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Load up on cabbage nutrients with this delicious, quick-to-make Thai cabbage salad that doubles as meal prep. It’s made with coleslaw, green onion, and mint and flavored with spices, sugar, and vinegar! This peanut-free Asian slaw recipe is great for feeding a crowd and prepping in advance.
save this recipe!Sometimes, our bodies crave a salad, but greens won’t cut it! When that’s the case, swapping the greens with cabbage could satisfy your taste buds. This salad checks all the boxes: it’s filling, satisfying, and flavorful, and there isn’t a piece of lettuce, kale, or spinach in sight!
Instead, Thai cabbage salad uses a base of coleslaw combined with bell pepper and green onion. Then, we add additional flavor with a bit of mint and cilantro. The mix of those two herbs adds a tanginess that tastes delish when paired with the rice vinegar and sesame oil dressing!
Reader rating
“Easy, healthy, raw, tasty, made from ingredients already in my pantry & fridge. Wonderful! The crushed red pepper really makes the dish. We’ll be making this again.” —Laura
the ingredients are simple
This salad calls for two mini-ingredient lists. Everything can be found at your local grocery store, and you should be able to spot the rice vinegar and sesame oil with other condiments or on the baking aisle.
Dressing
- Rice Vinegar: This adds a potent bite to the mix and makes a great base for the dressing.
- Sugar and Salt: Add a bit of sweet flavor with some sugar. This is crucial for adding flavor while also offsetting the sourness of the vinegar. We also need salt to enhance all the other flavors.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Sesame oil adds a rich, nutty taste!
- Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes add just a slight amount of heat. You can add more if you prefer things extra spicy.
- Garlic: The last ingredient for the dressing is minced garlic. If preferred, you can use garlic powder (but fresh is usually best!).
Salad
- Coleslaw: 1 14-oz bag of coleslaw will serve as the base of the salad. Be sure to grab a variety with shredded carrots for extra flavor and crunch!
- Green Onions: These add a subtle onion flavor (without the sharp bite of white onions).
- Red Bell Pepper: 1 red pepper adds crunch, color, and even a bit of sweetness to the salad.
- Cilantro and Mint: To add even more flavor, add cilantro and mint.
Add avo!
If you’d like to add another layer to your dish, avocado is a great option. This will add flavor and texture while also supplying some healthy fats.
here’s how to make it
This recipe is great for beginners and experienced cooks alike. You’ll need only 15 minutes of prep time total.
Step 1: Create The Dressing
Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. They should be well combined, and the sugar should dissolve.
Step 2: Prepare The Salad
In a separate bowl, toss together all of the salad ingredients.
Step 3: Assemble
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine the ingredients evenly.
it just gets better and better
Thai cabbage salad is one of *those* recipes that is simply better with time. That’s why we recommend letting it chill for at least an hour before serving! When you let it sit, all of the ingredients are able to sit and mix together, and the flavor becomes that much better.
Plays well with…
Whether you’re enjoying this salad as a side or as a main course, here are some delicious pairing ideas!
- Kimchi Tempeh Tacos: Spoon this salad on top of the tacos, or serve it alongside!
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup: Go the classic soup and salad route with this cauliflower option!
- Easy Chana Dal Recipe: Load up on nutrients with delicious chana dal.
- Kimchi Fries: Splurge and have French fries for dinner! This salad would be great heaped on top of the fries or served alongside.
Thai Cabbage Salad Recipe | Easy Asian Slaw
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup rice vinegar, 120 mL
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 30 mL
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Salad
- 1 14-oz bag coleslaw with shredded carrots, 397 g
- 6 green onions, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 bunch cilantro, about 1 cup loose, ½ cup chopped
- A few mint leaves, torn into a few pieces
Instructions
- Dressing: Whisk together all dressing ingredients to dissolve the sugar.
- Salad: In a separate bowl, toss together all salad ingredients.
- Assemble: Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to evenly combine. For best results, chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Love this! Also added lots of Thai basil!
Yummm that sounds delicious!
Hi! I love your recipes and use them all the time! I was looking forward to making this one, I don’t have bagged coleslaw where I live. Is that just chopped cabbage or would you recommend a blend of a few different things (white and purple cabbage and something else?)?
Thanks!
Yep it’s just purple and white shredded cabbage with shredded carrots mixed in! 😀 So happy you’re liking all the recipes, Jon! 😀
Easy, healthy, raw, tasty, made from ingredients already in my pantry & fridge. Wonderful! The crushed red pepper really makes the dish. We’ll be making this again.
I’m so happy to hear it, Laura! Thanks for letting is know how it went! 😀
This was delicious! I used an entire head of chopped cabbage! I didn’t have mint- next time! I also added 3 multicolored carrots, a couple stalks of celery, a diced watermelon radish, and a cucumber. To The dressing I added about an inch of diced ginger, a couple of splashes of tamari!, and two Tbsp of toasted sesame seeds. (Thought about cashews, but we were out!) This will be made again! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it, Lori! Thanks so much for letting us know how it went!