Asian Cabbage Salad

Finished salad topped with mandarin oranges in oval shaped white bowl sitting on bamboo placemat.

This Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing is a delicious and healthy Thai inspired side dish. Loaded with fresh ingredients and big flavors! Cabbage, mandarin oranges, toasted peanuts, and fresh veggies tossed with a sweet and spicy peanut dressing made with peanut butter, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and other Asian flavors. Skip the Chinese takeout! This salad serves 4 and is ready in under 30 minutes!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 418kcal

Author Anne Clark

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD

16 ounce bag of shredded coleslaw mix (green and red cabbage) you'll need about 5-6 cups of coleslaw mix.
2 large carrots, shredded
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thin
2 green onions, (green part only), sliced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup peanuts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
15 ounces Mandarin Oranges (no sugar added), drained but save ¼ cup liquid for the dressing

FOR THE DRESSING

½ cup all-natural peanut butter (or regular)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce (or use garlic chili sauce)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1-½ tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (you'll need about 4 limes to get enough juice)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced (or use ginger paste in the tube)
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or use 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic that comes in a jar. Do not use dried garlic powder or dried minced garlic)
¼ cup reserved Mandarin orange liquid

Instructions

Combine coleslaw mix, carrots, bell pepper, green onion, and fresh cilantro (save a little cilantro for garnish) in a large bowl. Set aside.
Over medium heat, combine the peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha sauce in a medium-size pot. Taste for flavor, and add salt and pepper if needed. Stir or whisk constantly until the peanut butter melts and is completely blended with the ingredients (about 2-3 minutes).
Turn the heat down to low and whisk in tamari or coconut aminos, honey, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and reserved liquid from the mandarin oranges. Simmer, constantly stirring, until thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Drizzle the slaw mixture with a small amount of warm peanut dressing. Toss to combine. Taste test and season with a small amount of salt and pepper if desired.
Top the slaw with peanuts, Mandarin oranges, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with the remaining peanut dressing on the side.

Notes

Can you Make Asian Cabbage Salad Ahead of Time?

Definitely! Can be made 1 day in advance. Make the spicy peanut dressing as directed, let cool completely, place into a sealable container, and store in the refrigerator. Combine shredded cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper in a large bowl; cover and store in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, toss the dressing and salad mixture together. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and add the peanuts, sesame seeds, and cilantro leaves. Top with the mandarin oranges. Enjoy!

Tamari is a great gluten-free soy sauce alternative. Coconut aminos is a soy sauce alternative for those who avoid soy.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Nutrition