Asian Cabbage Salad (Print Page)

Crunchy cabbage and vibrant veg tossed in a sesame-ginger dressing for a bright, gluten-free side or light lunch.

# What You 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, combine the shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, julienned carrot, sliced red bell pepper, green onions, and chopped cilantro. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, and chili flakes until the mixture is smooth and well emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the prepared vegetables and toss thoroughly until every strand is evenly coated with the sesame vinaigrette.
04 - Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and chopped nuts over the top. Serve immediately for maximum crunch, or allow the salad to rest for 10 minutes so the flavors can meld together.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The double cabbage trick, green and red, gives you a color explosion that makes everyone reach for seconds before dinner even starts.
  • That sesame ginger dressing is the kind of thing you will want to put on everything from rice bowls to roasted broccoli.
  • Zero cooking means you stay cool and your kitchen stays clean, which is basically a summer miracle.
02 -
  • If you dress the salad too far in advance the cabbage will eventually soften and you will lose that shatteringly crisp texture that makes this special, so plan accordingly.
  • Toasting sesame seeds in a dry pan for two minutes transforms them from dusty afterthought to golden, fragrant perfection, never skip this step.
03 -
  • A mandoline slicer makes the cabbage and bell pepper impossibly thin and uniform, which means every bite feels the same instead of wrestling with uneven chunks.
  • Grate the ginger directly into the dressing bowl using a microplane so you catch every bit of juice and none of the fibrous pulp gets left behind.

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