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
- Thai Fried Rice
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!
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
Amazing recipe, it my go to for the dressing which I keep in the fridge for so many other things. I used with salmon and practivally anything as a top up.
For the veggies I add green unripened mangoes and also unripe papaya. Adds great flavour. For the tofu, I marinate the tofu with this dressing for a day and then grill it. Awesome!
Sounds fantastic Sid!
Great salad and one of the best Asian dressing recipes. Thank you!
Thanks Kate!
I’d like to make this salad 1 day ahead – should I put the dressing on right away or just before serving?
Hi Donalyn – I think it would be good either way. If you want it super crunchy then do it right before. 😉
Delicious, bright and crunchy slaw! The fresh ginger adds such a pleasant snap to the tasty dressing. Unfortunately, I did not have chili paste but will definitely plan ahead next time. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Thanks Deborah!
Truly very yummy! Thanks for sharing Sylvia! I think I’ll subscribe to your blog!
So glad you enjoyed Jan!
Made this tonight as a crunchy topping for orange ginger pork loin tacos. It turned out very good.
Great to hear Gerlinde!
Great Asian Slaw and too easy to put together! I added everything to a jar, grated my ginger and grated my garlic too. The only chopping I did was the green onions and Cilantro, which really pops nicely in this recipe. I separated the mixed salad into two bowls and save half the dressing to toss in for tonight’s dinner. We grilled Honey Soy marinated chicken and Shishito peppers and it all came together so great. Thank you.
Love it Susan! Yum!
Easy to make and delicious!
Delicious recipe, are having a sweet dish with it so just left out the honey and extra salt, came out amazingly, so fresh and tasty!
Perfect Lizzie!
Oh I’m a going into my kitchen to make this now.
Perfect- let us know what you think Kim!
Absolutely the tastiest sesame dressing ever. So refreshing!
thanks Cat!
My first attempt at Asian slaw and it is Excellent!!!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Can’t stop eating it!
is this recipe glute free, if not can it be changed to be GF
Yes, just be sure to use GF soy sauce- like Braggs or coconut aminos.:)
Made this tonight and had to make 2 adjustments. I didn’t have any garlic or ginger on hand, so I used garlic powder and ginger powder. BUT, in a pinch it worked and the coleslaw was so tasty!! Next time I’ll have t real stuff and I’m sure it will be beyond amazing.
Perfect Sarah!
This slaw came together very quickly using a 1# bag of store bought slaw: shredded carrot, red and green cabbage. I tossed in a handful of chopped dinosaur kale that I keep at the go ready in a zip lock. Fabulous. Enjoyed a cup for breakfast as well. One can keep adding a bit of new crunch in the upcoming refrigerated days to keep it super crunchy if needed by adding a few shredded carrots, etc. It’s a great salad. I particularly enjoyed the fresh minced ginger discovered in various bites along the way. Thanks, Sylvia for another winner.
Thanks Tracy- glad this one worked for you!
Tracy, I haven’t made this recipe yet. I’m going with your 5-star rating. Did you add the optional chili paste? Is it hot/spicy?
Thanks if you can give me a heads up.
Mary in Colorado too!
This was so good! I added the juice of a lime because I love how it tastes in dishes, but seriously, I can slurp this dressing with a spoon!!!
Awesome Laura! Great to hear!
This is amazing! I am not a cabbage fan, but I love this salad. I always make triple the dressing and save it in the refrigerator for later.
Variation: I made it with Trader Joe sesame honey cashews, which went perfectly.
Thanks Glen. 🙂 Love the addition of the cashews- YUM!
Maybe broccoli slaw?
Dressing was delicious! I only had cabbage and carrots, still tasty.
Great to hear!
Love this recipe, but only make 1/2 @ a time since we’re only two. Would like to make a full recipe of the dressing to keep on hand. Any idea as to how long I can keep dressing in fridge? 1 week, 1 month?
Hi Lou-I would say dressing is good up to a week.:)
Great recipe! We eat this slaw on various homemade tacos, from fish to duck and it’s delicious.
Love it Leslie!
Wonderful recipe 😋 thank you so much for sharing this ❤ ♥
Thanks Susan, so happy you enjoyed!
Excellent recipe! My only (negative?- but not worth dropping a star!) comment is: I made this with a 2 lb. bag of pre-shredded broccoli cabbage slaw. Recipe calls for 1#, yet doubling the dressing was waaaay too much. Oh, well, now I have the dressing for another batch!
Oh shoot! Not sure what happened here. Sorry Jill!
Dressing recipe is on point. My go to for most slaws.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Scott- I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
I just made this. Yummmmmy i love it
I made this tonight for dinner, my first time making Asian slaw. It was quick, easy and most importantly delicious. I put it with roast salmon and it was so good! Plus I’ve loads left for lunches and dinners during the week.
Great to hear!