Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Name: Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Ingredients: 3 cups finely sliced green cabbage* (about ½ small cabbage head); 3 cups finely sliced red cabbage (about ½ small cabbage head); 2 large carrots, grated; ¾ cup chopped green onions; ½ cup chopped cilantro, optional; ¼ cup peanut butter; ¼ cup soy sauce (or Tamari, coconut aminos); ¼ tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons sesame oil; 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey); 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger; Dry roasted peanuts; Sesame seeds

Updated: Mar 20, 2023 » This post may contain affiliate links » By: Megan » 3 Comments

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This Asian slaw with ginger peanut dressing is an easy, quick and healthy meal that comes together in only 15 minutes. It has a delicious, crunchy texture and is loaded with fresh vegetables: red cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, green onions & more.

This Asian slaw is also simple to customize with your favorite ingredients: add more of what you love and less of what you don't. And you can use our ginger peanut dressing recipe (at the bottom of this page) or a store-bought alternative dressing to save time.

The texture is the best part of this recipe: it's a salad that you'll want to eat again and again because it's super fresh and crunchy. Plus the peanut sauce is flavorful with fresh ginger and a little bit of sweet maple syrup (so good)!

You can serve this Asian slaw as a main dish or side salad. We love to pair it with our Sesame Tofu or Sticky Orange Cauliflower.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. The full recipe card and ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the page.

For the salad:

Green cabbage
Red cabbage
Carrots
Green onions
Cilantro

For the dressing:

Peanut butter
Soy sauce
Rice vinegar
Sesame oil
Maple syrup
Ginger

Instructions

Here's how to make this recipe in 4 simple steps:

Prep the vegetables: add all of the ingredients for the salad to a large bowl: green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, green onions, and cilantro (optional).
Make the sauce: in a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce.
Mix: pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss to coat.
Serve: optionally, serve topped with peanuts for extra crunch.

Pro tip: slice your vegetables very thinly for the best texture & taste. For the cabbage, slice it thinly and then chop it several times until it is bite-sized. For the carrots, use a grater or peeler to slice and then chop it into smaller pieces if needed.

Substitutions

Here's some of the most popular substitutions and additions for this recipe:

Vegetables: this recipe calls for green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots and green onions. Some popular additions include: sliced red bell pepper, edamame or bean sprouts. Feel free to customize this recipe and use 7 - 8 cups of your preferred cabbage and veggies.
Soy Sauce: swap this out for Tamari sauce or coconut aminos to make this recipe gluten free
Maple syrup: honey can be used instead
Peanut butter: creamy peanut butter works best in this recipe, but cashew butter is also tasty
Sesame seeds: stir 1 - 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds into your dressing for added texture

Using Store-Bought Dressing: this recipe includes a quick way to make a ginger peanut sauce dressing; if you're short on time you could use a store-bought Asian sesame dressing instead.

Storage

In the fridge: cool and store in an airtight container for up to 2 - 3 days. Over time the slaw will lose its crispiness.
In the freezer: it's not recommended to freeze this recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Serve This Recipe?

This recipe can be served as a side salad or as a main dish. It's best when served shortly after making it and topped with a handful of chopped peanuts. This recipe makes about 3 servings as a main dish or 5 - 6 servings as a side salad.

Why Is My Peanut Dressing Too Grainy/Not Smooth?

If you find that your peanut sauce is not smooth, try stirring it for longer. You'll want to stir it until the peanut butter completely incorporates and dissolves. You should also use creamy peanut butter (preferably a no-stir creamy peanut butter).

What Other Salad Dressings Can I Use?

To make sure that your salad is fully coated in the peanut sauce, use two forks or tongs to toss your salad (instead of stirring with a spoon). This helps distribute the sauce and mix up the veggies.

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