White Fence Farm Coleslaw: Copy Cat Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis vinegar based coleslaw has a sweet and tart tang without the mayo. Like White Fence Farm coleslaw recipe you can make at home for a side dish or BBQ!
After my attempts at delicious recreations of White Fence Farm Kidney Bean Salad and White Fence Farm Pickled Beets Recipes, I decided to recreate the restaurant’s famous coleslaw recipe too. And let me tell you, this coleslaw is so flavorful!
Fresh cabbage, a simple vinegar and oil dressing, and a few spices make this coleslaw an absolute summer treat. Just a note: This isn’t the real restaurant recipe, only my attempt at recreating the magic!
White Fence Farm in Romeoville, Illinois is one of my favorite restaurants of all time – and it has been since I was a kid! My whole family would go for special events, birthdays, graduations, etc. and the quality of their food only seems to get better with time. Each dish is served with relishes: creamy kidney bean salad, piping hot corn fritters, cottage cheese, pickled beets, and a delicious homemade coleslaw.
These ‘relishes’ are served before the meal comes out, and are (amazingly!) unlimited. I have memories of my dad sitting at the table, and joking to the server to “keep ’em coming.” We go for the chicken, but really the relishes make the meal.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s sweet, tangy, and fresh.
- A light & crunchy coleslaw.
- It’s a fantastic copycat restaurant side dish.
- Great to make ahead or batch cook for a cookout, BBQ, or party side dish.
- A tasty mayo-free coleslaw.
If you’ve never been to White Fence Farm, its a weird and wonderful combination of farmhouse restaurant, kitschy museum, miniature zoo (you can feed the animals out back), and antique showroom.
There must be hundreds of tables at the many dining rooms and the walls are covered with old-timey relics, farm equipment, and tools. Its a great place for a large gathering, or just a nice quiet dinner with the family.
And I would be remiss to mention that if you are ever in the Chicagoland area, a visit to White Fence Farm is a MUST! I can try to recreate the recipes all day long, but nothing compares to the real deal. Check out the antique cars in the lobby, feed the goats out back, and get yourself the best fried chicken in Chicago!
Our Favorite Restaurant Copycats
We live a thousand miles away from White Fence Farm now, so instead of dreaming of the restaurant’s delectable dinners, I’ve been attempting to recreate the relishes at home. I posted my copycat Creamy Kidney Bean Salad recipe a while back, and have a recreation of their Pickled Beets Recipe up, and decided to tackle the coleslaw next. I normally make a mayo-based slaw (using regular or vegan mayo!) so creating a vinegar and oil one was a bit of a challenge. But it turned out GREAT!
This coleslaw is delicious, easy, and pretty tasty (as far as coleslaws go). My recipe serves about 4-6 (depending on how hungry you are) and would be awesome as a side dish or to top a pulled pork sandwich.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh Cabbage: Both Green and Red
- Carrots: I used just one in the recipe, but if you like carrots then load ’em on
- White Vinegar: I’m always tempted to make dressings with fancy vinegars (white balsamic, I’m looking at you) but for this one, I’m implementing the Keep It Simple rule and using regular white vinegar which is what I suspect they are using in the kitchen
- Olive Oil: or any oil of your choice, a nice sunflower oil would work great too.
- Granulated Sugar: for sweetness, but if you want to keep this refined sugar free, then substituting any sweetener of your choice would work. As a beekeeper I am quite partial to raw honey, but use whatever you would normally cook with. Also, like the white vinegar, I am keeping it simple and assuming they are using plain sugar here.
- Onion Powder: Because it adds a nice kick to the coleslaw, and I always put a touch in my normal coleslaw recipe
- Salt: Just 1/2 teaspoon, enough to dress the cabbage without making it too salty
- Fresh ground pepper: which belongs on coleslaw, adds a nice kick
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
How To Make This Coleslaw
- Shred the cabbage, don’t use store bought coleslaw mix. The one thing about White Fence Farm Coleslaw is that you can tell the cabbage is incredibly fresh! Like it was just chopped that day, probably hours ago in the kitchen. They serve theirs as a short mince, not the long strands of cabbage you get from pre-made store mix. If you can shred the cabbage in your food processor, I’d recommend that.
- Add all ingredients into a large bowl, and stir well to combine.
- Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours before serving, for the dressing ingredients to mix into the cabbage without allowing the cabbage to wilt.
Recipe FAQs
While this isn’t the official recipe, the restaurant coleslaw definitely has cabbage, carrots, vinegar, and sugar in the dressing. It’s a tangy vinegar based coleslaw, with no mayonnaise.
Yes, you can make this recipe up to 48 hours in advance. Just make sure to refrigerate and cover with plastic wrap. Give the coleslaw a good stir before serving.
You can refrigerate coleslaw in an airtight container, and enjoy leftovers within 3 days.
Dietary Modifications
This recipe is naturally vegan, vegetarian, & gluten-free! If you want to make it refined sugar free, then just substitute out the granulated sugar for your favorite natural sweetener. Raw honey or maple syrup would work just fine.
More Tasty Appetizers & Side Dishes
- White Fence Farm Kidney Bean Salad
- White Fence Farm Pickled Beets
- Dad’s Classic Coleslaw
- Pot Luck Greek Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette
Let’s connect on social!
If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
White Fence Farm Coleslaw (Copycat)
Ingredients
- 6 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 carrot minced
- 4 tablespoons white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a large bowl, and stir well to combine.
- Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours before serving, for the dressing ingredients to mix into the cabbage without allowing the cabbage to wilt.
Nutrition
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According to white fence farms Facebook page they say not to put on the coleslaw dressing until right before you serve it. I did try the marinated method and the fresh method they recommend and they’re both tasty.
Thanks for sharing that LJ, I haven’t seen that White Fence Farms post, I will definitely have to check that out!
I live in England now but I grew up near White Fence Farm. It is still a favorite when we are home visiting—really get homesick for the food! Thanks for publishing this recipe, you are a lifesaver!
A classically delicious recipe! The sugar compliments the zing from the vinegar to blend perfectly with the fresh veggies! Superb to say the least
Best slaw on the planet!!!
Love the imaginative commentary and beautiful pictures