Crunchy Asian Cabbage Slaw

Serves: 6–8
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 0–5 minutes
Total: about 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad

6 cups finely shredded green cabbage — about ½ medium head
2 cups finely shredded red/purple cabbage
2 large carrots, julienned or grated
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced or julienned
1 cup green beans, very thinly sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
2–3 tbsp sesame seeds
Optional: ½ cup thinly sliced bell pepper
Optional: ½ cup fresh edamame

For the dressing

3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1½ tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp neutral oil
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1–2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 small garlic clove, minced
1–2 tsp sriracha or chili sauce, to taste
2–4 tbsp warm water, as needed
Optional: ½ tsp chili flakes

Method

Prepare the vegetables.
Shred the green and red cabbage very finely. Julienne the carrots and cucumber and slice the green beans into very thin pieces.
Make the dressing.
Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, neutral oil, lime juice, ginger, garlic and chili sauce together.
Thin the dressing.
Add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until it becomes smooth and pourable. It should be thick enough to coat the vegetables but not so thick that it clumps.
Combine the slaw.
Put cabbage, carrots, cucumber, green beans, cilantro and green onion into a large bowl.
Add dressing gradually.
Start with about ⅔ of the dressing and toss thoroughly. Add more until the vegetables are evenly coated.
Add the crunch.
Fold in the chopped peanuts and sesame seeds just before serving.
Rest briefly.
Let the slaw sit for 10–15 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust with lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce or a little honey.

Nut information & substitutions

This recipe contains peanuts. The peanut butter and chopped peanuts are the main nut/peanut ingredients.

Ingredient	Nut/allergen information
Peanuts	Contains peanut
Peanut butter	Contains peanut
Sesame seeds	Contains sesame, a major allergen in some countries
Soy sauce	Contains soy and usually wheat/gluten
Tamari	Usually gluten-free, but check the label
Honey	Not a nut allergen
Vegetables	Naturally nut-free

For a peanut-free version

Replace:

Peanut butter → sunflower-seed butter or tahini
Peanuts → roasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds

For a completely nut-free version, check every packaged ingredient for cross-contamination warnings.

For a gluten-free version

Use certified gluten-free tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.

Quantity per serving

If making 8 servings, approximately each serving contains:

1½ cups prepared slaw
About 2 tbsp dressing
About 1 tbsp chopped peanuts
About 1 tsp sesame seeds

The nutritional values depend heavily on the exact peanut butter, oils and amount of dressing used, but a reasonable estimate is:

Per serving:

Calories: ~250–300 kcal
Protein: ~7–9 g
Carbohydrates: ~20–25 g
Fat: ~16–20 g
Fiber: ~5–7 g
Sugar: ~10–13 g
Sodium: ~500–700 mg

The peanuts + peanut butter contribute a significant portion of the calories, fat and protein.

To make it lighter

Use 2 tbsp peanut butter instead of 3, reduce the oil to 1 tbsp total, and increase lime juice/rice vinegar and water. This can bring the dressing down considerably in calories while keeping it flavorful.

To make it a complete meal

Add 2–3 cups cooked shredded chicken, grilled tofu, shrimp, or edamame. For a vegetarian protein-rich version, edamame + peanuts works particularly well.

Author
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Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.