Jamaican Salad with Pineapples and Raisins -no mayo

The best Jamaican Cabbage Salad or coleslaw recipe made with no mayo! This coleslaw is made perfectly tangy with vinegar and sweetened naturally with pineapples and raisins, making it healthier than your typical brown sugar-sweetened cabbage and carrot slaw. It is the perfect dinner and summer grilling recipe.

I do love Caribbean recipes, but Jamaican recipes are especially dear to me since living in London, which is one of the cities that happens to have a dominant Jamaican food culture and population.

It is in London where I learned to glam up (a story for another day, perhaps). I also learned to cook Jamaican-style dishes! Speaking of which, If you haven't tried my Jamaican Steamed Cabbage with Carrots then you are totally missing out!

Jump to:

• why you will love this recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make Jamaican Coleslaw
• What do I serve Jamaican Salad (Coleslaw) with?
• Storage
• Recipe Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions and Useful Recipe Tips
• 📖 Recipe

why you will love this recipe

Apart from the fact that this salad tastes great, there are so many reasons to love this recipe so let's just list a few of them!

• absolutely delicious - tastes amazing due to the sweet-tangy taste combination (the tangy taste comes from the vinegar).
• healthier - it is naturally sweetened with pineapple and raisins which are packed with useful vitamins and minerals. This makes it way healthier than the traditional salad recipes which tend to use coconut or brown sugar.
• no mayo - I think you will agree with me that mayo does increase substantially the calorie count so leaving it out altogether cannot be too bad. Some people also have special dietary needs such as egg allergies and may not want to use it to make the slaw creamy.
• Love to have creamy Jamaican cabbage and carrot salad? Use Greek yogurt, sour cream, or canned coconut milk. As a side note, coconut milk also tends to be on the higher calorie side so in case you are counting calories, you may want to use Greek yoghurt or sour cream instead.
• budget-friendly - this Jamaican salad is made with cabbage which is very affordable! To start with, when it comes to cabbage, a little goes a long way! You can certainly feed a lot more people with a head of cabbage than say a head of lettuce. It is also more pocket-friendly and readily available.
• versatile - substitute the fruit and use mango instead for another type of sweetness, top with chopped nuts or seeds such as almonds for crunch, use more shredded carrots or simply grill the pineapple ahead! Do not limit yourself!

Ingredients

Coleslaw's main ingredients:

• 4 cups cabbage (savoy, white or red cabbage).
• 1 cup pineapple diced or finely chopped.
• ½ cup raisins; use more if you prefer your salad sweeter.
• 1½ cups shredded carrots.

To make the Salad Dressing or Vinaigrette

• 3 tbsp yellow mustard.
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar.
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (or any cold-pressed oil suitable for salads).
• 1 jalapeno pepper deseeded and silvered.
• 2 stems of spring onion(scallions).
• ⅓ tsp salt or more to taste.
• ⅓ tsp black pepper.

How to make Jamaican Coleslaw

Making Jamaican-style salad is pretty straightforward. You want to start by removing the core from the cabbage. Use a mandolin or a knife to cut it into really fine slices and use a grater to grate the carrots really finely. Combine the cabbage, grated carrots, chopped pineapple, and raisins in a bowl.

Next, make the Jamaican salad vinaigrette using a glass jar that has a lid. Combine mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, deseeded and silvered jalapeno pepper, sliced spring onion, salt, and pepper to taste. Close the lid of the glass jar and shake to combine.

Pour two-thirds of the vinaigrette into the bowl with the cabbage, carrots, chopped pineapple and raisins then toss to combine. You can then add the rest of the vinaigrette or keep it in the fridge for later.

Enjoy the salad immediately or keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes to one hour, to allow the flavors to come together.

What do I serve Jamaican Salad (Coleslaw) with?

Jamaican coleslaw pairs up well with grilled jerk chicken, meat, fish, and vegetables. It goes particularly well with french fries. Spoon it on sandwiches or sliders or simply serve it as a side dish to rice or cauliflower rice and other main dishes.

Storage

The vinegar helps preserve this coleslaw slightly longer, it will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. As always, make sure to use suitable airtight containers. Also, label your containers with a best-by date.

Recipe Variations

• make your salad creamy by using Greek or coconut yogurt, sour cream, or coconut milk.
• use a tablespoon or two of honey or brown sugar if you prefer to have your Jamaican salad sweeter.
• you can use mango in place of the pineapple or stir in some sliced bell pepper.

Frequently Asked Questions and Useful Recipe Tips

📖 Recipe