Asian Cabbage Salad with napa cabbage, red pepper, carrots, green onions, edamame, and crunchy peanuts is topped with a fresh peanut-lime ginger dressing. This makes an excellent side dish or light meal! Change up your salad routine with delicious Asian flavors.
The edamame makes the salad more filling. One serving provides approximately 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in just 167 calories. Plus it has more than enough vitamin A for the whole day! I hope you love the flavor of the fresh tangy dressing too.
Ingredients
These are the vegetables for the salad:
- Napa cabbage – wash the leaves well. you can also use green cabbage if you prefer. I prefer the crinkly texture and sweetness of Napa cabbage. Look for it in your supermarket or an Asian store.
- Red bell pepper – or another color, just my preference for the vibrant color
- Carrots
- Edamame (cooked and shelled) – you could also use green peas.
- Peanuts: look for roasted peanuts without oil and with little added sodium. Sliced almonds would be good too.
- Green onions – or you can use thinly sliced red, white, or yellow onions
This recipe can absolutely be adjusted for other vegetables you have at home. Try snow peas, thinly sliced broccoli, or Brussels sprouts, or even mandarin oranges!
And for the dressing, you will need:
- Smooth natural peanut butter
- Fresh lime juice
- Reduced-sodium tamari sauce – look for one labeled gluten-free if this is important to you.
- Brown sugar – you could use maple syrup, but brown sugar is traditional for this type of sauce
- Fresh ginger – this is important for the flavor of the dressing. Substitute with a quarter to a half teaspoon of powdered ginger if you don’t have fresh ginger.
- Black pepper
- Peanut or vegetable oil
How to Make Asian Cabbage Salad
Cook the edamame in boiling water for 3 minutes or in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Pour cool water over the pods to let them cool before opening the pods – or if using pre-shelled edamame, let them cool.
Wash and slice the cabbage thinly. Wash the red pepper, and slice it into thin pieces. Peel the carrot. I like how it looks cut into julienne strips with a mandolin, but you can also slice it with a knife. Slice the green onions diagonally into small pieces.
Place the vegetables, edamame, and peanuts into a large bowl.
Making Peanut-Lime Ginger Dressing
Peel the ginger with a paring knife. I use a grater plate (pictured) or Microplane to grate it.
- To make the dressing, microwave the peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds. Add the lime juice, water, tamari sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and black pepper, and stir well with a whisk.
- Slowly pour in the oil while whisking the dressing. Pour the dressing onto the salad right before serving it.
Then toss the dressing with the salad right before you serve it.
Make Ahead
You can assemble your vegetables and even the peanuts ahead of time. However, just add the dressing to as much salad as you plan to eat at that time. Otherwise, the cabbage wilts. It still tastes good, but it’s not as good as when the dressing is fresher.
FAQs
Q: Does Napa cabbage need to be washed?
A: Yes, separate the leaves and wash them well. Spin or dry them first as the dressing will stick better.
Q: How do you shred Napa cabbage?
A: I sliced it fine with a chef’s knife. You could also try using a food processor with the shredding disk.
Q: What are other names for Napa cabbage?
A: It is also called celery cabbage, Peking cabbage, and Chinese white cabbage according to the UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County.
Q: How is Chinese cabbage different than Napa cabbage?
A: Chinese cabbage is a broader term that includes bok choy. Bok choy is a green color compared to the light green to yellow color of Napa cabbage. The leaves of Napa cabbage are tightly packed whereas the leaves of bok choy are loose.
Storage
Store this salad in a closed container in the refrigerator for a day or two: ideally with the dressing on the side so it doesn’t get soggy.
What to Serve with this Salad
Try Asian cabbage salad with a stirfry dish with noodles or rice for a tasty meal: healthier than the typical take-out choices:
And here are some ideas for desserts:
- Kiwi Pineapple Sorbet (only 4 ingredients!)
- Triple Berry Nectarine Crisp (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
- Chocolate Mocha Nice Cream
Related Recipes You May Enjoy
- Vegan BLT Salad with Avocado Dressing
- Salad with Beans, Quinoa, Rice, and Pecans and Lemon-Herb Dressing
- Fresh Tomato Lime Salad Dressing with Cilantro
Asian Cabbage Salad with Peanut-Lime Ginger Dressing
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Mandolin
- whisk
- Small bowl
- Ginger grater
Ingredients
Asian Cabbage Salad
- 3 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
- ½ cup Red bell pepper, sliced
- ½ cup Carrots, julienned
- â…• cup Edamame (cooked and shelled)
- ¼ cup Roasted peanuts
- 2 Green onions, sliced
Peanut-Lime Ginger Dressing
- 1 tablespoon smooth natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari sauce
- 1 teaspoon organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- dash ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place the cabbage, red pepper, carrots, peanuts, edamame, and green onnions into a large bolw.
- To make the dressing, microwave the peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds. Add the lime juice, water, tamari sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and black pepper and stir well with a whisk.
- Slowly pour in the oil while whisking the dressing. Pour the dressing onto the salad right before serving it.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this Asian Cabbage Salad with Peanut-Lime Ginger Dressing? Please let me know in the comments how you liked it:
This was a great lite meal – love the dressing especially!