This delicious Asian cabbage salad boasts a wonderfully complex flavor profile thanks to a tasty dressing of sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce.
I love that you can make it ahead of time, refrigerate it for a few hours, and then serve it. Needless to say, the leftovers are delicious!
I got the recipe for this Asian cabbage salad from my mother-in-law. Many of her recipes are quite elaborate, but this is an easy one—though it does not lack flavor! It's one of my favorite salads, and my entire family enjoys it.
Its flavor profile is quite different than the flavor of this homemade coleslaw. Not surprisingly, it goes exceptionally well with Asian-style main dishes.
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Ingredients
You'll only need five simple ingredients to make this salad. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Shredded cabbage: To make my life easy, I use a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw in this recipe. But it's not difficult to shred cabbage with a sharp knife, as I do in this fried cabbage recipe.
- Sesame oil: I like to use toasted sesame oil. It's so flavorful! But any unrefined sesame oil will be great in this salad. Refined sesame oil is less suitable, as it's nearly flavorless.
- Rice vinegar: I don't recommend using distilled white vinegar. It's too acidic.
- Light soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes. You can also use a gluten-free alternative.
- Red pepper flakes: They don't make the salad very spicy but add a nice layer of flavor. If you want the salad to be truly spicy, you can increase the amount you use according to your taste.
Variations
- Sometimes, I use broccoli slaw in this recipe. It's just as good as cabbage slaw.
- You can substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar for rice vinegar.
- Add shredded cooked chicken and turn this salad into a main dish salad, similar to this Chinese chicken salad. If you go this route, increase the dressing ingredients by 50%.
- Add a handful of slivered almonds for extra crunch.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this salad:
Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl. Add the scallions, then add the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.
Mix well with a large spoon. Let the flavors meld for 30 minutes. Mix again before serving.
Expert Tip
Allowing the flavors to meld for at least 30 minutes is important. It does make a difference.
You can let the salad rest at room temperature for up to an hour. If you plan to let it rest for longer, it's best to cover it and keep it in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend it. White vinegar is harsh and acidic, while rice vinegar is very mild - almost sweet. They have a completely different flavor profile. If you're out of rice vinegar, try using white wine vinegar.
You can if you'd like, but regular cabbage is fine. It's easiest to use a pre-shredded coleslaw mix, and it's also prettier, thanks to the addition of purple cabbage and carrots.
I like to use dark, unrefined sesame oil. It's unsuitable for cooking because of its low smoke point, but its bold flavor makes it an excellent condiment. Toasted sesame oil is another excellent option.
Serving Suggestions
This tasty salad makes a wonderful side dish to any Asian-style main dish. I often serve it with Asian meatballs, sweet-and-sour meatballs, sesame shrimp, Asian salmon, or soy sauce chicken.
It's pretty to serve it in a Chinese bowl, as shown in this photo:
Apart from Asian-style dishes, this salad is versatile enough that I sometimes serve it with "regular" main dishes such as baked chicken breast, baked chicken thighs, or baked pork chops.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days. In fact, this salad tastes even better the next day and keeps tasting great right up to the last day you keep it. Just remember to stir it one more time before serving it.
More Cabbage Recipes
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Recipe Card
Asian Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces shredded cabbage - 5 cups; I use a bag of coleslaw mix
- ¼ cup scallions - green parts only, thinly sliced
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl. Add the scallions.
- Add the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.
- Mix well with a large spoon. Let the flavors meld for 30 minutes. Mix again before serving.
Video
Notes
- Allowing the flavors to meld is important. It does make a difference. You can let the salad rest at room temperature for up to an hour. If you plan to let it rest for longer, it's best to cover it and keep it in the fridge.
- I don't recommend using regular vinegar in the dressing. White vinegar is harsh and acidic, while rice vinegar is very mild - almost sweet.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. In fact, this salad tastes even better the next day and keeps tasting great right up to the last day you keep it. Just remember to stir it one more time before serving it.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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