Let’s be honest—Nigerian Salad is that overachiever at the table who’s loud, colorful, and somehow brings shredded cabbage, baked beans, and eggs to the same party… and makes it work.

If you’ve never had this creamy salad before, buckle up—because it’s nothing like the sad, soggy coleslaw haunting your fridge. This is Naija food doing what it does best: taking basic ingredients and turning them into something that slaps harder than your auntie at a family cookout.

The first time I tried this Nigerian coleslaw at a wedding, I was suspicious. I mean, who puts beans and eggs in a salad? But one bite later, I was quietly plotting how to get seconds without looking greedy.

Whether you’re serving it with Jollof rice, grilled meat, or just eating it straight out of the bowl like a rebel, this African salad recipe is here to ruin you for boring side dishes forever.

Classic Nigerian Salad

This salad doesn’t care about rules—it’s a crunchy, colorful free-for-all of veggies, carbs, and beans that somehow just works. Whether you’re trying to eat “healthy-ish” or just want something to pile next to your fried chicken, this mix of cabbage, tomatoes, pasta, and sweet corn is hearty, weirdly satisfying, and totally flexible.

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Prep Time 15

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Servings 8

Equipment

Knife
Cutting board
Mixing bowl
Grater
Measuring spoons
Plastic wrap or lid

Ingredients

2 large carrots
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 ripe firm tomatoes
1 medium cucumber
1 cup cooked pasta or boiled potatoes
2 large hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters
1 cup canned baked beans drained and rinsed
1 cup canned sweet corn drained
8 tablespoons salad dressing see below for homemade version

Homemade Dressing Option:

2 tablespoons white vinegar
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons mustard optional

Instructions

Prep the Veggies: Wash all your vegetables and pat them dry with a clean towel. Keeping them dry helps the dressing stick and keeps the salad crisp.
Slice and Dice: Shred the lettuce and cabbage. Dice the tomatoes and cucumber into small pieces. Peel and grate the carrots or chop them into tiny cubes for extra texture.
2 cups shredded lettuce, 2 cups shredded cabbage, 2 ripe, 1 medium cucumber, 2 large carrots
Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, cooked pasta or potatoes, baked beans, and sweet corn. Don’t add the eggs or dressing just yet.
1 cup cooked pasta or boiled potatoes, 1 cup canned baked beans, 1 cup canned sweet corn
Chill the Salad: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight lid and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This lets the flavors settle and keeps everything nice and cool.
Add Eggs and Serve: Right before serving, take the salad out of the fridge and mix it gently. Arrange the boiled egg quarters on top like the classy garnish they are.
2 large hard-boiled eggs
Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, white vinegar, powdered sugar, and mustard (if using) until smooth and creamy. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use
2 tablespoons white vinegar, 6 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons mustard
Dress It Up: Drizzle your salad with the dressing and toss gently right before serving. Go easy—too much dressing can drown the salad, and too little just makes it sad.
8 tablespoons salad dressing

So You Wanna Master Nigerian Salad? 🥗 Here’s the Real Talk From Someone Who’s Definitely Made It Too Many Times

You’ve read the recipe, you’ve chopped the veggies, and now you’re wondering: Is that it? Oh, sweet salad rookie—welcome to the real world. Nigerian Salad may look innocent, but she’s got layers (literally). Here are the unfiltered, slightly sassy tips and swaps you didn’t know you needed until now:

🥚 Egg Drama Is Real
Boil the eggs ahead of time and chill them. Warm eggs on cold salad? That’s a crime in at least 12 countries. Slice them like you’re fancy or just plop them on—no judgment.

🥫 About Those Baked Beans
Yes, you rinse them. No, you don’t dump in the sauce from the can unless you want sweet bean soup. Trust me, rinse ‘em like you’re trying to erase their past.

🥬 Lettuce + Cabbage = Crunch Goals
Use both. Iceberg or romaine? Sure. Red cabbage for extra drama? Even better. Just don’t skimp—this salad lives for that crunch.

🥕 Carrots: Grate or Dice, But Be Cool About It
Team Grate makes the salad prettier, but Team Dice gives you bite. Honestly, do what your soul tells you. No one’s grading you (unless it’s your aunt).

🌽 Sweet Corn Is Non-Negotiable
The pop of sweetness? That’s the magic. Canned, frozen, whatever—just don’t forget it unless you want sadness in your bowl.

🍝 Pasta or Potatoes? Choose Your Fighter
Use cooked macaroni for a classic party vibe, or swap in diced boiled potatoes for a potato-salad-meets-coleslaw hybrid. It’s weird. It works.

🥄 Salad Cream: Store-Bought or Kitchen Witchcraft?
Can’t find Heinz Salad Cream? Make your own like a boss: mayo, white vinegar, powdered sugar, and a little mustard. Tastes nearly the same, and you get bragging rights.

⏰ Chill Before Serving or Regret Everything
Let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour. This is not optional unless you enjoy lukewarm cabbage. (Spoiler: you don’t.)

🚫 No Wet Veggies Allowed
Pat those veggies dry like you’re applying for a Michelin star. Extra water = soggy salad = culinary heartbreak.

🍅 Tomato Triage
Use firm, ripe tomatoes. The soft, juicy ones will water down your entire masterpiece. This salad’s bold, not mushy.

👑 Bonus Move: Serve With Jollof Rice
Because if you’re gonna do this right, you go all the way. That hot, spicy rice with a cold, creamy salad? It’s a match made in Nigerian food heaven.

Now go forth and toss like you mean it. This salad might be “just a side,” but make it right and it’ll steal the whole dang show.

Bold & Creamy Nigerian Salad: The Ultimate West African Party Salad with Baked Beans, Eggs, and Shredded Cabbage