This Asian slaw is a blend of cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, almonds and fresh herbs, all tossed in a homemade sesame ginger dressing. A fresh and delicious side dish that pairs well with chicken, seafood and beef.
I’m always looking for simple salads to go alongside our meals. Some of my favorite recipes include green bean salad, kale salad, carrot salad and this light and colorful Asian coleslaw.
Almost any meal can benefit from a salad on the side for a boost of nutrition and fresh flavor. This Asian slaw is full of fresh flavors and colors, and can be put together in just minutes.
I love this salad. It adds crisp, fresh component to a meal. It goes perfectly with some of my favorite dishes like Thai chicken curry, Instant Pot teriyaki chicken and almond chicken. Just imagine the meals you could make with this slaw!
Table of Contents
Asian Slaw Ingredients
When you make Asian slaw you will need green and purple cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, green onions, cilantro, sliced almonds and sesame seeds. For the dressing you will need vegetable oil, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, salt and pepper.
How Do You Make Asian Slaw?
First, prepare your veggies by placing shredded green cabbage, purple cabbage and carrots in a bowl. Add thinly sliced bell peppers, green onions, cilantro and sliced almonds. Make a sesame dressing by whisking together soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to mix thoroughly. Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds and more fresh herbs, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Coleslaw
- You can use a box grater to shred your own carrots, or just buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots at the store.
- I like to use a mix of both red and yellow bell peppers because it adds a lot of color. Feel free to use just one type of bell pepper if you prefer. The red, orange and yellow bell peppers are the sweet varieties that should be used in this slaw.
- Hoisin sauce is a sweet and savory condiment that can be found in the international foods aisle of most grocery stores.
Quick Tip
I use a mandoline to shred my cabbages. If you want to skip this step, feel free to buy a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix instead. I find that the freshly shredded cabbage has a better flavor and texture than the bagged variety.
Recipe FAQs
Asian slaw is a refreshing salad made of cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, green onions, cilantro and sliced almonds. This version is served with a tangy sesame dressing.
A slaw is a shredded or chopped salad. A slaw commonly consists of cabbage but it could be a shredded salad with other vegetables like a broccoli, kale or carrot slaw. Coleslaw generally refers to a slaw made with cabbage. The word coleslaw may also be shortened to slaw in some recipes.
Whether a salad is heathier than coleslaw depends on the ingredients. A coleslaw with a lighter vinegar based dressing is a healthier choice because it is low calorie and has nutrients from the vegetables and fiber from the cabbage.
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Asian Slaw Flavor Variations
This salad is delicious as-is, but you can add different ingredients to the mix to customize it to your tastes.
- Protein: Add diced cooked chicken, tofu or shrimp to make it a main course meal.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add different varieties of veggies such as edamame, sliced bok choy, thinly sliced red onions, spinach, daikon radish, celery or chopped broccoli.
- Nuts: Swap out the almonds for cashews or peanuts. You can even add a tablespoon of peanut butter to the dressing for more of a Thai-style slaw.
- Add-Ins: I like to add a little crunch in the form of wonton strips, crushed ramen noodles, crunchy chow mein noodles or crispy rice noodles.
Make Ahead Tips
The great thing about this Asian slaw is that most of the steps can be done in advance.
- You can chop and shred the vegetables up to 24 hours before you plan to serve the slaw.
- Prepare the sesame dressing up to 3 days ahead of time.
- Chop the herbs up to one hour before serving time.
- You can store the finished salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before you serve it.
I love to serve this slaw in the warmer weather months with dishes such as grilled chicken breast or pan seared salmon. It’s also great as a side to stir fries and noodle dishes that you can find in my collection of Asian foods. No matter how you decide to serve this slaw, it’s sure to get rave reviews!
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Asian Slaw Video
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Asian Slaw
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 cups green cabbage shredded
- 1 cup purple cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 3/4 cup bell peppers thinly sliced, red, yellow or a combination of colors
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions plus more for garnish if desired
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish if desired
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, green onions, cilantro and almonds in a large bowl.
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl; whisk until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the slaw.
- Garnish with additional green onions and cilantro if desired, then serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Notes
- You can use a box grater to shred your own carrots, or just buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots at the store.
- I like to use a mix of both red and yellow bell peppers because it adds a lot of color.
- I use a mandoline to shred my cabbages. If you want to skip this step, feel free to buy a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix instead.
This was so stinking good! Hubby added it to his pulled pork sandwich and drizzled a tablespoon of the dressing over it! It’s a winner in our house!
Wonderful slaw recipe! Lots of flavor and texture.
I just love this recipe! I find myself always making the dressing part to put on most salads I make.
Served this with your Bang Bang Shrimp and it was the perfect balance to a delicious meal! Loved it!
I love the flavors you have of this! I have to make it up asap!
This is SO delicious! Perfect combination of flavors!
Such a fresh and delicious slaw!! YUM!
I was wondering what to make for today’s side dish! Love this easy and healthy idea!
I love the idea of adding a bit of crunch with the wonton strips. Thanks for the idea!
Such a fresh and tasty slaw, and I love how colorful it is!
Such a delicious GORGEOUS salad! My family loved it!
This will always be a big hit, everyone loved it!
Great Slaw!
Served with salmon and was a great combination.
Had to sub oyster sauce for the hoisin but was
still great.