This Asian slaw salad recipe is a flavorful salad filled with vibrant colors, textures, and topped with a delicious peanut ginger dressing. This salad is easy to prepare and an impressive dish everyone will love!
What Is Asian Slaw Salad?
Asian slaw salad is a twist on a classic coleslaw. It has similar base ingredients like shredded cabbage and shredded carrots. However, instead of a creamy mayo dressing, it’s made with a light and zesty dressing with Asian inspired flavors like sesame and ginger.
Ingredients To Make Asian Slaw
This Asian slaw is a great way to eat your colors, and it’s every bit as delicious as it is healthy. Here’s what you need to make the salad.
- Cabbage- any kind or combination of cabbage works: green, purple, savoy, or napa. For this recipe I use store bought shredded coleslaw and added purple cabbage for extra color.
- Carrots- julienne or shredded carrots. You can buy store bought shredded carrots to save time or use a food processor, peeler, or your knife skills.
- Bell pepper- for more color and crunch.
- Edamame- for some added protein.
- Scallions and cilantro- these two add a lot of flavor to the salad. If you don’t like the taste of either, feel free to skip.
- Peanuts- For more crunch and protein. This is totally optional.
Ingredients For The Peanut Ginger Dressing
- Toasted sesame oil- worth buying if you don’t already own. Toasted sesame oil has a more intense nutty flavor and is great for making dressings
- Soy sauce- choose low sodium when possible. Also, you can substitute tamari or coconut aminos, both of which are gluten free alternatives to soy sauce.
- Rice vinegar- I buy unseasoned.
- Peanut butter- you can substitute any nut or seed butter to your liking.
- Lime- fresh lime juice for some acidity.
- Maple syrup- sweetness to balance the acidity. Alternatively, you can substitute honey or brown sugar.
- Ginger and garlic- see below on how to use and store fresh ginger
Don’t Be Intimidated By The Ingredient List
I know the list of ingredients looks long but please don’t let that discourage you. Once the veggies are sliced, it comes together easily and stays fresh in the fridge for a few days. Also, the great thing about this recipe is you can utilize the prepared vegetables at the grocery store to save prepping time. You can buy bagged shredded cabbage, grated carrots, and shelled edamame to throw this together in no time!
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How To Use Fresh Ginger
If you’ve never bought or used fresh ginger before it can seem a little intimidating looking. I assure you it’s easy to work with. The ginger root is covered with a thin, light brown peel. You can use a peeler or spoon to scrape (which wastes less) off the peel. Then use a micro plane or any type of cheese grater to grate the ginger. Also, you can wrap the leftover peeled ginger and store in the freezer to use whenever a recipe calls for it.
Possible Variations For Asian Slaw
This salad is versatile so feel free to get creative with ingredients to make it your own. Here are some suggestions on possible variations:
- Add extra fresh produce: snow peas, snap peas, cucumber, mango, radishes, shredded broccoli.
- Top with a protein: to make it into a more filling meal add chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu, steak or any other protein.
- For more crunch: Add crispy wonton strips or crispy chow mein noodles.
- Swap the nuts: if you don’t like or are allergic to peanuts, sprinkle slivered almonds, cashews, or sesame seeds.
- Kick up the heat: if you want your slaw to be spicier add more sriracha, chili flakes, or other hot sauce to the dressing.
- To make it gluten free: substitute soy sauce for equal amount of tamari or coconut aminos, both of which are gluten free alternatives to soy sauce.
Perfect Summer Salad
This Asian slaw salad is healthy, colorful, and tasty with a variety of contrasting textures and flavors. It’s the perfect light summer salad for lunch or dinner and a great side dish for any cookout this summer.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
If you love this Asian slaw recipe, try one of these summer salads next:
- Peach Caprese Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Summer Nectarine Salad
- Sweet Potato Salad
- Strawberry Salad Dressing
- Grilled Zucchini Corn Salad
Asian Slaw with Peanut Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ -14 oz bag packaged coleslaw mix
- 2 cups purple cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- ½ medium red bell pepper sliced thin
- ½ cup shelled edamame
- 6-8 scallions sliced thin
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- ⅓ cup dry unsalted peanut halves (optional)
- Sesame seeds to garnish (optional)
Dressing
- 4 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce tamari sauce, or coconut aminos
- 3 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 4 Tablespoons peanut butter tahini, or other nut/seed butter
- ½ Lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar maple syrup or honey
- 2 Tablespoons ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 Tablespoon water more for thinning as needed
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha (optional)
Instructions
- Toss all the slaw ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small blender, add all of the dressing ingredients and blend until well incorporated. Taste and adjust to your liking. If you want to thin it, add more water a small amount at a time. To thicken you can add more peanut butter
- Pour the dressing into the slaw bowl and stir well until evenly distributed.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and any other additional add-ins to your liking. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
186 Calories, 14 gram fat, 6 gram protein, 11 gram total carbohydrate, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams sugar, 94 mg sodium Notes Optional add-ins or variations: snow peas, snap peas, cucumber, mango, radishes, shredded broccoli Add protein to make it a meal: chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu, steak, or any protein. Peanuts add a nice crunch but are optional. Can also add slivered almonds or cashews. Additionally, add crispy wonton strips or crispy chow mein noodles for more crunch. Sriracha is optional for a little heat. You can add more if you want it spicier or use your favorite hot sauce or add chili flakes to the dressing. To save time: use pre-shredded vegetables. If you don’t want to shred the purple cabbage use the rest of the coleslaw bag.
What’s your favorite summer salad recipe? Share in the comments below. I love to try out your recommendations, and maybe other readers will love your ideas, too! Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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