Taste of summer: 8 shop-bought coleslaws to try in your salads and lunch

Coleslaw in a bowl on a wooden table

Handy to grab and go for impromptu picnics, coleslaw can make an easy addition to lunch to pair with some protein in the form of hardboiled egg, slices of leftover meat or smoked fish.

At home, if you don’t fancy buying a full head of cabbage, buy one of our Top 8 and add some celery, extra carrot and spring or red onion. Raw, grated kohlrabi is good too for extra crunch, as is celeriac. If adding raw, finely grated beetroot, leave until the last minute to avoid dying everything a vibrant shade of pink – though not always a bad thing. Chopped chives are good too.

For today’s survey, we looked at the supermarkets’ top ranges and found there was little between them. Some were quite thick with added stabilisers which made them a little heavy, but a little olive oil can thin them out, along with extra lemon juice for more zing. We were glad to see they were not over-salted. It’s easy to add our own to taste.

Fats in coleslaw are usually quite high — around 25% — from the oil in the mayo, so a dessertspoon may be enough for flavour and texture.

Tesco Finest Coleslaw 530g €2.39

Pictures: Denis Minihane.

Made in Ireland using EU and non-EU cabbage and Irish mayo, this has 42% white cabbage, 15% carrot, onion, and chives for extra interest. Top choice for two tasters, who liked the evenly shredded texture and creaminess, with well-balanced flavours and no adverse aftertaste.

Score: 8.5

Marks & Spencer Deli style Coleslaw 500g €4.40

White cabbage 29% and 6% pink cabbage, combines with a high 25% carrot and 3.5% red onion. Creaminess and taste come from a dressing of cream, egg yolk, lime juice, vinegar, chives, ground allspice and turmeric. At 19.1%, fats are lower than other samples (25-35%). Plant Kitchen (€2.60 for 225g) has an egg-free dressing that includes potato starch. It is pleasant, but more acidic and scored 7.

Score: 8.25

Farm Fresh Foods Coleslaw Supreme 220g €1.89

With 48% cabbage and 10% carrot, the onion content, not specified, seems low. Fats at 9.44% are surprisingly low as the texture of the mayo is nicely creamy. Long strips of carrot are l satisfyingly spiralised. The dressing was good, though one taster found it bland but was prepared to add a little salt to taste. Made in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork. We bought in Centra, Blarney.

Score: 8

Aldi The Deli Creamy coleslaw 500g 89c

This coleslaw has 47% cabbage, 14% carrot, 2% onion, 3% cream and mustard flavouring. Like many samples, the cabbage was unevenly sliced, but there is a decent amount of carrot. This is terrific value. Tasters were impressed with the quality for the price.

Score: 7.5

Lidl Deluxe Deli Style coleslaw 500g €1.39

Produced in Ireland, this has a mixture of mayonnaise and crème fraiche, 56% white cabbage, 8% carrot, 4% red onion, flecked with snips of chives. Unevenly sliced, one taster found the cabbage chewy, and the red onion is a little strong if you bite into a big chunk. But it’s flavoursome and good value. Pleasant, but bland for some tasters.

Score: 7.5

O’Keeffe’s St Lukes Deli Counter coleslaw 190g €1.24

Not much carrot, but the unevenly sliced cabbage is tasty. Overall, some tasters thought it quite bland but agreed it could easily be livened up with salt and black pepper and some snips of chives. Made by Moy Salads.

Score: 7

Dunnes Store Simply Better 500g €2.50

The 43% cabbage is unevenly sliced and there is 15% finely shredded carrot, 1% onion, and chives. Tasters liked it well enough, with one reporting a vinegar hit, and another particularly liking the mayo texture. While not their favourite, they liked it.

Score: 7.25

Iceland Country Kitchen 227g €1.25

Cabbage 44%, carrots 13%, onions 2%, and chives, made an unevenly sliced mixture. It had an acidic hit at the back of the throat more like salad cream that the tasters did not favour. Made by Avondale Foods in Lurgan.

Score: 6