This Asian Slaw is your one stop answer to cool, refreshing, zesty coleslaw but without the heavy mayo! Super light and refreshing. I've been pairing it with grilled chicken, paneer, tofu and even using it in burgers.
Love Salads? Check out my Thai Prawn Mango Salad, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, and Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad recipes!
I have been making my Asian Slaw on repeat this summer. It’s crunchy from the veggies and extremely flavorful thanks to an amazing Asian dressing. But what I love the most about this recipe is that it has no mayo, which makes this coleslaw super light, healthy, and summer-appropriate! The only time consuming part is prepping the veggies but a food processor, mandolin or serrated veggie peeler will help with that!
Quick Walk Through: Asian Slaw
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to put together once you’ve prepped the veggies
- Versatile and super customisable! Eat it as a salad, side dish, and add or remove veggies based on availability and personal preference
- Light, healthy and delicious. This healthy salad is loaded with fiber, protein, and good fats. Plus, it’s a no mayo coleslaw, which makes it super light!
- Can easily be made vegan by eliminating fish sauce
Ingredients You'll Need To Make Asian Slaw
For slaw mix:
For sauce:
Frequently Asked Questions
Slaw, also commonly known as coleslaw, is an Asian side dish made primarily with shredded raw cabbage mixed into a salad dressing made with vinaigrette or mayonnaise. But my Asian slaw recipe is slightly different. It uses a lot more veggies, plus instead of mayo, we are using a peanut butter and honey-based sweet, spicy, sour dressing inspired by Thai flavors.
Slaw and salad contain pretty much the same ingredients, except one. Salads usually have lettuce, while slaw is made from cabbage and uses no lettuce.
Some theories suggest that this Asian slaw actually has its origins in the Netherlands, and the term coleslaw is derived from the Dutch word ‘koosla’ which means cabbage salad. The other theory claims that coleslaw was made popular by a Chinese Restaurant in Santa Monica called Madame Wu’s Garden, who added this dish to their menu after the American Actor, Cary Grant, requested it.
This Asian salad tastes the best when served fresh. I would recommend refrigerating it for 15 minutes to allow the veggies to soak the dressing, but anything more than that would make the veggies soggy.
This salad stays good in the refrigerator for two days although the veggies will get soggy. Just make sure to store it in a clean and dry airtight glass container. You can also keep the chopped veggies and dressing in separate containers, and assemble them for when you’re ready to eat.
Richa’s Top Tips To Make The Best Asian Slaw
- This one’s supposed to be a colorful, summer salad. Go ahead and add all the different colored veggies you can get your hands on. There’s no going wrong with this one!
- If you prep apples in advance, keep them soaked in salt water (1 cup water + ¼ teaspoon salt) to prevent them from browning. Rinse once before using
- Leftover salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The veggies get soggy but I still love it!
- Make this healthy salad into a complete meal by adding some boiled shredded chicken or any other protein of your choice.
- Sometimes large grocery chains like Big Basket and Nature’s Basket offer slaw/salad mixes that are pre-shredded. You can easily buy those if you’re short on time or making for a crowd.
- You can even make the Asian slaw dressing ahead and store it in a clean, glass jar in the refrigerator for when cravings for this No-mayo salad strikes. If stored correctly, this dressing stays good for up to a week.
What to serve with Slaw
This is a really versatile side dish that pairs well with so many different things. I would encourage you to be creative with how you eat this, because there’s no wrong way when it comes to this Asian cabbage slaw. Here are some of my favorite ways:
- Chicken lollypop
- Spicy BBQ chicken wings
- Korean Baked Gochujang Wings
- Soya Hara Bhara Kebab
- Tandoori Paneer Tikka
- Chapli kebab
- Hariyali Paneer Tikka
- Fully Loaded Veggie Burger
This bright, colorful summer salad will make even the pickiest of eaters reach for seconds. The light yet creamy texture, but the delicious Asian flavors make every bite feel like a party in your mouth. I would highly recommend making extras because this one disappears really quickly!
Watch How To Make Asian Slaw
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Asian Slaw | Healthy Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
Slaw mix
- 1 ½ Cups Shredded Green Cabbage
- 1 ½ Cups Shredded Red Cabbage
- 1 Cup thinly Julienned Carrots
- ½ Cup thinly Julienned Apples
- ¾ Cup thinly Sliced Bell Peppers
- ¼ Cup finely sliced on the diagonal Spring Onion Greens
- ¼ Cup toasted Peanuts
Salad Dressing
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce optional
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Honey
- 1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
- 3 Garlic Cloves Grated
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Peanut Butter
- ⅓-½ Cup Mint Leaves
- ⅓-½ Cup Coriander Leaves
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for salad dressing to a jar and shake well. Or you may whisk the ingredients in a small bowl.1 ½ Tablespoons Rice Vinegar, 1 ½ Tablespoons Soy Sauce, 1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice, 1 ½ Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil, 1 ½ Teaspoons Honey, 1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes, 3 Garlic Cloves Grated, 1 ½ Tablespoons Peanut Butter, ⅓-½ Cup Mint Leaves, ⅓-½ Cup Coriander Leaves
- Add all the ingredients mentioned under the slaw in a big salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the slaw mix and toss well to combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavours blend. Asian Slaw is ready to serve.1 ½ Cups Shredded Green Cabbage, 1 ½ Cups Shredded Red Cabbage, 1 Cup thinly Julienned Carrots, ½ Cup thinly Julienned Apples, ¾ Cup thinly Sliced Bell Peppers, ¼ Cup finely sliced on the diagonal Spring Onion Greens, ¼ Cup toasted Peanuts
Video
Notes
- I love using a mix of red, yellow & green bell peppers for the salad to look colourful.
- If you prep apples in advance, keep them soaked in salt water (1 cup water + ¼ teaspoon salt) to prevent them from browning. Rinse once before using
- Leftover salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The veggies get soggy but I still love it!
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Urvi Dalal
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