Ingredients
- Green cabbage: Crunchy and mild in flavor, but full of vitamins like vitamin C, cabbage is the base of this slaw.
- Scallions: Also known as green onions, they add mild oniony flavor to the slaw.
- Fresh mint: Along with the cilantro, these fresh herbs add bright flavor to the dish.
- Cilantro: If you like cilantro, it adds a wonderful citrusy taste to the dish.
- Peanuts: You could also use sliced almonds, but crushed peanuts add both a nice crunchy texture as well as some classic flavor.
- Rice wine vinegar: Much milder than regular vinegar, it adds some acidity to the vinaigrette.
- Soy sauce: Full of umami and well-known Asian flavors for the dressing.
- Sesame oil: Nutty and rich in flavor, use toasted sesame oil for an even bigger punch of flavor.
- Honey: Naturally sweet, without being overly so in the dressing.
- Ginger: Freshly grated ginger is the star of the vinaigrette on this slaw.
How to Make Asian Cabbage Slaw with GInger Vinaigrette
Start your Asian cabbage slaw by shredding your cabbage and chopping or mincing the rest of the fresh produce and herbs.
Then add the shredded cabbage and green onions to a large bowl.
Top it off with the cilantro and mint.
Then add the chopped peanuts or sliced almonds, whichever you have on hand.
While optional, if I have some in my cupboard I like to add some black sesame seeds as well.
Next make your vinaigrette by adding rice wine vinegar to a measuring cup or small bowl.
Then add the soy sauce and sesame oil.
Then whisk in the honey.
Another optional ingredient I like to add to my slaw is chili paste, as it gives the vinaigrette a wonderful kick of heat. But if you don’t like spicy food, you can totally skip it!
When the vinaigrette is whisked well, pour it over the slaw and then toss together until evenly coated.
Easy Substitutions
- No green cabbage. If your local market was out of green cabbage, you could still make this slaw with red cabbage or napa cabbage.
- Add some protein. To keep the dish vegetarian, you could add some shelled edamame for some protein. Or add some shredded chicken!
- Include more veggies. Include some more traditional coleslaw veggies like shredded carrots, or add some color with some peppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes there isn’t a difference, but coleslaw is always made with cabbage, and if something is labeled as just a “slaw” it might not be primarily cabbage, but another vegetable like broccoli.
Slaw is just a shortened part of the word coleslaw, which is Dutch for cabbage salad.
Yes Because of how crunchy and sturdy cabbage leaves are, you can make this slaw in advance, including dressing it, and it won’t wilt or get soggy.
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