Coleslaw with Pumpkin Seed Oil

Some coleslaw lands heavy on the plate. Too much mayonnaise, too little acidity, and the cabbage disappears under a thick coat. Good slaw needs one thing above all: crunch. That is where Styrian pumpkin seed oil steps in — not as a stand-in for everything creamy, but as a dark, nutty note that makes the bowl lighter and clearer.

The idea is simple. Part of the mayonnaise stays, so the dressing clings. The rest is replaced with pumpkin seed oil and cider vinegar. The oil stays cold from the first stir to the last spoonful — the same logic behind every honest pumpkin seed oil dressing. No warming, no frying, just roast character over crisp cabbage.

When mayonnaise alone weighs too much

Classic coleslaw can fill you up before the side dish has done its job. You taste fat first and cabbage second. A splash of pumpkin seed oil tips that balance: the bowl looks brighter, the flavour runs deeper, and the roast note sits on top. Anyone trying Styrian oil for the first time in a creamy dressing notices how loudly it speaks next to milder oils — the oil comparison makes that difference concrete.

Shred it fine or it stays tough

Everything starts on the board. White cabbage is shredded fine enough that the ribbons wrap around the dressing instead of fighting it. Thick strips stay chewy and leave the sauce pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Carrot goes in grated, with a paper-thin red onion if you like one. A quick toss, and the colours show before the dressing is even finished.

Seeds for the last bite

While the vegetables wait, toast a handful of pumpkin seeds dry in a pan until they smell nutty. Take them off the heat and let them cool completely. Warm seeds steam in the dressing and turn soft; cold ones stay crisp. Add them just before serving, scattered as dark flecks over pale cabbage — more roast character without another spoonful of fat.

Ingredients

Serves four as a side.

• 300 g white cabbage, finely shredded
• 100 g carrot, grated
• ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Styrian pumpkin seed oil
• 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon sugar or honey
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seeds

Method

1. Prepare the vegetables. Shred the cabbage, grate the carrot. Slice the onion paper-thin if using. Put everything in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the dressing. Stir mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper until smooth. Whisk in the pumpkin seed oil until it coats a spoon.
3. Dress and rest. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Let it sit 10–15 minutes — just long enough for the cabbage edges to soften while the crunch stays.
4. Taste and finish. Adjust salt, vinegar or oil. Scatter the toasted pumpkin seeds only right before serving.

When apple and sweetness join in

Sometimes the slaw still needs a bright counterweight. Grated or thinly sliced apple helps: crisp, slightly tart, and suddenly the dressing feels rounder. A drop of honey or a pinch of sugar does the same for the vinegar — sparingly, so the side stays a side and never turns into dessert. If you like, fold in a little red cabbage; the colour deepens and the oil's green retreats. Taste once more before serving: cabbage releases water as it rests and can mute the seasoning.

A lighter dressing, a longer head start

For a lighter bowl, one tablespoon of mayonnaise and three of oil is enough — the dressing turns looser, greener and more roasted. For guests new to Styrian oil, the even two-and-two ratio usually feels more comfortable. Cabbage and carrot can be shredded in the morning; toss with the dressing only about an hour before eating. Fully dressed slaw keeps overnight but softens. Keep the bottle capped and cool between uses — more on that under storage. And watch pale tablecloths: the dressing carries colour, see stains.

What belongs on the table with it

This coleslaw sits happily beside a barbecue, sausages or a weeknight roast chicken. A leaf salad with goat cheese works too — goat cheese salad with pumpkin seed oil — or bread for dipping from the bread dip. More on leaf and acid balance is under salad; why the oil never belongs in a hot pan is explained under cooking with pumpkin seed oil. More ideas live in recipes and flavour pairings. For real roast character in the bottle: Styrian PGI pumpkin seed oil.