A simple healthy recipe for Asian Slaw – easy and crunchy, this vegan slaw can be made ahead and is delicious alongside miso salmon, or these easy salmon cakes, ginger tofu, or stuffed into tacos or added to buddha bowls—a great way to add more cruciferous veggies into our everyday meals. See our 25+ Amazing Cabbage Recipes!
This Asian Cabbage Slaw is easy to make and packed full of flavor! A wonderful excuse to purchase one of those stunning cabbages at the farmers’ market. It’s also a fantastic way to use up all the stray veggies in the fridge- that remaining half cabbage, the stray carrot or parsnip, or the leftover bell pepper.
If you are part of a CSA or shop at the farmers market, many of the veggies you’ll find there can be added to this slaw – like kohlrabi, turnips, beets, or brussels sprouts. Such an easy, useful way to add more veggies into our everyday diet.
How to Make Asian Slaw! | video
Why you’ll love this recipe: The Asian Slaw Dressing!
The Asian Slaw Dressing is the best! Not only is it made with accessible ingredients you most likely have in your pantry, but it also seems to have the right balance of sweetness, tartness, and depth with just a little heat. And of course, you can personalize it even further to your own tastes.
Asian Slaw Ingredients!
- Cabbage -any type will work here- purple, green, napa cabbage – or other shreddable veggies- carrots, bell pepper, snow peas, kohlrabi, jicama, or use a broccoli “slaw”. You’ll need 6-7 cups total for this recipe.
- Cilantro – optional, but adds so much flavor here as a beautiful color.
- Scallions- I love the flavor of green onions here; chives would also work, or sub-thinly sliced red onion in a pinch.
- Olive oil and toasted sesame oil – for richness.
- Rice wine vinegar –rice wine vinegar is milder than most other vinegar and less acidic. We use unseasoned rice vinegar– if yours is “seasoned” you may need to cut back on the sweetener here!
- Sweetener- maple syrup, honey, agave, sugar, or coconut sugar
- Soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative like Braggs or Coconut Amino Acids)
- Fresh ginger and garlic- use fresh grated ginger and garlic, or ginger paste and garlic paste. I do not recommend ground ginger powder.
- Chili paste (optional) or chili flakes.
How to make Asian Slaw
- Slice the cabbage finely and add it to a large bowl. Add cilantro and scallions if you like.
- Whisk Asian Slaw Dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Pour the Asian dressing into slaw and toss well. Taste, adjust salt, honey and sesame oil to taste.
- Garnish with sesame seeds!
Time-saving Slaw Tips
- If short on time, many grocery stores offer gourmet “slaw mixes” already pre-shredded! These are perfect for this recipe: brussel sprouts slaw, broccoli slaw, carrot slaw… you get the idea. It’s a basic recipe designed to be used as a base for your own creations.
- If you like, you can use ginger paste (in a tube) and garlic paste in a tube to save time!
Storage and Make ahead
This Asian slaw recipe will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can prep the cabbage up to 3 days ahead as well as the dressing and toss before serving- leaving the sesame seeds off until serving.
What to serve with Asian Slaw
- Thai Turkey Burger w/ Crunchy Asian Slaw
- Seared Ahi Tuna Salad
- Salmon Cakes
- Japanese Salmon Rice Bowls
- Chicken Katsu (or Tofu Katsu!)
- Simple Baked Miso Salmon
- Seasoned Japanese Rice with Furikake
- Teriyaki Salmon with Baby Bok Choy
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
This is also a great way to use up stray veggies in the fridge, incorporating more nutrients into the slaw- salad turnips, kohlrabi, jicama, radishes… pretty much anything crunchy!
Other Recipes you may enjoy:
- 26+ Amazing Cabbage Recipes
- Sesame Tomato Salad
- Warm Red Cabbage Slaw
- Kohlrabi Slaw with Cilantro, Jalapeño and Lime
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing
- Lebanese Slaw (Salatet Malfouf)
- Lemony Kale Slaw
- Mexican Slaw with Cilantro and Lime
- Thai Noodle Salad with the BEST EVER Peanut Sauce
- Miso Eggplant
Hope you are having a great week, finding the beauty in what surrounds you. Even if it is simply in the face of cabbage, a beautiful, giant edible flower full of healing nutrients.
xoxo
More from Feasting At Home
Easy Crunchy Asian Slaw (w/ BEST Asian Dressing!)
- Prep Time: 20
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Salad, vegan, slaw, dressing
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy Crunchy Asian Slaw with the Best Asian Dressing! A simple vegan slaw with that can be made in 20 minutes and made ahead! Serve this alongside fish, tofu, or chicken or stuffed into tacos, topped onto burgers, or added to buddha bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 – 2 1/4 lb cabbage – shredded-roughly 6-7 cups (see notes)
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped (or sub Italian Parsley)
Asian Slaw Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1–3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (start conservatively add more to taste at the end)
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar, maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or GF alternative like Braggs or Coconut Amino Acids)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated, or use ginger paste
- 1 garlic clove, grated or use garlic paste ( garlic is optional, adds punchy flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or chili paste ( optional)
Optional toppings:
- Toasted sesame seeds
- roasted, crushed peanuts or cashews
Instructions
- Toss slaw ingredients together in a large bowl. Add cilantro and scallions.
- Whisk Asian Slaw Dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Pour dressing into slaw and toss well. Taste, adjust salt, honey and sesame oil to taste.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and/ or nuts.
Notes
- Feel free to Substitute shredded carrots, bell pepper, snow peas, broccoli slaw, shredded Brussels sprouts, for part of the cabbage. ( For example, I’ll often do 5 cups cabbage, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup bell pepper)
- Salad will keep up to 3-4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 179
- Sugar: 14.9 g
- Sodium: 297.9 mg
- Fat: 11.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0.3 mg
Made this with rice and chicken and it stole the show! added some edamame beans which also made it super tasty. 10/10 would recommend.
Perfect Maggie!
Easy. Delicious!! Exactly the taste I was looking for. I only used 2T maple syrup and I used 2t sesame oil. Keeper
Perfect!
This is bar none the best dressing have tried many but this one hits the spot on all notes!
Awesome Jackie, thanks so much for the review!
Delicious salad. This time I added frozen steamed peas, toasted almonds and dried cranberries for a fall picnic with friends at a winery. It was absolutely a hit and refreshing with all the heavy appetizers and sandwiches. This salad is so versatile and very easy to make the day before and add the crunchy toppings right before serving.
Thank you Sylvia for an absolutely fabulous salad.
Really great to hear this Teresa!
Awesome!
Yay!
amazing, really delicious. thank you so much
Glad you enjoyed this Eva!
My favorite Asian Slaw , served it along side miso black cod and sticky rice.
Great to hear, sounds like a perfect meal!
Just did this with my fried may-ploy enoki “chicken” sandwiches. This KILLED it as a topper with spicy/sweet pickles. Tossed in a dash of quick-pickled red onions to the mix for that extra burst. Love it.
That sounds amazing Kevin! Thanks much for the review.
I love this recipe so much!! Fresh, crunchy, goes with lots of different proteins! Thank you!!
Glad you are enjoying! Thanks so much for the review.
I make this slaw all the time for family gatherings as a side dish for Bo Ssam (Korean roasted pork) and it’s always a hit! Thanks for the excellent recipe!
Great to hear Lauren! Appreciate the review.
A bit sour/ a little more sugar
Totally adjust to your taste!
It says to adjust seasoning to taste.
I wanted something to go with my pineapple chicken ,decided on a slaw, Used this recipe, it is delicious. Thank You for Posting 🙂
Thanks for the review Carol! So glad you enjoyed.
Good morning ladies!
love this, and all your slaw recipes. Delicious.
Today I am having a problem getting into my recipe box where all the delicious recipes that I have tried are saved. Is anyone else having this problem? It was working perfectly before. Panicking as I love to just open my recipe box and get my inspirations!! Thank you
Hi Sandy! Sorry about that! I wonder if you are using a different browser? If not, could you have cleared your cookies? This may have done it.
Thanks Sylvia, it’s back working today. I have no idea what the issue was, but that’s okay, I am happy! My favourite website for delicious and healthy food. I love getting the updates in my inbox. All 3 of my daughters are big fans as well. I really appreciate you ladies for all you do to help us all in our quest for quality, healthy meals.
Oh good! and so nice to hear you all are finding the blog helpful!
The first time I made this, we loved it. Since then, I just use the recipe for the dressing and throw in whatever veg we have. Tonight’s offering was red cabbage, red onion, grated carrot, radishes, cucumber and coriander (cilantro to my American cousins!).
I made a kecap manis Asian BBQ sauce to go with some left over pulled pork which I topped onto hotdogs and had the slaw as a side. Delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Perfect! Love that you are expanding on the base recipe!
Do I refrigerate the dressing if making ahead of time?
Yes, refrigerate.
This is excellent. I used extra ginger (my preference) and I added some sambal olek with red pepper flakes and it came out so well. I just made it for me for lunches, but I have already had 3 helpings…im not sure it will last until tomorrow. 🙂
Ha! Spicy sounds yummy, so glad you enjoyed!