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 I 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, it seems to have the right balance of sweet, tart 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, etc) and/or other shreddable veggies- carrots, bell pepper, snow peas, kohlrabi, jicama, broccoli “slaw”, etc.
- Cilantro – adds so much flavor here!
- Scallions- or sub-thinly sliced onion
- Olive oil and toasted sesame oil
- Rice wine vinegar –rice wine vinegar is milder than most other vinegars and less acidic.
- Sweetener- maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, or agave
- Soy sauce (or GF alternative like Braggs or Coconut Amino Acids)
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Salt
- Chili paste (optional)
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.
- To save time, use ginger paste (in a tube) and garlic paste if you like!
What I love about this easy Asian Slaw is if I’m in a hurry, I know I can grab a bag of slaw mix from the grocery store, and whip this up in 10 minutes- a healthy, light salad that goes with so many things. The leftover slaw stays crunchy and seems to even get better with time.
What to serve with Asian Slaw
- 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
- 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
Print
Easy Crunchy Asian Slaw (w/ BEST Asian Dressing!)
- Prep Time: 20
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- 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
- 1 lb shredded cabbage -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 honey (for vegan-substitute maple syrup or agave)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or GF alternative like Braggs or Coconut Amino Acids)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced ( use a garlic press)
- 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
- 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
This was delicious with the Simple Baked Miso Salmon! I minced a jalapeno into it for a little heat. Yummy!
Really good! I used a mix of cilantro, mint, and Thai basil for the herbs which was fantastic.
Was looking for the best Asian dresssing..found it!! Thank you so much!
So good my husband teased me because I asked for it in my sleep! Will be making for the umpteenth time with salt and pepper ribs tonight! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
After making this for maybe the 10th time, I feel like I need to make my first comment on a recipe EVER cause this is so dang good!! I am almost never without a jar of this in my fridge, it is absolutely delicious and can be added as a side to pretty much anything. I always add peanuts, they add something special. Yum!!!
So glad you like it!
yummy!!!
Fabulous recipe.
Fantastic. Made with shreded iceberg, purple cabbage, carrot, brussels sprouts, yellow bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, green onion. The dressing is so good!
This dressing is amazing! I used bagged broccoli slaw mix and served with ahi tuna and it was the perfect accompaniment! This will be my go to for delicious asian side! Thank you.
Amazing salad dressing I use it for any fresh vegetables combo.
Yammm
It was amazing!! Made this for a third time in just two months. I will eat this for breakfast tomorrow, as well as lunch on the road.
I added some chopped zucchini. Pretty much add any crunchy veggie and you’re set.
Thank you so much! Also, I have made the salmon cakes numerous times. Such good recipes!
Absolutely wonderful recipe! Served it with blackened salmon…added some chopped mangos because it just seemed right! Delicious!
Hi Sylvia! I hope your new year is a bright beginning 🌞 and hopeful.
I’ve comment about this recipe before and raved about the dressing. It was delicious – the acid, heat, sweetness, spice, and just yummy goodness. I have to omit the spice for my picky eater. It was so yummy that my 2 yr old toddler can eat almost the whole broccoli or cauliflower while dipping in this dressing – in moderation of course. But wow! I’m always impressed by your recipes. Thank you
May you find peace and blessings always 🙏
Awwwwww thanks. Appreciate this. ❤️
A life-changing recipe! My only serious change is I sub Swerve sugar sub for the sweetener for low carb reasons. It qualifies as an ‘Ah-ha’ moment!
Love it! 🙌
I made the recipe as written and we loved it, thank you
Thank you for this recipe!!!
I served this salad with teriyaki meatballs, rice and roasted broccoli. The dressing was SO delicious that my sister and I just spooned the extra out of the bottom of the salad bowl and drizzled it over everything!
This was really tasty and so healthy. I only used 1 T of sweetener (agave) and thought that was enough.
Very delicious, everyone loved it. Yum Yum!!
What a great clean tasting cole slaw! Thank you so much. I’m eating this with King Salmon made on the grill, Perfect.
Love this! Make a lot
It is so good. Thank you!
Delicious and easy – a total win. Had to add a little salt but that was the only change I made. Thank you!
Deeeeeeeelish! And so simple. My only modification: I used one tablespoon of maple syrup instead of three because I prefer a less sweet cabbage salad. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent! The dressing is wonderful. I added a radish and a little carrot just for color since I only had green cabbage. Oh and a little green apple. I love the taste of it all. Thank you. This recipe is a keeper! I can hardly wait to bring it to a potluck or family gathering.
It’s frustrating the article is so long. I’m at The supermarket and I know you want to rank for seo but it’s not helpful it’s so long with tons of ads and the Ingredients are “your own choice”.
Just ingredients, photo and quick how to.
Sorry Oscar- I hear you. Yes, the ads are annoying, yet that is how we are able to provide free content. There is a “Jump to Recipe” button at the very top so you don’t have to scroll. You can screenshot the recipe at that point.
Oscar…just jump to “print Recipe” There’s lot’s of great info in there!