Fresh, crunchy, Asian Cabbage Salad Recipe with a Peanut Ginger Dressing. This salad is a family favorite, you will be obsessed.

This salad is inspired by one of my favorite restaurants. The crispy wonton strips with the peanut ginger dressing just make me crave this salad weekly so I decided to make my own at home.

Why Make This Asian Cabbage Salad

This asian inspired cabbage salad is full of fresh crunch from the red cabbage, it is so bright and beautiful and it will impress whoever you make it for. It impressed me when I made it for lunch! The almonds add a great texture and flavor. The dressing is the key to this recipe because it ties everything together with a sweet/tangy peanut flavor.

This asian cabbage salad is very easy to make, it takes about 10 minutes and there is not cooking necessary unless you want to make the optional pan fried wonton strips.

This salad is perfect for meal prepping because the hearty cabbage and kale stays crunchy for days. it can hold up well if you have dressed leftovers. Serve it with protein like my Sweet Chili Shrimp.

Ingredients Needed

• Red Cabbage. This nutrient dense cruciferous veggie is the perfect color and texture for this recipe. I prefer to buy it as a head, the color is much more exciting when you freshly cup it vs pre cut packaged cabbage.

• Kale. I love this green with the cabbage. It holds up nicely and adds a pop of green.

• Carrots. These add color, they add more texture and crunch and they pair great with the peanut ginger sauce.

• Edamame. My favorite add in to this salad! I buy them shelled. They give a little more protein to this salad.

• Shaved Almonds. The best crunch, full of protein and healthy fats. This ingredient is of course optional but I highly recommend it.

• Wonton or Egg Roll Wrappers. This is totally optional if you want to make your own to add to this salad! You can find these in the produce area, typically near the tofu.

Peanut Ginger Dressing Ingredients

• Peanut Butter. I would recommend using creamy peanut butter. I only had crunchy on hand, but either will work. this is the base of the addictive dressing.

• Soy Sauce. This adds a depth of flavor to the dressing. You can use coconut aminos or tamari if needed. I typically go for low sodium soy sauce.

• Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar. Either will work. I have tried both. Rice vinegar is a bit more sweet and less tangy than white vinegar so it is my first pick for this asian cabbage salad.

• Maple Syrup. This offers a balanced nutty sweetness to the dressing.

• Ginger. Fresh ginger, minced is the perfect balance to this dressing. You can find fresh ginger in most grocery stores in the produce aisle.

• Garlic. Fresh minced cloves is the best addition to this savory sweet dressing.

How To Make Asian Cabbage Salad

Step One. Grate/shred the carrots if not already. Thinly slice up the cabbage and stem and chop the kale. Add all three to a large bowl (photo two).

Step Two. If you are making wonton strips (photo one), slice them into thin strips and add them to an oiled skillet on medium/low heat. Sauté them, stirring often, until they get bubbled and browned on each side about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and set them aside until ready to serve.

Step Three. Finely chop the garlic and ginger. Mix up all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Use a high speed blender or Immersion blender to mix the dressing and get it nice and creamy.

Step Four. Add dressing, edamame, chopped almonds to salad and mix well. Once you are ready to serve, add the optional wonton strips to the top of the salad and serve. Feel free to add black sesame seeds and avocado for garnish or leave as is.

Recipe FAQ’s

Recipe Tips

Make the dressing ahead of time. You can easily make the dressing ahead of time and then serve it when needed.

Taste as you go! As always, taste things as you go, you may want to add more maple dressing or more salt to the dressing.

Customize as you like! Add more veggies like chopped jalapeño or bell peppers if desired. You can also add salmon, shrimp or chicken to up the protein.

Recipe Pairings

This asian cabbage salad is great on its own as is but if you are wanting a more well rounded meal, I have you covered. Top this salad with grilled chicken or shrimp for extra protein.

You can also serve this salad with salmon. Firecracker Salmon would be ideal paired with this! You could also pair this salad with egg rolls (use pork or keep them vegetarian!). It would also be a wonderful side to burgers of any kind.

Recipe Variations

Kale. If you don’t like kale, sub it for green cabbage, romaine lettuce or spinach.

Carrots. These can be skipped or substituted with green cabbage as well.

Almonds. You can use peanuts or pine nuts in place of almonds.

Peanut Butter. Use almond butter or cashew butter in place of the peanut if you have allergies.

Soy Sauce. Amino acids or tamari would be a fine substitute.

All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post. 

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