Each bite of this salad contains so much excitement! Particularly enjoyable are all the crunchy elements in this salad: toasted sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds; wonton strips and ramen noodles. How long it takes: 30 minutes Equipment you’ll need: Sheet pan, oven, sharp knife, cutting board, large bowl, and measuring utensils. Servings: 16 Along with shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, and bean sprouts, Asian salad boasts a very tasty vinaigrette dressing with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. You may recognize this salad. It’s often brought to get-togethers because it makes a big batch. Everyone likes it and it’s easy to serve since it’s a form of coleslaw. This Asian-style salad with crispy noodles goes well with nearly everything and has great flavor. Because it doesn’t have mayonnaise like a traditional creamy coleslaw, it’s a good warm weather salad because it doesn’t spoil as quickly. Vinegar coleslaw and this Asian-style cabbage salad with mandarin oranges and honey lime dressing are good picnic/potluck choices, too. And it’s surprisingly low in calories, only 185 calories for a generous serving. Cabbage is super good for you, too, with lots of vitamin C and other goodies. Read more about this super food here. If you’ve never tried Asian salad, don’t delay! It may become your new favorite!
About this Asian salad
There are three main components to this salad: a cabbage mixture, crunchy stuff (almonds, seeds, wonton strips, ramen noodles), and dressing. I like to keep the three components separate until serving time. Find the biggest bowl you have. Seriously. This makes a really big salad!
What you’ll need
Shredded Cabbage and Carrots: Shred your own or buy a package of coleslaw mix. Feel free to mix it up with shredded red cabbage for lots of color. Crunchies: Sesame seeds, sliced almonds, and sunflower seeds are toasted first to bring out all that great flavor. Ramen noodles and wonton strips add even more crunch. More Veggies: Sliced green onion and bean sprouts round out the salad. I like to use fresh bean sprouts but if they aren’t available, use canned sprouts. Rinse them well to remove the canned taste. Homemade Vinaigrette: Comprised of olive oil (vegetable oil or grapeseed oil would also work well), white vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil (optional), sugar, salt and pepper, this dressing is easy to make with pantry items.
How to make this salad recipe
First of all, toast the almonds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. There are two methods to do this: bake them in the oven or toast them in a skillet on the stove. Remove them from the pan as soon as they are toasted to stop them from toasting more and burning. Spread them on a plate to fully cool. Prep the cabbage, carrots, green onions, and sprouts. Finely slice the cabbage with a sharp knife or use a mandoline or food processor to shred it. Another alternative is to buy already shredded cabbage (a 14 oz. bag holds about 8 cups so you’ll need two bags). Mix the cabbage and other vegetables in a very large bowl. I usually use my extra large stainless steel bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl. Shake (or whisk) until well-blended. When you’re ready to serve the salad, add the dressing to the cabbage mixture and stir well. Add seeds, nuts, wonton strips, and ramen noodles and serve immediately.
Make It Your Own
This recipe can easily be halved. It makes a giant batch which is great for a crowd but not so great for a small family. Just make however much you want. The salad is pretty flexible so don’t worry if yours has extra noodles or not enough almonds or whatever. No one will notice, trust me. Add more veggies or substitute ones you like better. I love to add chopped bell peppers to this salad. Pea pods are really good, or finely chopped broccoli. Shredded kale, Brussels sprouts, or spinach can be substituted for some of the cabbage. Mix and match the seeds and nuts. Since there’s a whole array of crunchy stuff in this salad, you can easily omit one or two, or substitute ones you like better. Roasted peanuts are really good. I always eliminate the sesame seeds (and sesame oil) since my family is allergic to them. Often I just use sunflower seeds and ramen noodles if I’m making a smaller salad and it’s totally great. Add protein and make a main course salad. Baked or air fryer tofu, shredded chicken, or grilled shrimp are great on this salad. Try serving this salad with spicy Asian chicken wings or soy glazed salmon. Grill chicken that’s been marinated with Asian chicken marinade for an easy meal. Looking for another easy salad? I love this main course cabbage salad with rotisserie chicken and honey lime dressing. Another one of my favorite quickie weeknight meals is egg roll in a bowl. It’s a one pan 30 minute dinner.
Make Ahead Ideas
Prep all three components of the salad (cabbage mixture, toasted nuts and seeds, dressing) up to a day ahead of time, keeping them separate, storing the cabbage mixture in the fridge. It’s easy to stir in the dressing and toppings when you’re ready to serve the salad.
Storage Suggestions
Cover leftover salad tightly and store it in the fridge for up to two days. This salad will completely change as it sits over time. It will no longer be crunchy, but still very flavorful. If desired, stir in fresh wonton strips, seeds and almonds to give it more crunch!
Leftover Love
Getting sick of eating leftover salad? Mix it up by cooking up some ground chicken and sautéing this salad with the chicken. Roll it up in egg roll wrappers and make air fryer egg rolls! Follow the recipe, except for the filling, only use the ground chicken and add about 3 cups of salad as a substitute for the remaining filling ingredients.
More crowd-pleasing salads
Looking for more salad recipes that are sure to please? From cabbage to orzo to potatoes, I’ve got you covered! Try:
Healthy Coleslaw Recipe with a yogurt based dressing The Best Potato Salad Recipe (easy & creamy!) Kale Sweet Potato Salad with quinoa and creamy chili lime dressing Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad (best chopped salad!) Bruschetta Orzo Pasta Salad Creamy Southwestern Orzo Salad Tortellini Pasta Salad with pepperoni and Italian vinaigrette
