This Asian Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad is loaded with colorful, crunchy vegetables as well as toasted almonds, chow-mein noodles and sesame seeds. This hearty salad is tossed with a creamy, but light, peanut dressing that adds tons of flavor to this veggie packed vegan salad recipe.
Just because the weather is cooling down, doesn’t mean that salad season is over! I eat a lot of fresh salads in the summertime, but hearty winter salads are just as good. I’ve been loving adding chopped cabbage to my salads for some crunch and this Asian Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad always hits the spot!
Why You’ll Love This Crunchy Cabbage Salad!
- It’s packed with veggies – There are so many different vegetables packed into this healthy salad! It’s perfect if you’re working hard to make sure you get all you veggie servings in for the day.
- It’s versatile – You can enjoy this cabbage salad as a side dish or a lunch. I like to add a few extra chickpeas, or some cooked tofu, to make this salad a little heartier so it will fill me up, if not serving as a side dish.
- The dressing is super flavorful – The creamy peanut dressing adds so much flavor to this salad and compliments all the ingredients so well.
Asian Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cabbage – I used green cabbage for this recipe and dice it up into small bite sized pieces that are perfect for a chopped salad. You can substitute purple cabbage, or just add in some additional purple cabbage to bulk the salad up even more.
- Kale – I used curly kale, but Dino kale would also work. I like the bright green color the kale adds in contrast to the light green cabbage.
- Other Veggies – Other vegetables I added in were carrot, cucumber, snap peas and red bell pepper. I wanted to add veggies that were both colorful and that would add a nice crunch. Feel free to mix things up and add what you like.
- Fresh Herbs – Fresh herbs are always a must in my salads and this one is no different! I added in some fresh cilantro and thinly sliced green onion.
- Chickpeas – Chickpeas add protein as well as a nice texture to the salad. I just added one can of chickpeas, but two cans can be added if you want to make this salad a little more filling. You could also serve with cooked tofu.
- Chow Mein Noodles – The chow mein noodles add so much crunch to this salad and I love their flavor! You can add as much as you like. If you don’t want them to get soggy, they can be added as a garnish just before serving.
- Almonds – Toasted, sliced almonds add another crunchy element to this salad and also have great taste. I just buy a bag of sliced almonds and toast them on the stovetop for a few minutes.
- Peanut Dressing – The peanut dressing is creamy, zippy and bursting with flavor! I make the dressing using oil, vinegar, lime juice, peanut butter, sesame oil, maple syrup, fresh garlic and ginger, tamari, red pepper flakes and salt. You can also use a store-bought Asian style dressing if you prefer.
How To Make A Crunchy Cabbage Salad
- Cut or dice all of your vegetables into small, bite size pieces. To an extra large mixing bowl, add the cabbage, kale, red pepper, cucumber, snap peas, carrot, green onion, cilantro and chickpeas. I like to give everything a quick mix before adding the dressing since there are a lot of veggies included.
- Make the dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to a medium sized bowl, or jar. Mix together well until everything is combined and the peanut butter is thoroughly mixed into the dressing. Give the dressing a taste and adjust any ingredients as needed.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and then add in the chow mien noodles and sliced almonds. Give salad a good mix to make sure all ingredients are coated with the dressing. Add extra salt, if needed and enjoy!
Cabbage Salad Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this salad vegan? Yes.
- Is this cabbage salad gluten free? Everything in this recipe is gluten free, except for the crunchy chow mien noodles. You can leave them out or replace them with a gluten free substitute. Just make sure to use gluten free tamari, or soy sauce, in the dressing.
- Can store-bought dressing be used? Yes, you can definitely make this salad a little easier by using store-bought dressing if you like. I would recommend an Asian style dressing that is either peanut based or oil based.
- Can different veggies be used? Yes, this salad is very customizable and you can leave out any veggies you don’t like and substitute ones you prefer.
- How long do leftovers last in the refrigerator? If stored in an airtight container, salad should say good for about 3-4 days. If you want the salad to last longer, I would suggest leaving off the dressing until ready to eat.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Loaded Chopped Salad Recipes?
Southwestern Cabbage Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Broccoli Blueberry Salad with Chickpeas
Chopped Cabbage Salad with Chickpeas
PrintAsian Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Asian Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad is loaded with colorful, crunchy vegetables as well as toasted almonds, chow-mein noodles and sesame seeds. This hearty salad is tossed with a creamy, but light, peanut dressing that adds tons of flavor to this veggie packed vegan salad recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped cabbage
- 2 cups chopped kale, I used curly kale
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper, about one medium sized pepper
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced snap peas
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (you can add two cans to make the salad more of a meal)
- 1 cup crunchy chow mein noodles
- 1 cup toasted sliced almonds
- Extra toasted sesame seeds for topping, if desired
Peanut Dressing
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil, or olive oil
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- Juice of one medium sized lime
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated garlic
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cut or dice all of your vegetables into small, bite size pieces. To an extra large mixing bowl, add the cabbage, kale, red pepper, cucumber, snap peas, carrot, green onion, cilantro and chickpeas. I like to give everything a quick mix before adding the dressing since there are a lot of veggies included.
- Make the dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to a medium sized bowl, or jar. Mix together well until everything is combined and the peanut butter is thoroughly mixed into the dressing. Give the dressing a taste and adjust any ingredients as needed.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and then add in the chow mien noodles and sliced almonds. Give salad a good mix to make sure all ingredients are coated with the dressing. Add extra salt, if needed and enjoy!
Notes
I like to cut all my veggies into pretty small, similar sized pieces. This makes the salad easier to eat.
The serving size will depend on what you are making this salad for. If making for a side dish, the numbers of servings in the recipe will be greater than if making for weekday lunches. Let me know if you have any questions about that!
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Salad, Vegan
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Asian Inspired
Jane says
I just came across some sliced almonds I bought a short while back. This is perfect for me today. Thank you!
She Likes Food says
Nice!! I hope you enjoy!
Linda says
Can the dressing be made without oil?
She Likes Food says
Hi Linda, I think that it would work without the oil, I would just add in some water or maybe even a vegetable broth instead.