purple cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and peanuts. Everything is tossed in a tangy-sweet sesame ginger dressing made with rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, tahini, garlic, and fresh ginger.
If you enjoy crunchy sides, serve it with Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad or my fresh Pineapple Coleslaw. It also works especially well beside Chicken Kabobs in Oven, and a cold glass of Homemade Lemonade makes an easy pairing for a fresh lunch or dinner.
The dressing is light rather than creamy, but the small amount of tahini gives it enough body to cling to the shredded vegetables. Peanuts add extra crunch while honey balances the rice vinegar and salty soy sauce.
What Is Asian Slaw?
Asian slaw is a crunchy cabbage-based salad tossed with a savory, tangy dressing inspired by flavors such as soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame, ginger, and garlic.
This version uses purple cabbage and carrots as the base, then adds green onions, fresh cilantro, and peanuts.
Instead of a mayonnaise dressing, it uses a simple Asian slaw dressing made with neutral oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, tahini, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and fresh ginger.
The result is crisp, fresh, slightly sweet, savory, and nutty.
Table of contents
Ingredients
Let’s Make Crunchy Cabbage Salad
- Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the neutral oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, tahini, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated fresh ginger until smooth.
- Prep the vegetables. Thinly slice the purple cabbage, grate or julienne the carrots, slice the green onions, and roughly chop the cilantro.
- Combine the salad. Add the cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and peanuts to a large mixing bowl.
- Dress the salad. Pour the sesame ginger dressing over the vegetables and toss well until everything is lightly coated.
- Let it sit briefly. Rest the salad for about 10 minutes before serving so the cabbage softens slightly and the flavors come together.
- Serve. Top with a few extra peanuts and cilantro leaves if desired, then serve chilled or at room temperature.
How to Keep Asian Slaw Crunchy
Crunch is one of the most important parts of this recipe.
Start with fresh, firm cabbage and carrots. If the cabbage is limp before you begin, dressing will not bring its texture back.
After washing the vegetables, dry them thoroughly before shredding.
The dressing also shouldn’t be poured over vegetables that are sitting in water. Even a small amount of extra moisture can weaken the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame flavors.
When mixing, toss just until the cabbage and carrots are coated.
The 70 g peanuts bring another layer of crunch, so keeping them intact gives the salad more texture than grinding them too finely.
amount is only 1/2 tablespoon.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Cutting the cabbage too thick: Thick pieces stay much firmer and don’t hold the dressing as evenly.
Leaving the vegetables wet: Water dilutes the dressing and can make the bottom of the bowl watery.
Adding too much sesame oil: Keep the tested 1/4 teaspoon. Its flavor is concentrated.
Using extra tahini: Too much will change this from a light slaw dressing into a much thicker sesame sauce.
Skipping the separate dressing mix: Whisking the dressing first distributes the tahini, honey, ginger, and garlic much more evenly.
Adding extra soy sauce before tasting: Soy sauce can become salty quickly, especially if the peanuts are salted too.
Overmixing: Toss until coated rather than crushing the cabbage and herbs.
What to Serve With Asian Slaw
This crunchy slaw works particularly well with:
- Grilled chicken
- Chicken skewers
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Burgers
- Tacos
- Rice bowls
- Noodles
- Sandwiches
- Grilled fish
- Barbecue dishes
The fresh cabbage and tangy dressing are especially useful beside richer grilled or fried foods.
FAQs
Yes. You can prep the vegetables and dressing ahead, then store them separately. Toss everything together when you are ready to serve.
It keeps well for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The texture is crispest on the first day, then the cabbage softens slightly.
Yes. Green cabbage works well, but the color will be different. You can also use a mix of purple and green cabbage.
Cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds all work. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seeds or roasted chickpeas.
No, it is lightly sweet from the honey. You can reduce the honey to 1 tablespoon if you prefer a more tangy dressing.
Yes. Replace the honey with maple syrup or agave, and use a vegan-friendly soy sauce or tamari.
The biggest differences are the dressing and ingredients. Traditional coleslaw uses a creamy mayo-based dressing, while asian slaw uses a lighter sesame-ginger dressing with soy sauce and peanut butter. Asian slaw also typically includes ingredients like cilantro, peanuts, sesame seeds, and sometimes ginger or lime for that signature flavor.
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Crunchy Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the neutral oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, tahini, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated fresh ginger until smooth.
- Thinly slice the purple cabbage, grate or julienne the carrots, slice the green onions, and roughly chop the cilantro.
- Add the cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and peanuts to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the sesame ginger dressing over the salad.
- Toss well until the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Let the salad rest for 10 minutes before serving, then garnish with extra peanuts or cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- For the best crunch, slice the cabbage thinly and add the peanuts close to serving time.
- If making ahead, store the dressing separately and toss before serving.
- For a nut-free version, replace peanuts with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- For a vegan version, use maple syrup or agave instead of honey.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
