Asian Slaw Recipe (with Creamy Peanut Dressing!) - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published May 5, 2016. Updated May 14, 2019

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ThisAsian Slawis packed with crisp veggies and fresh cilantro and is tossed in a creamy Thai peanut dressing. This is the perfect side dish for grilled chicken or shrimp, and it’s so easy to make!

Asian Slaw Recipe (with Creamy Peanut Dressing!) - Cooking Classy (1)

Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing

Crisp cabbage salads/slaws are the best! I’ve always loved coleslaw, and this is basically a Thai spin on American coleslaw.

Yes, it tastes entirely different but in such a good way! I’ll eat just about anything when it’s covered in a Thai peanut sauce.

I absolutely love the blend of flavors and textures here with the fresh cilantro and green onions, the crisp bell peppers and cabbage, the crunchy carrots, and that incredibly simple yet addictive slightly sweet, slightly sour,slightly salty, creamy peanut sauce.

This is the perfect side dish to your favorite Asian chicken recipes. Toss in some grilled chicken breasts and serve it up for lunch. Either way it’s going to be a win!

Asian Slaw Ingredients

For the Asian slaw base, you’ll need:

  • Shredded cabbage
  • Matchstick carrots
  • Bell pepper
  • Green onions
  • Cilantro

And for the creamy Thai peanut dressing, you’ll need:

  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Lime juice
  • Rice vinegar
  • Soy sauce
  • Honey
  • Brown sugar
  • Sesame oil
  • Sriracha
  • Ginger
  • Garlic

Asian Slaw Recipe (with Creamy Peanut Dressing!) - Cooking Classy (2)

How to Make Asian Slaw

  • Prep the veggies, then add to a large salad bowl and toss to combine.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Asian slaw dressing ingredients. Pour over veggies.
  • Toss slaw to distribute the dressing, then garnish with sesame seeds.

Can I Make This Slaw in Advance?

I wouldn’t recommend tossing the slaw with the dressing until you’re ready to eat it, just because the cabbage gets soggy as it sits in the dressing. If you want to prep this slaw in advance, I recommend tossing the vegetables together and storing them separately from the dressing. Simply combine everything once you’re ready to enjoy!

Is There a Peanut Butter Substitute I Can Use?

If you’re allergic to peanuts, you may be able to substitute tahini in the Asian slaw dressing. I haven’t tried this myself, but I’ve had readers report success with this substitution. Obviously, the flavor will be totally different from the recipe I made, but I think the slaw would still taste good.

Asian Slaw Recipe (with Creamy Peanut Dressing!) - Cooking Classy (3)

Tips for the Best Asian Slaw

  • You don’t have to toast the sesame seeds before garnishing the slaw (although you totally can if you prefer the flavor of toasted sesame seeds!).
  • If you have a sesame allergy, you can omit the sesame oil in the dressing. The flavor won’t be quite as deep, but it will still be delicious.
  • You could make this slaw a meal by adding grilled chicken to it.

More Easy Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love:

  • Classic Coleslaw
  • Garden Veggie Pasta Salad
  • Greek Orzo Salad
  • Cowboy Caviar
  • Quinoa, Black Bean and Mango Salad
  • Broccoli Apple Salad

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

Asian Slaw Recipe (with Creamy Peanut Dressing!) - Cooking Classy (4)

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Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing

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A delicious Thai-inspired slaw salad made with crisp shredded cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper. It's tossed with a flavorful, creamy peanut dressing and served cold.

Servings: 6

Prep15 minutes minutes

Ready in: 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Salad

Dressing

Instructions

  • Add all salad ingredients to a a medium salad bowl and toss. In a mixing bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined (if needed you can season with a little salt).

  • Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

  • You can make the salad and dressing portion ahead of time, just refrigerate both separately and add dressing when ready to serve.Also, don't add the dressing to the full portion if you don't plan to eat it all right away, just add to individual servings.
  • Recipe source: inspired by Once Upon a Chef

Nutrition Facts

Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing

Amount Per Serving

Calories 169Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 369mg16%

Potassium 365mg10%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 4555IU91%

Vitamin C 62.6mg76%

Calcium 51mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: Asian Salad, Peanut Dressing

Author: Jaclyn

Asian Slaw Recipe (with Creamy Peanut Dressing!) - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between coleslaw and slaw? ›

The real difference is that the raw, chopped vegetables in coleslaw are primarily cabbage: Napa, red, savoy, or bok choy. Slaw without the cole can feature any crunchy veggie in place of cabbage, including chopped or shredded broccoli, carrots, snow peas, jicama, and more.

How do you make coleslaw not soggy? ›

Salting the cabbage should be step one of any coleslaw recipe. With the shredded cabbage in a colander, mix in a tablespoon of salt per head of cabbage till it's evenly distributed. The salt will draw out excess water from cabbage while helping preserve the crispiness.

What is creamy coleslaw made of? ›

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, celery seed, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth! Then, combine the veggies. Add the scallions, red cabbage, green cabbage, and carrot to a large bowl, and toss to combine.

Why is it called coleslaw and not cold slaw? ›

The term "coleslaw" arose in the 18th century as an anglicisation of the Dutch term koolsla ("kool" in Dutch sounds like "cole") meaning "cabbage salad". The "cole" part of the word ultimately derives from the Latin caulis, meaning cabbage.

Why is KFC coleslaw so good? ›

Fresh ingredients are key to a good slaw, and KFC does alright for a fast food restaurant. You won't find any wilted cabbage pieces, and the carrots are nice and hard as well. What's more, KFC finely dices everything so you don't have to chew that much, and all the flavors and textures blend perfectly.

Why did KFC stop selling coleslaw? ›

The fast food chain was forced to stop selling its coleslaw tubs when a supply issue meant the slaw would have to be served up without the dressing. “We are currently experiencing a supply issue with our KFC coleslaw dressing,” a KFC spokesperson said. The slaw is made up of cabbage and carrots coated in mayonnaise.

Why soak cabbage in salt water? ›

The salt pulls moisture out of the cabbage, seasons it, and leaves you with a super-crunchy texture that isn't raw or tough-tasting. Rinse! Rinse well to purge the salt.

What can I add to store bought coleslaw to make it taste better? ›

<br/><br/>Adding horse radish or onion or celery seeds or bacon bits or some other tasty flavors to make it your own is a really good idea.

Why do you put salt on cabbage for coleslaw? ›

Salting the cabbage, carrot, and onion purges excess moisture that would otherwise turn the slaw into a soupy mess. Including sugar (another osmosis-inducing ingredient) balances the flavor. Limiting the purge to five minutes keeps the cabbage crunchy.

What is Amish coleslaw made of? ›

CABBAGE, MAYONNAISE (SOYBEAN OIL, EGG YOLKS [EGG YOLKS, SALT], HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WHITE DISTILLED VINEGAR, MUSTARD [WATER, DISTILLED VINEGAR, MUSTARD SEED, SALT, SPICES], WATER, SALT), FRUCTOSE, SUGAR, CARROTS, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, GLUCONO DELTA LACTONE, PEA FIBER, ERYTHORBIC ACID (TO ...

What happens when you put salt in cabbage? ›

Cabbage. Make your slaw with salted cabbage and it'll be noticeably less watery and stay crisp and fresh for days longer. Put sliced cabbage in a colander, sprinkle with salt (about a tablespoon for 6 cups cabbage), toss, let sit.

What race invented coleslaw? ›

The roots of coleslaw recipes make their way back to ancient Rome. Roman citizens would often eat a meal featuring cabbage, eggs, vinegar, and other spices. On the other side of the globe, the Dutch founders of New York served a shredded cabbage salad. This is similar to today's 'slaw.

Why did Chic fil a get rid of coleslaw? ›

"But as our sales volumes grew, it just wasn't feasible to keep adding to the menu without taking anything away." Chick-fil-A cut cole slaw from the menu in January to make room for a new "superfood" side of kale and broccolini in a maple vinaigrette dressing.

Which country invented coleslaw? ›

Coleslaw is one of those all-American dishes that was, of course, invented somewhere else--in this case, Britain or Holland or Germany, depending on whom you ask, gets the credit. Some books insist the dish was served first in ancient Rome.

What is a coleslaw slang? ›

In a bizarre new trend sweeping online forums and apps, cheaters have taken to calling their affair partners 'coleslaw' because they are a 'side dish'.

When did coleslaw become slaw? ›

When did people start saying “slaw” instead of “coleslaw”? Coleslaw is an Americanism of the Dutch koolsla - cabbage salad. Sla = salad was always a detatchable component as the Dutch brought many different salad recipes with them to New Amsterdam. Slaw as a freestanding word has been with us for well over 100 years.

What does "slaw" mean? ›

Slaw is a cold salad commonly made from sliced or chopped raw vegetables, especially cabbage or carrots, mixed with a dressing made with mayonnaise or vinegar.

Why does Chick Fil A not have coleslaw? ›

Farmer said the decision to axe slaw was a difficult one, but something had to be cut to make way for the new side. And it turns out the kale salad is even more popular than the slaw, according to Farmer. "It's a vote," Farmer said. "People vote with their dollars when they come in and buy the superfood side."

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