in celery salt or garlic powder if you like those flavors too!

Other

• Broccoli Slaw and Cabbage Slaw – I use a combination of these two, and I buy those already shredded bags (because I like to make things easy). You definitely don’t have to use broccoli slaw if that’s not your thing (or likewise you can use only broccoli slaw), but the calories/macros may shift a bit. You could also shred your own cabbage/broccoli/carrots if you’re a real go getter!

Instructions

Making the Dressing

• Firstly, juice the lemon. Or skip this step if you’re using lemon juice from a bottle!
• In a blender, blend the lemon juice, silken tofu, white wine vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and onion powder together. This is a very thick mixture so you may need some spatula intervention throughout the blending process.
• You’ll know you’re done blending when it’s super smooth and creamy (no tofu chunks)!

Assembly

• If you aren’t using bag slaw, this is where you would use a grater to shred your veggies.
• In a medium bowl, mix the broccoli slaw, cabbage slaw, and tofu dressing together until well mixed.
• You will be tempted to eat the coleslaw now. Don’t. I think it tastes way better after it sits in the fridge for at least 3 – 4 hours, or longer, if you can wait. The veggies get softer and better the longer it sets (within reason).

Silly Little Haiku

Tofu in Coleslaw

Don’t tell your friends that hate soy

Now they eat tofu