This Asian Crunch Salad recipe is the perfect balance of crunchy, savory, and sweet. Fresh vegetables and herbs are mixed with roasted cashews and topped with a zesty lime & sesame ginger dressing. If you're into crunchy salads made with colorful and vibrant vegetables, add this to your meal prep for the week!
As a dietitian, I appreciate any recipe that contains nutrient-rich ingredients AND tastes amazing. This crunchy Asian Salad is exactly that. It's an easy recipe to make as a side dish or you can add protein like rotisserie chicken, tofu, or edamame beans and eat it as a meal. It's great for meal prep since the veggies used hold up well in the fridge.
This was inspired by my Cucumber and Sweet Pepper Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing and it pairs well with Crispy Tofu. I hope you love this Asian Chopped Salad as much as I do! 😊
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Video of How to Make an Asian Crunch Salad
Here is a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful! Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full recipe.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
This Asian Crunch Salad is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
Salad Ingredients
- Cabbage - I use a combination of green cabbage and red cabbage. Cabbage adds crunch, flavor, and essential nutrients including dietary fiber and antioxidants. To make this recipe even easier, buy packaged slaw or shredded cabbage. Feel free to use napa cabbage if you prefer. It's a bit more delicate than regular cabbage so it won't be quite as crunchy.
- Carrots - for this recipe, I love the texture of grated carrots. I suggest buying whole carrots and shredding or grating them yourself if you have a couple minutes. To save time, you can use packaged shredded carrots.
- Green Onions - green onions compliment the flavor of the crisp veggies. Keep in mind that the white parts of a green onion have a stronger flavor. I use the greens with just a little bit of the white part for this recipe. If you prefer, you can use red onion or scallions instead.
- Fresh Herbs - cilantro & fresh mint add so much flavor to this salad! Feel free to use any combination of herbs you like. Basil or parsley would go well with the other flavors here.
- Cashews - crunchy roasted cashews add extra crunch and healthy fats to support brain health!
- Toppings of choice - add toasted sesame seeds, bean sprouts, crunchy rice noodles, or crispy wontons on top of the fresh veggies!
Dressing Ingredients
You can use a store-bought ginger dressing. But if you want to make a Homemade Lime Ginger dressing, here are the ingredients you will need.
- Fresh Lime Juice - using fresh lime juice instead of lime juice from a bottle makes a big difference in the taste.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - toasted sesame oil has a depth of flavor that adds a nuttiness to this dressing. I use Oi! brand or La Tourangelle brand. You can use regular sesame oil if it's what's accessible.
- Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil balances out the stronger sesame oil. You can substitute with avocado oil if you prefer! Both avocado oil and olive oil contain heart-healthy fats that are also good for brain health and hormone health.
- Rice Wine Vinegar - also known simply as rice vinegar. It's a bit sweeter than other vinegars. I use Marukan brand for this recipe.You can substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you want!
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce - to make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- Maple Syrup - adding a sweetener like maple syrup balances out the citrus flavor in this dressing. Feel free to use honey, agave, or your sweetener of choice.
- Fresh Ginger Root - freshly grated ginger root is an easy way to add zest and a bit of spice. Ginger contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties and also helps support a healthy gut.
- Garlic - a clove of fresh garlic adds more flavor.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - to add a little kick of spice.
- Optional: black pepper to taste
How to Make this Asian Crunch Salad
Below are the instructions for how to make this Asian Crunch Salad with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1 - With a sharp knife, food processor, or boxed vegetable chopper, finely chop your crunchy veggies and the cashews. Combine the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2 - To make the dressing, mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl or container with a lid and whisk until the oil is emulsified. Here are the full instructions for the Lime Ginger Dressing!
Step 3 - Pour the Lime Ginger dressing on top of the salad and give it a good toss.
Hint: finely shred the veggies so they get well coated or buy pre-shredded to save time!
Variations
One of the best parts about a Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad is that you can easily customize it with different flavor combinations to your taste. Below are a few ideas for variations, but feel free to get creative!
- Spicy -some of the easiest ways to kick up the spice level in this dish are to double the crushed red pepper chili flakes in the dressing, add sriracha or hot sauce, or add a jalapeno or serrano pepper.
- Deluxe - in addition to the green and purple cabbage and carrots, you can add more crunchy vegetables like red bell pepper or snap peas. Feel free to add chopped kale or romaine lettuce for even more flavor and nutrition.
- Peanut Dressing - if you prefer a simple peanut dressing instead of the Lime Ginger Dressing, there's a great option for a dressing made with peanut butter included in my Spring Roll in a Bowl recipe. You can easily swap the dressing to change this salad up a bit!
Equipment
To make this recipe even easier, chop your veggies in a food processor or using a boxed vegetable chopper.
Meal Prep & Storage for Asian Chopped Salad
Meal Prep: to meal prep ahead of time, chop the veggies and make the dressing in advance. Store the salad components and dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge. I like to store my dressing in a mason jar with a lid. When you're ready to serve, add the dressing and combine.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The flavors will absorb as it's stored and deepen the flavor!
Expert Tips
- I suggest shredding the vegetables pretty finely for this recipe. It helps to ensure everything gets coated with the lime dressing.
- For the dressing, use a citrus zester to grate your ginger.
- For a shortcut, use packaged slaw and a bag of shredded carrots.
Dietitian tip
One of the best ways to ensure you'll eat (and enjoy!) your vegetables is to make sure they taste great by choosing combinations that pair well together. And my secret weapon to convert any veggie-hater into a lover is to add a great sauce or dressing. Making a homemade dressing that contains nutrient-rich ingredients like the Lime Ginger Dressing used in this Crunchy Asian Salad is a double win: flavor + nutrition. 😊
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this Crunchy Asian Salad is a nutrient-rich option. It contains several nutrients including dietary fiber for a healthy gut from the crispy veggies and heart-healthy fats that also support brain health and hormone health from the olive oil and sesame oil in the dressing. This recipe also contains antioxidants Vitamins E, K, C, A, and B vitamins.
Of course! If you want to save some time, find shredded veggies at the grocery store. Give them one more run-through with a sharp knife to make them a bit more finely chopped if you'd like.
This recipe is not gluten-free since the Lime Ginger Dressing contains soy sauce. If you want to make it gluten-free, you can easily do so by substituting soy sauce with coconut aminos.
Yes, this recipe is vegan.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Asian Crunch Salad with Ginger Dressing (Meal Prep)
Equipment
- 1 vegetable chopper optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups green cabbage, chopped
- 2 cups purple cabbage, chopped
- 2 carrots, grated (about 1½ cups)
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped (about 10 leaves)
- ½ cup cashews, chopped (I use roasted & salted)
For Lime Ginger Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice about 2 limes (60 ml)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (15 ml)
- 1½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos (22 ml)
- ½ tablespoon grated ginger root about 1 inch of ginger root
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more to taste
- ⅕ teaspoon black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- With a sharp knife, food processor, or boxed vegetable chopper, finely chop your crunchy veggies and the cashews. Combine the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- To make the dressing, mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl or container with a lid and whisk until the oil is emulsified. Here are the full instructions for the Lime Ginger Dressing!
- Pour the Lime Ginger dressing on top of the salad and give it a good toss.
- Optional: add your favorite protein!
Video
Notes
- I suggest shredding the vegetables pretty finely for this recipe. It helps to ensure everything gets coated in the lime dressing.
- For the dressing, use a citrus zester to grate your ginger.
- For a shortcut, use packaged slaw and a bag of shredded carrots.
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