How to Make Coleslaw in a Food Processor

The disc you fit decides whether the cabbage comes out crisp or limp, and the difference is mechanical. A disc cuts each piece once as it passes through the feed tube. The S-blade sits at the bottom of the bowl and keeps throwing the cabbage back into the blades, so it cuts some pieces to mush and leaves others in chunks.

Slicing disc versus shredding disc

The slicing disc gives you the deli-style slaw most people picture: flat, even ribbons that hold their crunch and take dressing without collapsing. The shredding disc works too, but it tears the cabbage into coarser strands, releases more water and softens faster. Reach for it when you want a finer slaw or you are also grating carrot and onion on the same disc.

Reversible discs and thickness

Many machines ship a reversible 2-in-1 disc. Fit it with the shredding teeth facing up to grate, and flip it so the smooth blade edge faces up to slice. Check which way up yours goes before you start, because the wrong side up gives you the wrong texture. Medium-thin, roughly 1/16 to 1/8 inch, is the sweet spot for cabbage. Machines with an adjustable slicing lever let you dial that in; fixed discs are what they are.

Carrot, onion and pepper

Shred carrot on the shredding disc, or slice it thin for matchsticks. Slice onion thin on the slicing disc. Bell pepper goes on the slicing or julienne disc, never the S-blade, which turns it to mush in a couple of pulses.

Cold cabbage, a wide feed tube and a short salt are what separate crisp slaw from a watery bowl. Work through these steps in order and the whole job takes a few minutes of processing.

1. Chill the cabbage. Fridge-cold cabbage shreds cleaner and stays firmer. Pull off the outer leaves.
2. Quarter it through the core, then cut the core out in a V or an angled wedge.
3. Cut the wedges to fit the feed tube. Use the wide feed tube for cabbage and the narrow tube for carrots.
4. Fit the slicing disc and lock the bowl and lid. The machine will not run unless the bowl, disc and lid are seated in the right order.
5. Feed with steady, gentle pressure. More pressure gives thicker slices, less gives thinner ones. Do not overload the chute, and empty the bowl when it fills.
6. Run continuous, not pulse, with a slicing disc.
7. Salt briefly to purge water. Toss about 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of cabbage through the shreds and let them rest about 5 minutes. A short salt pulls enough water to keep the dressing from thinning without softening the cabbage. A long salt of an hour or more pulls more water but noticeably softens the texture.
8. Rinse and dry. Rinse the salt off, then spin the cabbage in a salad spinner or blot it with towels. Do not squeeze it, because squeezing crushes the cells and gives you limp slaw.
9. Shred the carrot on the shredding disc, or slice it, and slice the onion thin.
10. Dress and rest at least 30 minutes before serving.

Making the dressing in the same bowl

Empty the cabbage into a large bowl, fit the S-blade in the processor bowl and make the dressing there. Combine mayonnaise, a little vinegar at roughly 3 parts mayo to 1 part vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper, and pulse to combine. Pour it over the vegetables and toss.

How much cabbage you need and how long it takes?

A 2-lb head serves about 8 to 10. A 1½-lb batch yields roughly 10 cups shredded. About 6 cups of shredded vegetables equals one 14-oz bag of coleslaw mix, at roughly 5 cups cabbage to 1 cup carrot. Shredding a whole head takes seconds to about a minute of processing.

Two features decide whether a machine can make coleslaw at all: a slicing disc and a feed tube wide enough for a cabbage wedge. Bowl size is the third, because it sets how many batches a whole head takes.

Capacity math

A whole 2-lb head wants roughly a 7- to 14-cup bowl. In a 7-cup machine, expect two or three batches. A 1½-lb batch fits comfortably in an 8- to 12-cup bowl. A full-size machine handles a whole head in one or two batches and usually gives you the widest feed tube, which is why it is the natural fit for coleslaw.

Mini and chopper-only machines

Many minis and chopper-only machines have no discs and no feed tube at all. They chop, which is exactly what ruins coleslaw. A mini that does ship discs can make a small portion in several batches, but it is slow going for a whole head.

Disc sharpness and filling the bowl

Disc sharpness matters more than wattage for cabbage. A dull disc tears rather than cuts, and torn shreds look ragged and weep sooner. With a slicing or shredding disc the bowl only catches the food, so you can fill it to the max line. With the S-blade, fill only about three-quarters.

Almost every coleslaw problem traces back to the blade, the salt or the drying step, and each one has a fix you can apply the next time.

Why the S-blade makes slaw weep

Cabbage cells hold water. The S-blade damages far more of them than a disc does, so the salt and the dressing pull that water out fast and the slaw collapses into a puddle. A clean disc cut leaves most cells intact and the shreds hold their shape.

Getting the salt time right

Five minutes of salt is enough to draw off surface water without softening the cabbage. Leave it much longer and the shreds give up more water but lose their bite. Either way, rinse and dry afterward, because salt left on the cabbage keeps pulling water into the dressing.

Shredded, salted and dried cabbage can be held covered in the fridge for up to about a day before you dress it. That split makes coleslaw easy to prep ahead without it going soggy.

Dress it within a few hours of serving. Slaw is at its best after 30 minutes and good for 3 to 5 days refrigerated. It does not freeze, because the ice crystals break the cell walls and it turns to mush on thawing.

Do not leave dressed slaw out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in hot weather. Keep it cold until serving and put leftovers back in the fridge promptly.

Discs are sharp, so handle them by the hub, never by the cutting edge. Most discs and bowls are dishwasher-safe, but check the machine's own instructions. Wash by hand in warm water with a mild dish soap if you are unsure.