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This Asian Coleslaw is a fast and flavorful salad that everyone loves. It’s easy to prepare, and makes an impressive dish when you want to make something special for guests. The dressing will make you want to lick the bowl clean!

asian coleslaw in large bowl

Asian Coleslaw Ingredients

All you need to make this flavorful coleslaw is a few simple ingredients.

  • Shredded cabbage (use a bag of store-bought coleslaw mix to save time)
  • Shredded carrots (you can skip this if using the store-bought mix)
  • Green onions
  • Freshly chopped cilantro

When you toss these shredded veggies in a flavorful dressing, the combination is addictive! You can add any extra toppings you like, too.

Try adding chopped avocado for creaminess, or a handful of roasted peanuts for extra crunch.

shredded cabbage and carrots

How to Make the Best Asian Dressing

The key to any good salad is definitely the dressing, and this homemade Asian-style dressing comes together in just minutes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Honey
  • Red Pepper Flakes (if you want it spicy)

Just whisk everything together, and it’s ready to pour over the salad! I like to toss the salad ingredients with the dressing about 10 to 15 minutes before serving, so the veggies have a chance to marinate.

dressing in a bowl with salad

How Long Does it Last?

I think this particular salad tastes best the first day you make it, but you can prepare the dressing up to 3 days in advance if you want to make it ahead of time. Just toss the dressing with the vegetables about 15 minutes before you want to serve it.

Once the dressing and salad vegetables are tossed together, you can keep this salad tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The vegetables will release liquid as they sit, and the dressing flavor will mellow, so you might want to adjust the seasoning the next time you serve it by adding an extra splash of vinegar, a pinch of salt, or a squeeze of lime juice to brighten things up again.

asian salad served on a plate

asian coleslaw in large bowl

Asian Coleslaw Recipe (The Best!)

5 from 16 votes
This is the best Asian Coleslaw! All you need is a few simple ingredients and about 20 minutes to assemble. It's such a crowd-pleaser!
prep20 mins cook0 mins total20 mins
Servings:4

Ingredients
  

Asian Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (13 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon Tamari (or soy sauce; 17 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (28 grams)
  • 1/4 cup honey (100 grams)
  • 1/4 cup almond butter (optional; for creaminess)
  • 1 clove garlic , minced (4 grams)
  • 1 inch fresh ginger , minced (about 1 tablespoon; 4 grams)
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional; for spice)

Salad Assembly

  • 1 pound shredded cabbage (or a 1-pound bag of shredded coleslaw mixed veggies)
  • 1 large carrot , peeled and shredded (1 cup; 143 grams)
  • 3 green onions , chopped (1/2 cup; 40 grams)
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro , chopped (19 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

  • In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the vinegar, sesame oil, tamari, olive oil, honey, almond butter (if using), garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, if using. Whisk well to combine. (You can also toss this in a blender to blend until smooth, if you prefer.) Taste and adjust any seasonings, as needed.
  • To the bowl of dressing, add in the shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss well to combine, and let the salad marinate for at least 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve the salad with a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top. Leftovers can be tightly covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but if you plan on making this salad ahead of time for company, I recommend storing the dressing and vegetables separately for the best flavor and texture.

Video

Notes

For a vegan salad dressing, swap the honey for maple syrup instead. To make the dressing creamy, try stirring in 1/4 cup of almond butter or peanut butter, too.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 3478IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: asian coleslaw
Nutrition information is for 1 of 4 servings. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

If you try this Asian Coleslaw recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience!

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I can’t wait to hear what you think of these salads. I hope they’re a hit in your home, too!

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. Absolutely delicious! Perfect as it is, everyone loved it. I do think the serving size and therefore calorie count is way off though. As a side served like coleslaw, I would figure more like 8-12 servings. Even as a main course salad with some protein added, I don’t think I could eat 1/4 of the recipe. So adjust your calorie count as needed based on your serving size, and enjoy this delicious slaw!

  2. I used rice vinegar and peanut butter along with peanuts for garnish when making this recipe. This is by far the best slaw ever! My husband ate 2 helpings! It is so crunchy and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again!

  3. I took this to a memorial day cookout yesterday and got tons of compliments. Now my 2 year old daughter is currently scarfing down the leftovers and drinking the dressing left in the bowl haha. I also like to make this a whole meal by serving it with a fillet of salmon. Thank you for this delicious, original recipe!

  4. This was so delicious! I appreciate all of the clean ingredients used in this recipe. My husband and I love coleslaw, but have guilt eating it with all of the mayo that is usually included. We like this one better than the traditional recipe! Thanks for sharing.

  5. I love the Asian spices and heat from pepper flakes.
    I added apple.
    I had just made a peanut sauce from Vegan Richa’s cookbook and used that as well.

    Wish I hadn’t put ALL the dressing into salad.
    I love more crunch – so adding as I ate might have worked better.
    Loved it though so bowl will be gone quickly.