Author: This crunchy sesame cabbage salad is fresh, vibrant, super flavorful, and very crunchy. Loaded with crisp veggies, edamame, and a tangy sesame dressing, it's the perfect make-ahead salad for potlucks, BBQs, or easy meals.
This crunchy sesame cabbage salad is one of those salads that feels like something you'd order at a restaurant. It's colorful, crunchy, and loaded with fresh veggies tossed in a tangy sesame dressing that clings to every bite. I love using a mix of green and red cabbage because it makes the salad extra rainbow pretty, but you can absolutely use all one color if that's what you have on hand. Every bite is packed with crunch, color, and delicious sesame flavor. It's hearty enough for lunch, perfect for potlucks, and one of my favorite ways to pack a whole rainbow of vegetables into a meal!
Why You'll Love This Crunchy Sesame Cabbage Salad
- Incredibly crunchy: Every bite is packed with crisp vegetables, sesame seeds, wonton strips, and roasted cashews.
- Loaded with color: A rainbow of vegetables makes this salad as beautiful as it is delicious.
- Great for meal prep: Unlike delicate lettuce salads, cabbage stays crisp for days, especially if you add the dressing just before serving.
- Restaurant-worthy: This colorful salad reminds me of those crunchy sesame salads you'd order at a restaurant, but it's easy to make at home.
Ingredients for Sesame Cabbage Salad
For the Salad
- Cabbage: I use a combination of green and red for variety.
- Edamame: Frozen shelled edamame thaws quickly. I usually just rinse it under warm water while I prep the other ingredients.
- Red bell pepper: Yellow or orange bell peppers would also work.
- Carrot: Adds sweetness and extra crunch.
- Green onions: For a mild onion flavor that doesn't dominate.
- Fresh cilantro: Not a cilantro fan? Feel free to leave it out or swap it for parsley.
- Roasted cashews: Sliced almonds or peanuts also work well.
- Sesame seeds: Add nutty flavor and texture. You can use white, black, or a combination.
- Wonton strips or crispy noodles (optional): For that restaurant-style finishing touch.
For the Sesame Dressing
- Soy sauce: Use tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Rice vinegar: Adds tangy brightness.
- Maple syrup or agave: To balance the vinegar.
- Sesame oil: For nutty sesame flavor.
- Neutral oil: Helps the dressing cling to the vegetables, but you can omit it for an oil-free dressing.
- Sriracha (optional): You can add as much or as little as you like depending on your heat preferences, or leave it out altogether.
- Fresh ginger and garlic: Finely mince these or grate them on a microplane.
How to Make Crunchy Sesame Cabbage Salad
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, neutral oil, Sriracha (if using), ginger, and garlic until well combined.
- Prepare the Vegetables: Add the green cabbage, red cabbage, edamame, bell pepper, carrot, green onions, and cilantro to a large salad bowl.
- Toss the Salad: Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well until everything is evenly coated.
- Finish and Serve: Just before serving, top with the cashews, sesame seeds, and wonton strips or crispy noodles if using.
Tips and Variations
- Make prep easier: I love using my food processor with the slicing blade for the cabbage and then switching to the grating attachment for the carrot. It makes this salad come together in minutes.
- Shortcut: No need to shred your own cabbage if you don't want to. A bag of coleslaw mix works beautifully and makes this salad come together in no time.
- Slice the bell pepper by hand: I've found that food processor slicing blades often make bell pepper slices too thin and soft. A sharp knife gives the best texture.
- Add more protein: Top with crispy air fryer tofu for an even heartier meal.
- Save the crunchy toppings for serving: If making ahead, wait to add the cashews, sesame seeds, and wonton strips until just before serving so they stay nice and crisp.
Ways to Serve Crunchy Sesame Cabbage Salad
Serve this cabbage salad:
- As a light lunch or dinner served with a protein such as my spicy black pepper tofu
- As an easy no-cook side dish that would pair perfectly with my vegan orange chicken
- At potlucks and BBQs alongside my creamy edamame dip
- With noodles or in rice bowls
Storage
Store leftover crunchy sesame cabbage salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cabbage softens slightly as it sits, giving it a different texture, but the salad remains delicious. Give it a quick toss before serving.
If you try this crunchy sesame cabbage salad recipe, let us know by leaving a comment and rating it. I'd love to see what you made. Share your creation in the It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Community (this is where we're all hanging out now!) or tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
More Vegan Cabbage Recipes
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Crunchy Sesame Cabbage Salad
This crunchy sesame cabbage salad is fresh, vibrant, and packed with bold flavor. Loaded with crisp veggies, edamame, and a tangy sesame dressing, it's the perfect make-ahead salad for potlucks, BBQs, or easy meals.
Servings: - 10
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Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 3 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 4 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup roasted cashews, (or sliced almonds or peanuts)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- ½ cup wonton strips or crushed crispy noodles, (optional, check to ensure vegan)
For the sesame dressing:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, (such as canola, vegetable, or avocado)
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha, (optional, for heat)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, neutral oil, Sriracha (if using), ginger, and garlic until well combined.
- Prepare the vegetables: Add the green cabbage, red cabbage, edamame, bell pepper, carrot, green onions, and cilantro to a large salad bowl.Tip: Using a mandoline or food processor with a slicer blade makes shredding the cabbage quick and easy. But be careful of your fingers!
- Toss the salad: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve: Top with cashews, sesame seeds, and wonton strips or crispy noodles (if using) just before serving so everything stays fresh and crunchy.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The salad softens slightly as it sits but stays delicious. Toss before serving.
Make-ahead tip: For maximum crunch, add the cashews, sesame seeds, and wonton strips just before serving.
Oil-free option: Omit the sesame oil and neutral oil. For a bit more flavor and balance, you can optionally add 1 - 3 teaspoons of tahini for added richness.
Gluten-free option: Swap soy sauce with tamari and omit the wonton strips.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (recipe makes 8 servings) | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 469mg | Potassium: 393mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2640IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg
Loren says
This salad is so delicious and easy to make. I prepped everything in individual containers and assembled the salad in the mornings for lunches. I had this for lunch for a week with some cold crispy tofu
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it, Loren! 🥰 I love the idea of prepping everything separately and assembling it fresh each morning. Cold crispy tofu sounds perfect with it!
JC says
I made this a stirfry as well and it was so good! Started with just cooking the cabbage up in the pan until it had little burned bits like crispy Brussels sprouts and then put that in bowls and used the pan to cook up some cubed sweet potato, tofu, mushrooms, and snap peas (since I don’t like red pepper) and toasted the sesame seeds and cashews and then divided that in the bowls and topped with your dressing!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That sounds incredible, JC! 😍 I love the idea of turning it into a warm stir-fry, and those crispy cabbage edges sound especially delicious. Thanks so much for sharing!
sjane says
I've made other Asian salads, and this one is the best. (it's the dressing)
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. I have to agree... I think it's the dressing too! 😄
Nancy says
We turned this into a stir fry, and it was out-of-this-world! Added some of your tofu bites for some extra protein and the family ate it up. No leftovers! Thank you for another delicious and easy to prepare vegan dish.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That sounds amazing, Nancy! I love the idea of turning it into a stir fry with the tofu bites. So happy the whole family enjoyed it! 😊
Neha says
Everyone loves this salad- the crunch and flavors are amazing. And it’s just the right amount of dressing.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Excellent! We're delighted to hear it!
Yazmin says
Omg this was absolutely delicious!! I wish I could give this recipe more than 5 stars! Thanks for sharing!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you loved it, Yazmin 🙂
Mike Dinwiddie says
ok...this sounds amazing. I am going to make today to take to a sushi extravaganza new years eve party! thanks for the great idea...ill let ya know how it goes and add a rating!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful, I hope you enjoy it, Mike 🙂
Vanessa says
I never comment on recipes - but this salad is WOW, WOW, WOW. Absolutely delicious. The only changes I made was leaving out Cilantro (because I'm one of those people who dislike it) and added basil instead. I also added bean sprouts & sliced snow peas. The salad is a winner. Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! SO happy you loved it so much that you left a comment! I hope you enjoy many more of my recipes, Vanessa. ...I like cilantro and use it a lot so always leave that out 😉
Kathy Sturr says
Yay! More salad! Must-eat-more-salad. Looks delish!
Sam says
Yes! Now that spring is here, I am craving more and more salads. Glad you are too Kathy!
Cricket says
Thank you for including nutritional information. So many recipe blogs don't and when I ask for it, I'm told it's too time consuming to include or everything in it is healthy (yeah, but that doesn't make it low fat or low calorie)...so thanks again. This looks yummy.
Sam says
You're welcome Circket! I'm glad you find it helpful. I only started adding the nutritional info recently, so if you find one of my older recipes that doesn't have the info, just leave a comment and I will happily update it. Oh, I agree, I hate when "healthy" food is covered in oil. If I am going to eat healthy, I want healthy. If I want to splurge on a Vanilla Cupcake, for example, then I am not worried about it.
Linda @ Veganosity says
Yum! I love Asian inspired salads, this looks so crunchy and delicious. I especially love the sound of that dressing.
Sam says
Thank you Linda! I have been munching on this salad for days, it's so yummy and crunchy indeed.