Easy Sesame Asian Slaw

This fresh and crunchy sesame Asian slaw is loaded with savoy cabbage, carrots, bell peppers and green onions and tossed in a tangy sesame dressing. It's a lighter alternative to cole slaw that is easy to prep.

When it comes to summer, we are all about a fresh, crunchy slaw. Whether it's a crunchy green apple, fennel and brussels sprouts slaw, or a meal-sized chicken satay salad, they are simple to prep and so refreshing.

This Asian slaw with sesame vinaigrette is the perfect alternative to mayo-heavy cole slaw (for some reason that has never been appetizing to me!)

Easy to prep, supremely flexible, and tossed in a tangy sesame vinaigrette, it's not only pretty to look at, but enjoyed by the forkful.

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Ingredients you'll need

Consider this list extremely flexible:

• cabbage- I've used napa cabbage (aka: Chinese cabbage), which is oblong and shaped somewhat similar to a head of lettuce. Feel free to swap with your favorite cabbage- green, red or savoy will all work great
• carrots- shredded on a box grater
• bell peppers- finely sliced
• green onions- diced, added for a contrast in color and to add a slight bite
• sesame seeds- for added texture, crunch and flavor

Asian slaw dressing

I took my favorite 5 Minute Asian Salad Dressing and modified it slightly: swapped the fresh ginger for powdered, omitted the garlic, and upped the tanginess by increasing the rice vinegar.

Storage + meal prep tips

Once dressed, this slaw should be served within an hour, as the vegetables will get soggy as it sits. With that being said, you can prep components of this Asian slaw ahead and toss together just before serving:

Ingredient prep

• chop the bell peppers, cabbage and shred the carrots- up to 4 days ahead
• shake up the sesame vinaigrette- up to 2 weeks ahead

Meal prep

• you can store the slaw in a meal prep container, and dressing in a condiment container to keep it separate
• toss together just before serving

Recipe tips + variations

• swap the vegetables for bagged slaw (broccoli or cabbage slaw are both great)
• add shredded chicken to make it a meal
• swap the sesame vinaigrette for the peanut dressing in this crunchy rainbow Thai salad
• add in edamame and cilantro

Serve with

• Perfect Grilled Chicken Breast
• Crispy Grilled Potatoes
• Easy Crockpot BBQ Chicken
• Broiled Salmon
• Turmeric Yellow Rice Recipe

More summery salads

• Staple Kale Salad
• Healthy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
• Refreshing Quinoa Black Bean Salad
• 21 Make Ahead Salads Perfect for Meal Prep
• Asian Cucumber Salad

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Easy Sesame Asian Slaw

4.60 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

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This fresh and crunchy sesame Asian slaw is loaded with savoy cabbage, carrots, bell peppers and green onions and tossed in a tangy sesame dressing. It's a lighter alternative to cole slaw that is easy to prep.

6

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 cups napa cabbage shredded and loosely packed; roughly ½ a head
• ▢ 1 carrot shredded
• ▢ 2 bell peppers thinly sliced
• ▢ ½ cup green onions chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted

Sesame Dressing

• ▢ 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ▢ ½ tablespoon maple syrup
• ▢ 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce note 1
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions 

• Shake together sesame dressing.
• Toss all salad ingredients in the dressing.
• Serve immediately.

To prep ahead

• Veggies may be chopped up to 4 days ahead. Keep separate from dressing until just prior to serving.

Tips:

1- swap soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos to make this gluten-free

Variations

• swap the vegetables for bagged slaw (broccoli or cabbage slaw are both great)
• add shredded chicken to make it a meal
• swap the sesame vinaigrette for the peanut dressing in this crunchy rainbow Thai salad
• add in edamame and cilantro

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of batch, Calories: 67kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 106mg, Potassium: 326mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 3265IU, Vitamin C: 73.3mg, Calcium: 85mg, Iron: 0.8mg

Author: Annie Holmes

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Chinese

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