Coleslaw Pasta Salad Is A Wonderful Marriage

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Two Old Favorites Join Hands In A Delicious Combination

Coleslaw pasta salad is a surprising, fresh combination I would never have dreamed up! On the farm, we call pairing two things with good traits a hybrid, designed for a stronger, better product. This salad is crunchy, refreshing, and packed with colorful veggies.

What a great side dish! This recipe makes a big batch that feeds a crowd. There's a lot of chopping, but I'll share some shortcuts with you! It makes a big fat batch, so it's perfect for family gatherings and potlucks and pairs well with almost anything!

Confession: I got a little tired of chopping when I made this salad. I wasn't sure I'd make it again. But then I tasted it! OH, MY STARS! Wow, it's going right in our meal rotation! A good food chopper like this one from Pampered Chef really speeds things up.

Cabbage is cheap, adds bulk and loads of nutrition, and holds well. The salad tasted every bit as good on day three because everything stayed crisp.

Pasta is also inexpensive and adds bulk. Watch for store brands for as little as a dollar for a twelve or sixteen-ounce package. Choose a small pasta shape like ditalini, rings, or small shells.

I loved this mini lasagna-shaped pasta I found at HyVee when the variety used in the original recipe wasn't available. It was perfect, and I hope to see it on the shelf again!

Cook the pasta as directed on the package in plenty of salted water. Stir to separate the shapes a time or two, and cook until al dente.

You do not want mushy pasta. Drain and rinse in cold water and set it aside. In food service, I learned a little trick to: toss the pasta with a small amount of olive oil, a teaspoon or two, to keep it from clumping together until you use it.

Two Ways To Add Cabbage To This Salad

You can chop your own with a knife or a slicer. It's easy, it's cheap, you know it's fresh, but it takes a little time. It's actually pretty satisfying.

For this salad, chop the cabbage into small pieces so you get a bite of everything in every forkful. You will need about seven cups of chopped cabbage. If you chop your green cabbage, you will add color with more veggies.

You can also buy a bag of coleslaw mix. A pack of coleslaw mix is usually sixteen ounces, which is also about seven cups. I recommend the tri-color blend with carrot and red cabbage. Color is everything for fresh, attractive salads; visual appeal is crucial!

Add More Color And More Veggies

If you chopped your own cabbage, open up that crisper drawer if you have some carrots and red cabbage on hand, grate or chop them to add.

Peppers are always good! I chose red and green peppers in this salad because I wanted more color! The local grocery store had a great sale on bell peppers, so I took advantage of it! If I don't get them used up, I will freeze them later in any recipe with cooked peppers.

Celery adds lots of crunch and good fiber. If every ingredient in the salad is about the same size, every bite is a party in your mouth! Chop the celery smaller than I did in this photo.

Cucumbers are also great in this recipe! When peeling them, leave some bright skin for more color vibrance! I did not remove the seeds, but I'd scoop out the seedy middle if they were large cucumbers.

You will also add some chopped sweet onion and a can of water chestnuts, chopped.

Bring On The Creaminess With Hard-Cooked Eggs

The other key ingredient for flavor in this salad is three chopped hard-boiled eggs! Don't skip them!

You can buy shelled hard-boiled eggs in the store or make your own in minutes in an Instant Pot! Seriously, hard-boiled eggs in an Instant Pot using the "5-5-5 method" are almost magic! The shells practically fall off, leaving a perfectly smooth white!

The 5-5-5 Instant Pot WayTo Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

• Put eggs on the rack or trivet in your Instant Pot and add one cup of water.
• Seal the Instant Pot and lock it in place.
• Set the pot to high-pressure cooking and five minutes of cooking time.
• When the Instant Pot signals the cooking time is done, immediately set a timer for five minutes. This is an important step.
• Do not quick-release the pressure until the 5-minute timer sounds. When it does, release the pressure and remove the eggs.
• Finally, put them in an ice-water bath (or at least the coldest tap water you can run) for five more minutes.
• Tap the eggs against the side of the sink to crack the shell, roll the eggs between your hands, then pop off those shells!
• You can cook as many eggs as fit in a single layer in your Instant Pot using the same amount of water and at the same time.

The Coleslaw Pasta Salad Dressing Takes Just 5 Ingredients

Please use full-fat regular REAL mayonnaise for this recipe. You will need one and one-half cups. You'll also need granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. I used Lawry's seasoned pepper for even more flavor and visual appeal.

Mash the hard-boiled eggs and add them to the dressing so they are evenly distributed throughout the salad. If you prefer, you can chop them and add them to the pasta and veggies.

All that's left to do is combine the pasta, coleslaw mix (or chopped cabbage), and the other veggies in a very large bowl. Stir it well and let it chill for a few hours before serving.

I took about half of the salad to church for a funeral dinner, divvied out a couple of samples for my friend and our daughter to try, and there was plenty left for Papa and me to enjoy as part of three meals!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Yield: 16 servings

Coleslaw Pasta Salad

Print

A light, crunchy pasta salad crammed with fresh veggies. It's a great recipe for potlucks and other large gatherings.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 28 minutes

Ingredients

• One 12 to 16-ounce package of small pasta shape
• One 16-ounce bagged coleslaw mix, tri-color recommended *OR* seven cups of chopped green cabbage.
• One red or green pepper, seeded and chopped into small dice (or use some of both)
• 1 cup or more of finely chopped celery
• One or two cucumbers, lightly peeled, seeded and chopped into small dice.
• One eight-ounce can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped fine
• One cup of chopped or grated red cabbage (optional but nice if you chop your green cabbage)
• One cup of grated or finely chopped carrots. (optional but nice if you chop your own cabbage)
• One medium sweet onion, chopped fine.
• Three hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped or mashed.

DRESSING

• 1 1/2 cups full fat regular real mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste. I recommend Lawry's seasoned pepper.

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions in salted water in a large pot until al dente.
2. Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water, then set aside. If desired, stir in a teaspoon or two of olive oil to prevent it from clumping.
3. Combine chopped cabbage or coleslaw mix with chopped veggies and chopped hard-boiled eggs.
4. Mix dressing ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Put the pasta and veggies in a large bowl and pour dressing over it. Stir well to combine.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours or more before serving.

Don't let the fall displays in every shop window and magazine fool you; there's still plenty of summer, warm weather, and picnic time to enjoy this yummy salad! Here are some other salad recipes our family enjoys! Sweet Corn Salad, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, and Colorful Pasta Garden Salad.

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Love, GB (Betty Streff)

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