White Fence Farm Coleslaw: Copy Cat Recipe (2024)

This 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 ofWhite Fence Farm Kidney Bean Saladand 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 Farmin 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.

This White Fence Farm Copycat Coleslaw Recipe Is:

• Tangy
• Sweet
• Fresh
• Crunchy
• Vegan and Gluten free (so everyone at your table can enjoy!)
• Great to make ahead or batch cook for a cookout, BBQ, or party side dish

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.

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 mycopycat 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.

What’s In This White Fence Farm Coleslaw?

• 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

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!

How Do I Make This Coleslaw?

1. 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.
2. Add all ingredients into a large bowl, and stir well to combine.
3. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours before serving, for the dressing ingredients to mix into the cabbage without allowing the cabbage to wilt.

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.

A Few Other Favorite Appetizer Salads:

White Fence Farm Kidney Bean Salad: Copy Cat Recipe (Vegetarian, Vegan Option)

White Fence Farm Pickled Beets (Copy Cat Recipe!)

Dad’s Classic Coleslaw (Family Recipe, Gluten Free, Vegan Option)

Perfect 3 Bean Salad (Vegan, Gluten free)

Pot Luck Greek Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette (Vegan, Gluten Free, Party Recipe)

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About the Author: Kelly Jensen