Asian Cabbage Salad (Printable)
Crunchy cabbage and vibrant veg tossed in a sesame-ginger dressing for a bright, gluten-free side or light lunch.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 cups shredded green cabbage
02 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
03 - 1 large carrot, julienned
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 4 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
→ Dressing
07 - 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
08 - 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (use gluten-free tamari if needed)
09 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
10 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
11 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
12 - 1 garlic clove, minced
13 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
→ Toppings
14 - 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
15 - 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or cashews, roughly chopped (optional)
# Directions:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, julienned carrot, sliced red bell pepper, green onions, and chopped cilantro until evenly distributed.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey or maple syrup, grated ginger, minced garlic, and chili flakes until smooth and well emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the combined vegetables and toss thoroughly to coat every strand evenly.
04 - Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and chopped roasted peanuts or cashews over the top of the salad.
05 - Serve immediately for maximum crunch, or allow the salad to rest for 10 minutes so the flavors meld together. Can be served cold or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Zero cooking required, which means your kitchen stays cool and you get fed in under twenty minutes flat.
- The sesame ginger dressing is the kind of thing you will want to put on everything from rice bowls to roasted broccoli.
- It holds up beautifully in the fridge, making it the rare salad that actually tastes better the next day.
02 -
- Salt your cabbage lightly and let it sit for five minutes before dressing if you want it extra tender, because the salt draws out moisture and softens the leaves.
- Dress this salad right before serving if texture matters to you, since the vinegar breaks down the cabbage over time and turns it softer than intended.
03 -
- Freeze your fresh ginger whole and grate it straight from frozen with a microplane, because it grates into a fine paste almost instantly and lasts for months this way.
- Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan constantly, until you smell that warm nutty aroma, which takes about sixty seconds and changes everything.