Asian-Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad

This Asian-inspired crunchy Cabbage Salad is loaded with colorful, crunchy vegetables, 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 – This healthy salad contains so many different vegetables! It’s perfect if you’re looking to get in all your veggie daily veggie servings.
• It’s versatile – You can enjoy this cabbage salad as a side dish or lunch. I like to add a few extra chickpeas or some cooked tofu to make this salad heartier so it will fill me up.
• The dressing is super flavorful – The creamy peanut dressing adds so much flavor to this salad and complements the other ingredients well. 

Asian-Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad Ingredients & Substitutions

• Cabbage – I used green cabbage for this recipe and diced it up into small bite-sized pieces, perfect for a chopped salad. You can substitute or add additional purple cabbage to bulk it up even more.
• Kale – I used curly kale, but Dino kale also works well. I like how the bright green color of the kale contrasts with the light green cabbage.
• Other Veggies – I also added carrot, cucumber, snap peas, and red bell pepper. I wanted to add colorful veggies with 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 some fresh cilantro and thinly sliced green onion.
• Chickpeas – Chickpeas add protein and a nice texture to the salad. I added one can of chickpeas, but two cans can be used if you want to make the salad more filling. You can also serve it 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, add them as a garnish just before serving.
• Almonds – Toasted, sliced almonds add another crunchy element to this salad and have a great taste. I 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

1. Cut or dice all of your vegetables into small, bite-size pieces. Add the cabbage, kale, red pepper, cucumber, snap peas, carrot, green onion, cilantro, and chickpeas to an extra-large mixing bowl. I like to give everything a quick mix before adding the dressing since many veggies are included.
2. Make the dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a medium-sized bowl or jar. Mix together until everything is combined and the peanut butter is thoroughly combined in the dressing. Give the dressing a taste and adjust any ingredients as needed.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and add the chow mien noodles and sliced almonds. Give the salad a good mix to coat all ingredients. 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. 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 bit easier by using store-bought dressing. I recommend an Asian-style dressing that’s either peanut- or oil-based.
• Can different veggies be used? Yes, this salad is customizable, and you can leave out any veggies you don’t like and substitute them with ones you prefer.
• How long do leftovers last in the refrigerator? If stored in an airtight container, salad should stay good for about 3-4 days. If you want the salad to last longer, I 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?

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Chopped Cabbage Salad with Chickpeas

Asian Inspired Crunchy Cabbage Salad

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• Author: She Likes Food
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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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.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 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

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Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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