Vibrant Asian Cabbage Salad (Print View)

Vibrant cabbage tossed with carrots, cilantro, and cashews in a zesty sesame-ginger dressing. Ready in 15 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 cups shredded green cabbage
02 - 2 cups shredded red cabbage
03 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
04 - 3 green onions, thinly sliced
05 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

→ Nuts & Seeds

06 - 1/3 cup roasted cashews or peanuts, roughly chopped
07 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

→ Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
09 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
14 - 1 garlic clove, minced
15 - 1 teaspoon sriracha or chili sauce, optional

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, combine shredded green and red cabbage, julienned carrot, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, lime juice, honey or maple syrup, grated ginger, minced garlic, and sriracha until well blended.
03 - Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well to coat all vegetables evenly.
04 - Add the chopped roasted nuts and toasted sesame seeds, then toss again just before serving.
05 - Serve immediately for maximum crunch, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It stays crisp for hours, so you can make it ahead without worrying about sad, wilted greens.
  • The sesame-ginger dressing is so good you will want to drizzle it on everything from rice bowls to roasted vegetables.
  • It comes together in minutes with no cooking required, which means you can pull it off even when the kitchen is already crowded.
  • The mix of colors and textures makes it look like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
  • Do not dress the salad more than a couple hours ahead or the cabbage will start to soften and lose its crisp bite.
  • Toasting your sesame seeds in a dry skillet for just a minute or two makes a huge difference in flavor, do not skip it.
  • If you are using regular soy sauce instead of tamari, check the label to make sure it fits your dietary needs.
03 -
  • Use a mandoline or the slicing blade on your food processor to shred the cabbage quickly and evenly.
  • Let the ginger and garlic sit in the lime juice for a minute before adding the other dressing ingredients, it mellows their sharpness just enough.
  • If you are serving this to a crowd, set out the nuts and seeds on the side so people can add their own and avoid any allergy issues.
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