Asian Cabbage Salad

This Asian Cabbage Salad is one of my favorites to whip up and keep in my fridge. You’ll find several Asian-style salads on Our Best Bites and I love them all for different reasons. Here’s a love list for this particular Asian Cabbage Salad:

It’s flexible. You can toss anything in it that you think would be good. Whatever veggies you happen to have on hand. It’s one of those ‘clean out the fridge’ salads.
It keeps well. Lettuce salads get wilted and gross the longer they sit, but this salad only gets better, which makes it a great option for a party, potluck, or picnic.
It’s easy to size up or down. Make a huge batch or just enough for two.
It’s quick. It starts with a pre-packaged bag of coleslaw, so you save time chopping. Plus you can prepare everything ahead of time and just throw it together when you’re ready.
It’s healthy. News flash: Not all salads are healthy. This one is full of fresh vegetables and the dressing has very little oil (pretty rare) so it’s very low-calorie.

Ingredients Needed

This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.

Salad

Bagged coleslaw mix – Just shredded cabbage or a shredded cabbage and carrot mix. No dressing needed!
Celery
Cucumber
Sugar snap peas – You could also use snow peas if you enjoy them.
Red bell pepper
Red onion
Toasted sesame seeds
Toasted almonds – Slivered or sliced.
Cooked chicken – Optional

Dressing

Neutral oil of choice – Light olive oil or canola oil are great options.
Apple cider vinegar – Use a good quality vinegar with the mother, like Bragg’s.
Seasoned rice wine vinegar – Regular would be ok, too. Seasoned rice wine vinegar just has a little added sugar and salt to intensify the flavor.
Granulated sugar – Or the equivalent of a sugar substitute.
Salt
Soy sauce
Garlic – You can use a fresh clove of garlic or garlic powder.
Black pepper
Sesame oil

How to Make and Asian Cabbage Salad

I love a good shortcut salad, so this one starts out with bagged shredded cabbage. Then you’ll add a bunch of fresh vegetables to it. I use celery, bell pepper, onion, cucumber, and snap peas but you can literally toss anything in here you like! Just toss all of the salad ingredients together, and this part can totally be done ahead of time.
The super simple dressing has only a small amount of oil in it and it can be made ahead of time as well. When it’s ready, just toss everything together. It always feels like there’s not quite enough dressing at first, but the trick is to let this salad sit and marinate for about 20 minutes or so (longer won’t hurt it either!) and it all comes together. Finish it off with some toasted almonds and sesame seeds right before serving.

Storing and Other Tips

Store the finished salad, dressed and all, in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-5 days for best results. The cabbage and veggies stay crunchy for several days/
If you’d rather, you could always store components separately and assemble single servings as needed. But this salad is really great once it’s had a chance to sit and chill for a bit!
You can eat this plain, as a great side dish, or add chicken to it for a main-dish meal. I love it with grilled Asian BBQ Chicken!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! This salad is great for potlucks and parties because you can assemble it completely and just let it hang out in the fridge until needed.

How do I toast the almonds?

You can toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they’re golden and fragrant. You can also toast sesame seeds this way if desired!

Is the dressing spicy?

It is not, but you could add some red pepper to the mix if you’d like a little spice.