Crunchy, packed full of vegetables and with a creamy sesame mayo dressing, this is a perfect side dish for your Asian recipes! Asian Cabbage Slaw goes well in burgers and steamed bao buns, but also makes a brilliant sidekick to BBQ meats. Make it spicy if you like by adding a little sriracha to the dressing!
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The recipe was first born when we made steamed bao buns and wanted a little bit of crunch in them. Whilst traditional coleslaw would have worked just fine, we were looking to keep the recipe ‘on-theme’ and wanted something creamy, but also enhanced with typical Oriental flavours, such as sesame oil and sriracha. So we took the humble cabbage and carrot and turned them into an Asian Cabbage Slaw. It is safe to say that we hardly ever make normal coleslaw now…
Asian Coleslaw Ingredients:
Cabbage: we use equal parts of red (purple) cabbage and white or green cabbage. This is mainly to create a colourful, aesthetically pleasing slaw, so if you only have one type of cabbage feel free to only use what you have.
Carrot: Use fresh crunchy carrots for ultimate texture in this Asian Slaw.
Spring onion: adds another colour and gives it a little sharpness.
Red or Yellow Pepper: we think that peppers go extremely well with Asian flavours (after all, it is widely used in stir-fries), so for us, it is a must-include ingredient in this slaw.
Mayonnaise: we prefer light mayo in any scenario (probably, a hugely unpopular opinion), but even more so in this recipe. With the addition of sesame oil, your dressing may be too greasy if you use full-fat.
Sesame oil: use toasted sesame oil in the mayonnaise dressing. However, don’t be heavy-handed with it. It is a bold flavour and should be used sparingly.
Lemon juice: either freshly squeezed or out of the bottle will work just fine.
Sriracha: this red chilli and garlic sauce is completely optional, but if you like things a little bit spicy, we highly recommend adding a teaspoon of it to your Sesame Mayo.
How to Make the Slaw?
The method is extremely simple. Finely shred both types of cabbage. You can even use a slicer attachment on your kitchen processor to do the job for you. Coarsely grate the carrot (or you may choose to julienne it for extra crunch). Cut the spring onion (scallion) into three, then thinly slice each piece into thin strips. Similarly, slice the pepper into long strips. You want everything of similar size and thickness. Lastly, roughly chopped fresh coriander (including stalks). Tip all the vegetables and herbs into a large bowl.
Sesame Mayo:
For the sesame mayo, place the mayo, sesame oil, lemon juice and a tablespoon of water in a small bowl and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper if needed. If you like a spicy kick, add some sriracha too!
Tip the dressing onto your cabbage mix and toss to combine!
What To Serve Asian Slaw With?
This Asian Cabbage Slaw will go beautifully with a range of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and even European/ American Style foods. We particularly like serving it with:
- Asian-Style Satay Jackfruit Burger
- Steamed Bao Buns with Chinese BBQ Chicken
- Blackened BBQ Pork Fillet
Recipe FAQs:
Keep the slaw in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. We recommend skipping the coriander if you’re not planning to eat the slaw straight away and adding it just before serving. Before eating, toss the slaw together again, as the cabbage will release some water and the dressing will sink to the bottom.
The only non-plant-based ingredient in this recipe is Mayo (but check that the brand of sriracha you’re using is vegan too). For a vegan version of this Asain Cabbage Slaw, try using vegan mayo (we particularly like Hellmann’s Vegan Mayo).
Other Fresh Salads & Slaws To Try:
Here are some of our favourite fresh salad ideas to serve as a side dish:
Recipe Card
Asian Cabbage Slaw With Sesame Mayo
Ingredients
- ¼ green or white cabbage shredded
- ¼ red purple cabbage, shredded
- 1 carrot peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 spring onion cut into thin strips
- ½ red or yellow pepper cut into thin strips
- 5 g coriander roughly chopped, including stalks
- 2 tablespoon light mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sriracha optional
Instructions
- Add all the sesame mayo ingredients into a small bowl and mix to combine. Add a tablespoon of cold water to loosen the dressing, if it is too thick (it will make it easier to coat the vegetables in dressing).
- Tip all the vegetables and herbs in a large boal. Spoon the dressing over and toss well. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Tavo
I loved the mayo dressing! Very original slaw! Thanks for the recipe!
Ieva
Thanks, Tavo! 🙂
Dannii
We love serving this with noodles. So light and fresh.
Ieva
Noodles? Sounds great! 🙂
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
This is my sort of salad. There’s plenty of crunch and zingy flavours that are so good together.
Ieva
Thanks, Amanda! There’s nothing like a good crunch in a summer slaw! 🙂