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.

What is creamy coleslaw made of? ›

Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.

How do you make coleslaw not soggy? ›

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 slaw dressing made of? ›

What Is Coleslaw Dressing Made Of? This creamy, mayo-based dressing uses ingredients you likely have on hand: sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and of course, mayonnaise. The resulting dressing is just the right balance of sweet, tangy, creamy, and peppery!

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 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.

What is Amish coleslaw made of? ›

Amish Vinegar Slaw or Old Fashioned Coleslaw is lighter and tangier than a classic mayo based slaw. Made with shredded cabbage, onion, apple cider vinegar, and dry mustard. This is the perfect quick Side Dish that you can bring along to BBQs, potlucks, and family gatherings.

What is the best pre made coleslaw? ›

With its nice, thick dressing, Walmart's deli coleslaw is the best creamy coleslaw of the bunch. The dressing is heavy on the mayo, which makes it the best coleslaw to slather on a burger or pulled pork sandwich, and the copious amounts of shredded carrot will contribute some crunch, too.

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 does my homemade coleslaw taste bitter? ›

It's a clever defense mechanism for the cabbage plant to discourage hungry foragers. Of course, slivering or dicing cabbage to make coleslaw also ruptures plant cell walls, so the same reaction is triggered. At first, any bitterness may seem pleasantly tangy as the salad's dressing mellows cabbage flavors.

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 does homemade coleslaw go watery? ›

Cabbage contains lots of water. Alton Brown suggests salting the cabbage and letting the water drain for two hours, then rinsing the cabbage and spinning it dry before dressing it. That purges the excess water out of the cabbage before it is dressed, so it doesn't get watery.

What is Mexican coleslaw made of? ›

Easy Mexican Coleslaw recipe- great side dish for cookouts, potlucks, and picnics. Coleslaw, bell peppers, diced tomatoes and green chiles, black beans, corn, jalapeño peppers, and cilantro tossed in a creamy lime dressing. Only takes a few minutes to make and packs tons of great flavor!

How do you thicken slaw dressing? ›

A little bit of ground flax or chia seed can thicken it, but much like xanthan gum, too much can make the texture unpleasant. I'd mix it with the water portion and let it sit for a few minutes and then add as much as you need. I do use avocado when I make healthy dressings.

Is coleslaw healthy or unhealthy Why? ›

Improves Gut Health

Coleslaw salad is rich in fiber because of the presence of raw cabbage. The RDA of fiber for an adult is 30g per day. It can become challenging to consume this much amount of fiber per day. However, 120 g portion of cabbage is sufficient to meet 10% of daily fiber needs.

Why is coleslaw now called slaw? ›

Whatever the reason for the formation, people familiar with the food item began tinkering with its name. For instance, the Latin-based cole was substituted for cold and the spelling variant slaugh was used with cold or cole. The name was also chopped to slaw or slaugh.

What defines a slaw? ›

What is slaw? 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. It often includes other seasonings and ingredients, such as onions and apples.

Is slaw a southern thing? ›

If you come down South, you'll likely hear it referred to simply as “slaw,” though there are a handful of folks who will never stop calling it “cold slaw.” When mayonnaise was invented in the 1800s, Southerners were impressed with its versatility and started making it for all kinds of dishes, including coleslaw.

What is the difference between red slaw and white slaw? ›

Red slaw is different from traditional coleslaw in that it does not use mayonnaise as an ingredient, allowing it to be stored for longer periods without refrigeration and making it more suitable for outdoor serving. It is made with green cabbage, vinegar, water and ketchup, and a variety of spices and seasoning.

References

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