Crunchy Rainbow Cabbage Salad
This Crunchy Rainbow Cabbage Salad is inspired by the very popular Chinese Chicken Salad or Asian Chicken Salad. Well, that is minus the chicken. With this recipe, I take a veg-forward approach and the results are absolutely delicious. It takes less than 30 minutes to all come together, which makes it a great meal for any day of the week. I’ve paired this salad with my savory, zingy, sweet, and delicious Sesame Ginger with Lime Dressing. Whew!…it’s so dang good!
Now, this vibrant salad is loaded with all the good stuff, such as: napa cabbage, red cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, and edamame. And it is super flexible, so feel free to add other veggies such as broccoli, snow peas, snap peas, etc. To offset some of the saltiness from the tamari in the dressing, I add in some mandarin oranges for some sweetness. For some crunch, I enjoy adding either crunchy chow mein noodles or crispy wonton strips (homemade or store-bought).
This salad is hearty enough for a meal. However, for some additional protein, I occasionally add in some baked tofu or another protein. But I will leave that up to you! 🙂 Now, this salad comes together rather easily and I did a short clip on YouTube on how to make it. So, if you’d like to have a look, [CLICK HERE].
Similar to my cookbook, you can freestyle this salad and make it your own in different ways.
Here’s a few ways to freestyle this recipe:
- use broccoli, sugar snap peas, or snow peas instead of edamame
- use nuts such as roasted cashews, peanuts, or sliced almonds instead of chow mein noodles
- use some of my other delicious sauces and salad dressing such as this Spicy Peanut Sauce or this Carrot Ginger Sesame Dressing
Here are some other additions and ideas to consider:
- add avocados or cucumbers
- add plant-based “chicken” or baked or smoked tofu
- add sautéed shrimp
- add baked or grilled salmon or even grilled tuna steaks
Get the Recipe: Crunchy Rainbow Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
For the Sesame Ginger with Lime Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari, or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, or honey
- 2 tablespoon lime juice, from one medium lime
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, or black sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, grated
For the Salad:
- ¾ cup frozen shelled edamame
- 1 medium napa cabbage, thinly sliced (roughly 4 to 5 cups)
- 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup mandarin oranges, segmented, such as Cuties (or canned)
- 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely shredded (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 to 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Toppings:
- ½ cup crunchy chow mein noodles, such as La Choy, or crispy wontons strips are great too.
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Large Serving Bowl
- Peeler
Instructions
Make the Sesame Ginger with Lime Dressing:
- Combine the tamari, brown sugar, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
Assemble the Salad:
- Place the frozen edamame in a small bowl of hot water. Let them thaw for several minutes and then drain.
- Combine the napa cabbage, oranges, cabbages, red bell pepper, carrot, edamame, cilantro, and scallions in a large serving bowl. Drizzle on the dressing and give it a light toss to evenly coat the salad ingredients. Serve immediately sprinkled with the chow mein noodles. Enjoy!
Just beautiful. And the dressing is fabulous.
Thanks so much Mimi! And yes….the dressing is delicious!