Quick Asian Cabbage Salad

Asian cabbage salad is a quick and easy recipe that makes a great side dish for barbecues and potlucks. This simple Asian slaw recipe has fresh lime, cilantro, mint, jalapeño, and peanuts with no mayo. For convenience, use a bag of shredded coleslaw mix to make this Asian cabbage slaw in only 15 minutes.

Coleslaws and cabbage salads are quick, tasty, healthy side dishes that go with just about anything from tacos to pulled pork sandwiches. Slaws are perfect for potlucks and backyard barbecues and ideal for nights when you don’t feel like “cooking.” This oriental-style coleslaw is fresh, lively, and always a hit.

Why you’ll love Asian cabbage salad

• It uses a pre-shredded cabbage blend to save time.
• There’s no mayonnaise, so it’s not so heavy and can sit out for longer at picnics without refrigeration.
• You can make this Asian slaw recipe in one bowl.
• It can be prepped ahead of time and dressed at the last minute.
• Leftovers keep for a few days.
• It’s a 15-minute side dish. ‘Nuff said.

Many Asian-style slaws use soy sauce for a salty bite, but for this recipe, I stick with kosher and celery salt for a cleaner taste. Rice vinegar and fresh lime juice give just the right tanginess.

Bonus: there’s no need for added mayonnaise or even sesame oil in this oriental slaw!

Most of the ingredients are self-explanatory for this cabbage salad, but let’s talk about a few others.

About the ingredients:

Pre-shredded coleslaw cabbage mix – This is one of the rare times when I’m all about convenience. I love the grab-and-go nature of pre-shredded coleslaw mix because it’s just the right size for 4-6 servings, the work is done for you, and you won’t have a ton of leftover green cabbage floating around in your crisper drawer for the next two weeks.

Pick your favorite coleslaw mix (with or without red cabbage and carrots); make sure the package feels light for its weight. I’ve had some that feel heavy, and you can tell that there’s moisture in the package, which makes for soggy slaw (that’s not what we want).

Acids – Every Asian slaw recipe needs a bit of acid, but usually, it’s just rice wine vinegar. Adding lime zest and juice softens the acidity and gives the Asian cabbage salad even more flavor. Rice wine vinegar has a clean sourness, but the lime bumps the flavor.

Peanuts – Ok, I’m a bit of a peanut snob, but hear me out. Virginia peanuts are the best peanuts in the world. They are bigger, crunchier, and more pea-nutty than any other peanut, so I go out of my way to buy them.

Emerald nuts have WONDERFUL Virginia peanuts, and I usually find them at my grocery store.

I also recommend Hubb’s. They come in big tins and are so good; we give them as Christmas gifts. You’ll have to order them online, but they’re seriously GOOD.

I’m not an affiliate for either brand, just an epic fan.

How to make Asian cabbage salad in minutes

1. Add sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, lime zest, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, and celery seed to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Add the package of coleslaw cabbage salad to the Asian dressing with chopped mint, cilantro, jalapenos, and peanuts.
3. Toss the salad with a pair of tongs and serve.

If you have whole green cabbage, you can use the shredder attachment on your food processor or a sharp knife to cut the cabbage into a slaw.

Variations and substitutions

• Many people like crunchy ramen noodles in oriental coleslaw. If you do, you’ll only need about half of a package of instant ramen (discard the flavor packet) and transfer the noodles to a plastic zip-top bag. Crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet, so they’re reduced to small pieces, and toss them with the Asian cabbage salad.
• Swap the peanuts for another type of crunchy nut. Try sliced, toasted almonds, chopped salted cashews, or even macadamia nuts (YUM).
• Add a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger to the oriental coleslaw dressing to amp up the spice and heat.
• If you’re not vegan, swap two tablespoons of honey for the sugar to sweeten without the refined sugars.
• Add thinly sliced snow peas or sugar snap peas for more color, texture, and flavor.
• Sprinkle the cabbage salad with toasted sesame seeds for a more Asian flair.
• Add julienne strips of red bell pepper for more color and crunch.
• You can swap out the bagged coleslaw mix for broccoli slaw and use cashews or almonds instead of peanuts.
• For convenience, you can use a bottled sesame ginger dressing instead of the lime cilantro dressing.

FAQs

What does Asian slaw taste like?

This shredded cabbage salad is the perfect balance of Asian flavors. It’s sweet and salty, crunchy and fresh. Little pops of spicy heat keep this cabbage salad interesting. Combined with peanuts, this Asian-inspired slaw is irresistible.

If you want an oriental coleslaw that’s perky and bright, with tons of texture and flavor to keep you coming back for more, this is the BEST.

What to serve with Asian cabbage salad

A good slaw like this can perk up any meal, from chicken to fish, to tacos to pulled smoked pork butt sandwiches.

Try it with:

• Mahi Mahi Sandwich
• Easy Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken
• Spicy, Sweet & Savory Asian Pulled Pork
• Crunchy Salmon Cakes
• Easy Asian Glazed Salmon Recipe
• Korean Short Ribs
• Cider Brined Smoked Pork Loin
• Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
• Wood Smoked Beer Can Chicken

More tasty slaw and cabbage salad recipes you’ll love:

• Easy Cilantro Lime Slaw For Fish Tacos & More
• Crunchy Brussel Apple Fennel Slaw
• Traditional Southern Coleslaw
• Chopped Kale Salad

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