Southwest Coleslaw Combines coleslaw, vegetables, and beans in a slightly spicy Southwestern dressing topped with air-fried tortilla strips. This Southwestern coleslaw recipe is a great salad for a picnic, barbecue, or weeknight meal.

When I lived in Michigan, every summer, my friend Kim made a Southwestern coleslaw recipe that everyone loved. But, of course, it wasn’t vegan, so recently, I asked for her recipe to “veganize” it for my family. This Southwestern coleslaw recipe is a vegetarian version of Kim’s recipe, but I added a few more veggies to make it a meal instead of a side dish. But feel free to serve Southwestern coleslaw as a side dish or an entree!
Jump:
Although I added a few more vegetables and a different coleslaw combination, the creamy coleslaw integrity is the same. Like Kim’s recipe, I added tortilla strips but made homemade, oil-free instead of bagged ones. And I used my vegan Southwestern dressing instead of Southwestern ranch dressing in her recipe.
So, let’s make this Southwestern coleslaw recipe the vegetarian way.
Southwestern Coleslaw Ingredients

- Coleslaw: I chose a 10-ounce bag of Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Collection, a bag of shredded kale, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, and red cabbage.
- Red Bell Pepper: Red bell peppers are sweet and a nice addition to any salad.
- Corn: I use corn on the cob, grilled, and cut from the cobs. However, canned or frozen cooked corn also works.
- Black Beans: I used canned washed and drained black beans.
- Coriander: Cilantro gives the salad a fresh herb flavor as well as a garnish.
- Jalapenos: Jalapenos add a little heat to coleslaw. The seeds and veins are removed, so jalapeños are not spicy.
- Carrots: Carrots add texture and sweetness to salads.
- Green Onion: Green onions have a mild flavor and go well with salad ingredients.
- Tortilla Strips: The strips are air fried or baked and added as a crunchy garnish.
- Lime: Lime is used in tortilla strips and added as a garnish before serving.
Substitute Southwestern Coleslaw ingredients
- Chop a combination of Napa, red, white or green cabbage
- Or use broccoli or jicama slaw
- Baby bell peppers are as sweet as red bell peppers and they are very colorful.
- Use canned or cooked frozen corn.
- Pinto beans are an excellent alternative to black beans in Southwestern recipes.
- If you don’t like cilantro or can’t taste it while eating soap (this happens to some people), skip it.
- Serrano peppers are an alternative to jalapeno peppers.
- Replaces carrots in any parsnip recipe.
- Try using red onions or spring onions instead of green onions.
- Buy tortilla strips in a bag at the store.
- Bottled lime juice works in a pinch as a lime substitute.

Southwestern Salad Dressing Ingredients

One of my favorite salad dressings, vegan Southwestern dressing, is perfect for this Southwestern coleslaw recipe.

Air-Fried Tortilla Strips
If you love the crunch of tortilla chips or tortilla strips, there’s an easy way to make oil-free, healthy ones! All you need are a few ingredients and an air-fryer or stove

First, find your favorite oil-free tortillas. Some of my favorites, for example, are a combination of yellow and white corn, but take your pick. Here are some no-oil tortilla brands that I love.
First, I used white corn tortillas and a pizza cutter; I cut the tortilla into slices. Then, I added the sliced tortillas to a bowl and tossed them in the lime juice. Next, I sprinkled a combination of chili powder and cumin.

Once cooked, I add it to my air-fryer basket and cook at 370 degrees for 10 minutes, tossing once at the 5 minute mark.
If using an oven, place lime-soaked and seasoned tortilla strips on a baking sheet lined with silicone baking mat and cook in a 375-degree oven.
Then, remove from the oven, flip and cook for another 10 minutes.

When I serve Southwestern coleslaw, I like to add tortilla strips on top for a little extra crunch.

To “veganize” any recipe, replace non-vegan ingredients with your favorite vegan ingredients. Any recipe, even my friend Kim’s Southwestern coleslaw recipe, can be made healthy and plant-based.
Recipe FAQs
The word coleslaw can mean the same thing (and slaw is often short for coleslaw). However, coleslaw usually refers to the variety made with cabbage, while slaw refers to varieties made without cabbage, such as carrot slaw.
Cabbage in coleslaw contains sulfur, which helps flush toxins from the body. Aids in digestion. The fiber in coleslaw helps keep the digestive system healthy and functioning properly.
Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits, so is recommended for people at risk of heart disease.
advice
- Cutting or shredding cabbage into smaller pieces makes it easier to eat and digest.
- Because coleslaw is mostly cabbage, it can be dressed ahead of time. This will help soften the cabbage or kale in coleslaw, making it easier to eat and digest. Additionally, dressing the salad ahead of time doesn’t make it soggy.
- If using frozen corn, cook it first and let it cool completely before adding to the salad.
- Wait to add the crunchy tortilla strips until right before serving as a garnish.
- When making tortilla strips, depending on how thick the strips are cut, that can change the cooking time. The thinner the strips, the less time it will take to cook, so keep an eye on the strips in the air-fryer or oven.
Enjoy this Southwestern coleslaw recipe for your next weeknight dinner, picnic or barbecue!
More vegan salads to try
If you love Southwest Coleslaw, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We want to hear from you!
📖 Recipe

Southwest Coleslaw
Southwestern coleslaw combines coleslaw, vegetables and beans in a slightly spicy Southwestern dressing with oil-free air-fried tortilla strips.
material
Air-Fried Tortilla Strips (Oil-Free)
Coleslaw Dressing (choose one)
instructions
Coleslaw
-
Add the coleslaw mixture to the bottom of a large pot.
-
Drain the black beans and corn
-
Add other chopped vegetables.
dressing
-
Choose between two options, or use a dressing of choice.
-
Prepare the salad in advance, toss and refrigerate. This is recommended, especially if using a kale-based slaw to soften the kale before eating.
Air fryer
-
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, slice the tortillas into strips.
-
Then, toss in the juice of 1 lime and season with chili powder and cumin.
-
Transfer the tortilla strips to an air-fryer pan.
-
Set the air-fryer to 370 degrees.
-
Cook for 10 minutes; Tossing in 5 minutes.
-
Remove from air-fryer pan.
-
Let cool.
baked
-
If using an oven, place lime-soaked and seasoned tortilla strips on a baking sheet lined with silicone baking mat and cook in a 375-degree oven.
-
Then, remove from the oven, flip and cook for another 10 minutes.
nutrition
Worship: 6gCalories: 234kcalSugars: 47gProtein: 11gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fats: 1gSodium: 51mgPotassium: 706mgFiber: 12gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 4779IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 3mg

Oh! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher and vegetarian and blogger. My entire blog is completely plant-based vegan. I truly believe that what we eat and how we live determines our health and the preservation of our planet! 🙂