This crunchy Asian salad (Asian slaw) is loaded with fresh, vibrant, crisp veggies and tossed in a simple, flavorful sweet-savory sesame ginger salad dressing. Perfect for enjoying as a side of boosting with protein for a light main!
Prepare the Asian salad dressing, whisk it well, and set it to one side to "marinate." Check this post for lots of tips!
Rinse and finely shred (with a knife, mandoline, or slicing disk in a food processor) the cabbage, thinly slice the bell pepper and sugar snap peas into strips, and either shred or shred julienne the carrot. Also, thinly slice the green onion – both the greens and whites. Then add all the chopped vegetables to a serving bowl.
Prepare the peanuts and sesame seeds. Do this separately in a dry pan, toasting them over medium heat until browned and fragrant. You can then slightly chop the peanuts or keep them whole.
Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss with the sesame seeds and peanuts. Top it with the mint. Then serve and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Make ahead: You can prepare the dressing several days (or even weeks before adding the fresh ginger/garlic) in advance. You can also pre-chop the veggies and store them in airtight containers in the fridge for a couple of days.Store: Once assembled, this salad is best enjoyed within 2-3 days before the salad becomes soggy. Leave the peanuts out until just before serving; otherwise, they go soft.
Notes
Cut down on prep: You could use pre-prepared veggies like shredded carrots and chopped peppers. You could also use a pre-prepared coleslaw mix.
Time saver hack: Rather than hand chopping all the veggies, you can use a slicing disk in your food processor OR a mandoline.
Don't skip the toasting: This step helps to add SO much flavor to the peanuts and sesame seeds and only takes 2-3 minutes.
Adjust the ratio: Use more or less of any ingredient to personal preference.
Allow it to marinate: Overall, this Asian cabbage slaw is best eaten fresh when it’s at its crunchiest. However, I highly recommend allowing the veggies and sesame dressing to meld and marinate for 30 minutes before serving it for the best flavor.
Adjust to taste: The Asian slaw dressing is super simple to adjust to your taste, whether you want it sweeter, tangier, with some spice, creamy, etc.
Check the blog post for more ingredient notes, recipe variations, serving suggestions, and answers to top FAQs!