This Chinese Cabbage Slaw was created when my son decided he doesn’t want to eat mayonnaise-based coleslaw anymore. The inspiration for this slaw comes from the Chinese Chicken Salad found at Hawaii Chinese restaurants (without the neon orange creamy dressing) and the Thai Crunch Salad from California Pizza Kitchen. Look no further for the recipe to make when you need to use up the other half of your Chinese cabbage!
One of the best parts about the dressing for this slaw is that these are all staple pantry ingredients you will find in your house if you cook Asian food. Yes, the Dijon mustard you find in the dressing is a surprise ingredient that adds a nice zing to the dressing that you didn’t know was missing from a soy sauce-based dressing. Try it out the next time you have greens for a salad but don’t have any more Ranch dressing in your fridge.
Chinese Cabbage Health Benefits
Cabbage is a great source of a variety of vitamins and minerals. Even though it’s not a “super food” with high percentages of any one nutrient, it has a little bit of everything. Adding this budget-friendly green to your meals is an easy way to add a little bit of several nutrients if you don’t know where to start with upping the nutritious value of your food.
Tips to Making a Great Cabbage Slaw
The only thing that to me can make a good cabbage slaw bad is when the vegetables are wet. Soaking wet vegetables in your salad or coleslaw dilutes the dressing a lot and makes your crisp greens soggy and unappetizing. If you are going to cut your own cabbage at home, give yourself enough time to dry them in a salad spinner or by hand with paper towels or lint-free tea towel. You’ll be glad you did!
Here are more tasty salad recipes for you to explore:
Chinese Cabbage Slaw
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 salad spinner optional
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 vegetable grater
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 small bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 small whisk
- 1 large spoon and large fork for mixing
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ Chinese Cabbage/won bok, medium thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
- 1 carrot, small peeled and grated
- 5 ounces bean sprouts optional
- 1 stalk green onion sliced, optional
- ½ bunch cilantro optional
Dressing
- ⅛ cup coconut palm sugar
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ⅛ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup canola oil or neutral-tasting oil
Toppings
- ⅛ cup sesame seeds optional
- ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts optional
Instructions
- Chop the Chinese cabbage into strips. When cutting, hold your knife at a diagonal so there is more surface area on the ribs of the cabbage strips – this will help the cabbage absorb more of the dressing. Put the chopped cabbage in a salad spinner or large bowl.
- Add bean sprouts to the cabbage. Wash the cabbage and the bean sprouts well and drain. Use the salad spinner to dry them. Alternatively, you can lay out clean dish towels or paper towels and put the cabbage and bean sprouts on top to drain/dry them.
- Peel and grate carrot with a vegetable grater. Spread out on a paper towel to dry and set aside.
- Wash and chop the cilantro (if using) and green onion (if using). Spread out on a paper towel to dry and set aside.
- In a small bowl, add coconut palm sugar, ground ginger, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and canola oil. Whisk together until the dressing is emulsified.
- Once the vegetables are dry, put them in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Top with sesame seeds and peanuts (if using).
