Name: Creamy Coleslaw
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 head green or red cabbage (2 pounds), quartered and cored; 1 carrot , peeled; ½ small onion , halved through root end; Salt and pepper; ½ cup mayonnaise; ¼ cup sour cream; 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar; 2 teaspoons sugar

Why This Recipe Works

Usually the coleslaw ends up limp and sitting in a pool of watered-down dressing. This happens because cabbage is naturally full of water; as the salad sits, that water leaches out from the chopped cabbage and dilutes the dressing. Tossing vegetables with a little salt beforehand is a simple method for drawing out excess moisture to keep the vegetables crisp and the salad creamy. Salting is more effective when there's more surface area for the salt to come in contact with, so we started by using our food processor to thinly slice the cabbage and shred the carrot and onion. As for the dressing, cutting the mayonnaise with a bit of sour cream improved the texture and added richness and a pleasant tang. We balanced plain white vinegar with a small amount of sugar for a well-rounded flavor profile.

Before You Begin

This recipe requires a food processor with a capacity of 7 to 14 cups.

Instructions

Working in batches, use food processor fitted with slicing disk to process cabbage until thinly sliced; transfer to large colander set over bowl.

Fit now-empty processor with shredding disk and process carrot and onion until shredded. Toss cabbage with carrot, onion, and 2 teaspoons salt in colander and let sit until wilted, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Rinse cabbage mixture under cold water. Press, but do not squeeze, to drain and blot dry with paper towels. (Salted, rinsed, and dried cabbage mixture can be refrigerated in zipper-lock bag for up to 24 hours.)

Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate coleslaw until chilled, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.