This Oriental Coleslaw is super quick to throw together, 5-10 minutes the most, and packed with a ton of healthy veggies tossed in tangy Thai Peanut Salad Dressing. Easy, quick, and healthy.
Would I be lying that it only takes 5 minutes to prepare this wonderful salad? No, noo, noo, this is for real the easiest and healthiest salad I’ve been making the last couple of weeks. I think it's an obsession, maybe?
I guess I miss my traveling-to-Asia lifestyle so much that I’m making tons of delicious Asian-style food recipes lately. Anyone else misses traveling during this crazy pandemic? And the delicious authentic food you can eat there? Omg! Please let it be over, at once!
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So this is my quick 5 minute version of a Oriental Coleslaw recipe that you gonna either love or hate. No third option!
Let’s get started!
[mailerlite_form form_id=17]If you like fulfilling salad bowls be sure to head over to my Salad Section or try one of these yummy salads such as Salmon Salad, Cold Pasta Salad With Smoked Sausage, Eggplant Chickpea Salad, Pasta Salad With Cheddar.
What is Oriental Coleslaw made of?
I believe there are tons of versions of this recipe you can make at home. But for me, it’s more of a what-I-have-in-the-fridge kind of salad. The main ingredients are of course cabbages and carrots, it is all then tossed in a delicious tangy Thai Peanut Salad Dressing that you can also prepare to your liking by increasing the quantity of ingredients or actually removing a few. Totally customizable and easy.
Just a quick word from me about this incredibly healthy veggie - red (purple) cabbage. Did you know that it has way more nutrients than green cabbage? I think we all should add the red cabbage to our weekly menu more often.
Powerful Red Cabbage
- Helps to fight and lower inflammation and protect against certain types of cancer
- Can be enjoyed raw, cooked, fermented
- Great source of fiber and vitamins A, K, C, B6
- Helps to protect against cellular damage
- May promote heart health and may strengthen your bones
How to make Oriental Coleslaw
This Thai-style salad is full of flavors and textures on its own but where it all comes together is tossing the veggies in rich tangy peanut dressing that helps to bring out all the best this salad has.
Enjoy this as a side dish at family dinners, BBQ, or have a double portion and make it a meal (last couple of days that was my lunch by the way!)
Here’s how to make it.
Prepare the Salad:
In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl, gather all the salad ingredients.
Need a different visual? This recipe is also available as as story!
Make the Tangy Peanut Dressing:
Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a mason jar or similar, whisk to combine. Add the dressing to the salad and toss together until the salad fully covered in the peanut dressing.
Serve with toasted pine nuts and more freshly chopped coriander on top.
Tips and variations
Make it Paleo - swap the peanut butter for almond butter.
Soy sauce (gluten free) - use coconut aminos for a soy-free-version or tamari sauce (gluten free) if you have.
Peanut butter - choose a creamy peanut butter version, if too thick you can warm it up slightly in a small saucepan align with a tablespoon of warm water.
Maple syrup - can substitute with honey or agave, but the taste will be slightly different. Maple syrup is the best choice as it gives the dressing a unique taste. And last option would be brown sugar.
Pine nuts - if your not a fan, substitute with toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or chopped toasted peanuts.
Ginger and chili flakes - these ingredients will add a little heat to the salad (very little in my opinion) but if you are preparing for kids too, add less to taste, you can always add a little extra later (tip: mix the extra amount with a little olive oil and stir it into the salad).
Onion - this salad will taste even better by adding thinly sliced white or red onion (about ½ of a large onion). Alternatively, feel free to increase the green onion amount (you can also do that after adding the dressing).
How to store this salad
Once the Peanut dressing is added, it is best to enjoy this salad right away. But if you want to meal prep or enjoy half later, I suggest keeping the dressing separately and only adding it once ready to serve. This way the cabbage and other ingredients will remain fresh and not soggy.
Mix all the vegetables in a large bowl (should be fine for 3 days or more), cover tightly with a lid, prepare the sauce(will keep in the fridge at least a week!), cover and refrigerate both until ready to eat.
More Asian Style Recipes
- Easy Chicken Lo Mein recipe (Gluten-Free)
- Napa Cabbage And Mushrooms Stir Fry
- Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodles
- Chicken and Broccolini with Asian Style Sauce
Oriental Coleslaw With Thai Peanut Salad Dressing
INGREDIENTS
For The Salad
- ½ head of smaller purple cabbage shredded (about 3 cups)
- ½ head of smaller green cabbage shredded (about 3 cups)
- 1 ½ cup carrots julienned
- ½ cup cilantro coriander, finely chopped
- ½ cup cooked edamame peeled
- 6 tablespoon green onion/scallions green part, sliced
- Garnish: 4 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
For the Peanut Dressing
- 2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 4 tablespoon warm water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or wine
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed (about ½ of a whole lemon)
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ heaping tablespoon of grated fresh ginger or ginger paste
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes optional, gives a little extra burst of spicy flavor
- Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl, gather all the salad ingredients.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a mason jar or similar, whisk to combine. Add the dressing to the salad and toss together until the salad fully covered in the peanut dressing. Serve with toasted pine nuts and more freshly chopped coriander on top.
NOTES
- Make it Paleo - swap the peanut butter for almond butter.
- Soy sauce (gluten-free) - use coconut aminos for a soy-free-version or tamari sauce (gluten-free) if you have.
- Peanut butter - choose a creamy peanut butter version, if too thick you can warm it up slightly in a small saucepan align with a tablespoon of warm water.
- Maple syrup - can substitute with honey or agave, but the taste will be slightly different. Maple syrup is the best choice as it gives the dressing a unique taste. And last option would be brown sugar.
- Pine nuts - if your not a fan substitute with toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or chopped toasted peanuts.
- Ginger and chili flakes - these ingredients will add a little heat to the salad (very little in my opinion) but if you are preparing for kids too, add less to taste, you can always add a little extra later (tip: mix the extra amount with a little olive oil and stir it into the salad).
- Onion - this salad will taste even better by adding thinly sliced white or red onion (about ½ of a large onion). Alternatively, feel free to increase the green onion amount (you can also do that after adding the dressing).
Enjoy this easy and quick healthy coleslaw!