If you are thinking of summer side dishes, a few things come to mine; corn on the cob, pasta salad and coleslaw.  At least, that is what I think of. Personally I am not a huge fan of traditional coleslaw.  Just mayo with a little salt and pepper is not enough for me!  Especially when the dressing is so thick that is all you can taste.  I like it to be light and fresh.  So I decided to add apples, dried cranberries, and take the dressing up a notch.  Definitely a summer coleslaw recipe that needs to stick around!
I made this coleslaw first thing in the morning.  Then I let the dressing sit and blend with everything all day.  By dinner time it was perfect!  The leftovers are great too.  The dressing isn’t very heavy, so the cabbage doesn’t get too soggy.  The sweetness of the craisins and the crunch from the almonds are definitely an unexpected twist that everyone will love.  So if you are grilling out, going to a barbecue, or just making chicken or pork chops at home; this cranberry apple coleslaw will be a hit!
You can make this cranberry apple coleslaw with a bag of coleslaw mix or even just the bag of shredded cabbage.  Or you can take the time an actually thinly slice a small head of cabbage.  To me, it doesn’t matter.  I am sure there are some purists out there that will disagree and find fault with the bagged coleslaw mix.  But I will take an good shortcut when I see it.  And the pre-shredded cabbage is a good shortcut in my opinion!  You do have to cut the apples into matchsticks, there isn’t a shortcut for that.  But it is only 2 apples, so you can handle it.  I used STAR Fine Foods new Apple Cider Vinegar to give the dressing a little tang and make it stand out!