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Home Recipe Index Sides & Salads Salads

Asian Slaw

5 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 7/2/24Updated: 3/15/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This fan-favorite Asian Slaw is a delicious, healthy, real food version of the old Ramen noodles slaw. Amazing color, texture, and flavor! We make this one again and again.

Asian Slaw in a white bowl with serving spoons in it. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • How to Make Asian Slaw
  • Tips for Success
  • What to Serve with Asian Slaw
  • FAQs
  • More Salads You’ll Love
  • Asian Slaw

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Remember that old-school slaw salad made with pre-packaged Soy Sauce Ramen Noodles? Well, unfortunately, that original recipe is full of processed ingredients and MSG. This is what is listed on that package:

Photo of the ingredients on the back of a package of Ramen Noodles.

Yuck! I’m not even sure how to pronounce or what most of those ingredients are?!

The good news is, our friend Carla helped us develop this homemade version of Asian Slaw with all real food ingredients. It’s healthy, visually appealing, has great textural variance, and tastes amazing. We’ve tested it dozens of times and it works!

Ingredients for Asian slaw in a bowl in separate piles.

Ingredients Needed

The ingredients in Asian Slaw are quite simple and require very little prep. Here’s what you’ll need:

Asian slaw ingredients measured out and labeled.

For the Salad

  • Cabbage slaw mix – You can use broccoli slaw if you’d like, but we prefer the cabbage slaw ourselves.
  • Chopped green onion or chives
  • Almond slivers or slices
  • Dried cranberries – Have extra? Use them in our Cranberry Balsamic Chicken.
  • Sunflower seeds
  • 1 crispy apple (sub: crispy pear)

For the Dressing

  • Avocado or olive oil
  • Rice vinegar
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos (gluten-free option)
  • Sugar
  • Dried minced onion
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt & pepper

Find the full, printable recipe at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Asian Slaw

  1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar, seal, and shake until combined. Chill in the fridge while making the rest of the salad.
  2. Toast the almonds on a sheet pan at 350°F for about 5-10 minutes until lightly browned, shaking occasionally. Watch closely so they don’t burn. (If you are using raw sunflower seeds, you can toast them too.)
  3. Approximately 30 minutes before serving, combine the slaw ingredients and then toss with HALF of the dressing. Taste and then add more dressing or salt and pepper, as needed. Serve any extra dressing on the side.
  4. Cover and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Asian Slaw in a white bowl on a cutting board.

Tips for Success

  • Toasting the almonds adds more depth of flavor.
  • My favorite crispy apple to use is Honey Crisp variety.
  • I always start by adding only half of the dressing and add more as needed. You can always serve extra on the side. This helps avoid a soggy salad.
  • To change things up, try adding frozen (and thawed) shelled edamame, sliced snow peas, or finely chopped peanuts.
  • I think leftovers the next day are even better!

What to Serve with Asian Slaw

While this recipe can be used any time of the year, I seem to gravitate towards it in the summer time. Here are some ideas that it would pair well with:

Cooked Asian chicken breast sliced with Asian slaw and rice.

Asian Chicken Marinade

Asian Salmon with chopped chives on top served on a wooden platter.

Asian Salmon (aka Sweet & Savory Salmon)

Honey Garlic Skillet Shrimp

Chop sticks holding an Asian turkey meatball above a small bowl of sweet soy dipping sauce.

Asian Turkey Meatballs

FAQs

How do I store leftovers of this slaw?

After adding the dressing, cover and store this slaw for 2-3 days in the fridge. It will get soggier the longer it sits. I find that leftovers are best in the first day or two after.

Can I make Asian Slaw ahead of time?

Yes. If you want to prep this slaw ahead, make the dressing and store in the fridge for up to a week. You can add all the slaw ingredients (minus the apple and dressing) to a large serving bowl, cover, and store in the fridge for up to two days in advance. When ready to serve, add the diced apple and toss with the dressing as directed.

What are some variations of this recipe?

To change things up, try adding frozen (and thawed) shelled edamame, sliced snow peas, or finely chopped peanuts. If you want a little heat in the background of this salad, try adding some Sriracha sauce to the dressing or directly on top of the salad.

More Salads You’ll Love

Autumn Salad tossed with apple cider vinaigrette in a white bowl on a wooden cutting board.

Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Creamy citrus dressing being ladled onto Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad with sliced almonds, dried cranberries, and feta cheese on it.

Mandarin Orange Salad with Creamy Citrus Dressing

A bowl of coleslaw for pulled pork.

5-Ingredient Coleslaw

Shaved Brussels sprout salad in a white bowl.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Asian slaw in a white bowl with spoons.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews

Asian Slaw

This light, flavorful Asian Slaw is a delicious, healthy side dish that is perfect for the spring and summer months. Serve it with some grilled chicken, corn on the cob, and watermelon and you have yourself a perfect meal.

Yield: 8+ servings as a side dish 1x
Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 20 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later [socialpug_share networks=”email” networks_labels=”Email” show_labels=”yes” overwrite=”yes”]
Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 2–3 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (sub: coconut aminos for gluten-free)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon minced onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

Slaw Ingredients:

  • 16 ounce bag of cabbage slaw mix
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (sub: minced chives)
  • 1/2 cup almond slivers or slices
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
  • 1 crispy apple, diced in small chunks (sub: crispy pear)
  • Optional: 1 1/2 lbs pulled rotisserie chicken, diced

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar, seal, and shake until combined. Chill in the fridge while making the rest of the salad.
  2. Toast the almonds on a sheet pan at 350°F for about 5-10 minutes until lightly browned, shaking occasionally. Watch closely so they don’t burn. (If you are using raw sunflower seeds, you can toast them too.)
  3. Approximately 30 minutes before serving, combine the slaw ingredients and then toss with HALF of the dressing. Taste and then add more dressing or salt and pepper, as needed. Serve any extra dressing on the side.
  4. Cover and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

Notes/Tips

  • You can use broccoli slaw if you’d like, but we prefer the cabbage slaw ourselves.
  • I always start with less dressing and add more as needed or serve it on the side. This helps avoid soggy salad.
  • I think leftovers the next day are even better!
  • To change things up, try adding frozen (and thawed) shelled edamame, sliced snow peas, or finely chopped peanuts.
  • This goes well with our Grilled Asian Chicken or Asian Turkey Meatballs.
  • If you want a little heat in the background of this salad, try adding some Sriracha sauce to the dressing or directly on top of the salad.
© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American

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A bowl of Asian slaw with two spoons in it.
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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. Amber B says

    Posted on 5/6/23 at 10:12 pm

    Easy and delicious

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 5/8/23 at 9:19 am

      Thanks Amber. Those are two words we love to hear about our recipes!

      Reply
  2. Diana says

    Posted on 3/3/23 at 2:22 pm

    Balsamic vinegar? It’s an ingredient in the video, but not listed in the recipe itself. Was that a tweak and you decided eventually to take it out or is it meant to be there? And if so, how much?

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 3/3/23 at 2:49 pm

      Yes, we removed that ingredient when we updated and improved the recipe (after making the video). Good catch, though!

      Reply
      • Stacy O. says

        Posted on 3/3/24 at 8:40 pm

        Love this! I’ve tried many Asian slaw recipes and this is my favorite.

      • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

        Posted on 3/4/24 at 10:33 am

        So glad to hear this Stacy! Thanks for leaving a review.

  3. Debbie S. says

    Posted on 8/14/22 at 10:25 am

    My husband and I loved this. We used the left overs to add to fish tacos the next day.

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 8/14/22 at 12:54 pm

      Great idea to use in fish tacos. Yum!

      Reply
  4. Carol Kellogg says

    Posted on 7/15/22 at 8:13 pm

    I have use this recipe for years as a good potluck for the beach. Try using Mango

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 7/17/22 at 2:33 pm

      Ooh, mango is a fun idea for a different twist. Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Allison says

    Posted on 6/8/22 at 2:29 pm

    My whole family loves this recipe!

    Reply
  6. Cheryl says

    Posted on 8/20/21 at 8:19 am

    Thank you for this recipe. I made it this week and I wasn’t sure how it would go over as my husband does not typically like sweeter foods at dinner. But it was a big hit with my whole family. I served it with pulled pork and there were no leftovers! This is a definite make-again dish!

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 8/24/21 at 3:49 pm

      Awesome! Love hearing that. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback and a review, Cheryl.

      Reply
  7. Kelly says

    Posted on 6/21/21 at 10:24 am

    Made the slaw as a side with smoked brisket. Was light and crispy with the almonds and apples! Dressing was delicious! A major hit with the family. This one’s now added to my regular summer salad rotation!

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 6/21/21 at 1:24 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for sharing your feedback, Kelly. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Jean says

    Posted on 6/19/21 at 1:54 pm

    Will the dressing keep the apple from turning brown? I was thinking of making this ahead of time and just add the dressing the next day.

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 6/21/21 at 7:19 am

      The acid from the dressing will help keep it from turning, but it may still turn a little brown within that time period. I would suggest adding the apple and the sauce about 30-60 minutes before serving and then toss it all together.

      Reply
  9. Holly says

    Posted on 5/2/16 at 1:50 pm

    My whole family (hubs, 3 1/2 year old, and 2 year old) all ate this! This is quite the feat at our house. We loved the dressing! I made some changes (anybody else always have to skip a few things on their grocery list due to verge of toddler meltdown? ?)
    I used broccoli slaw instead of cabbage slaw (a misgrab) only used 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp stevia, used ground almonds/walnuts leftover from another recipe and pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds, and omitted the green onions (forgot to slice) and crasins (sweet enough already for us!). It was delicious.

    Reply
    • PollyPolly says

      Posted on 5/4/16 at 10:22 am

      Yeah! I love it when there is a meal that the entire family likes. WIN!

      Reply
  10. Cam says

    Posted on 7/26/12 at 4:29 pm

    Rachel, this is a fun recipe. I’m adapting it for allergy and other dietary issues by substituting grape seed oil for olive oil, Tamari soy as a gluten-free soy sauce option, and using a small amount of stevia, agave, or honey for sweetness. Thanks for sharing it. Cam

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      Posted on 7/26/12 at 5:57 pm

      Thanks for the allergy-free suggestions! I will have to try some stevia or honey in for the sugar, too. Love that suggestion.

      Reply

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