Everyday Sesame Asian Slaw | Gimme Some Oven

Easy15 minsVegan

This easy Sesame Asian Slaw recipe is quick and easy to make, tossed with the yummiest sesame vinaigrette, and can easily double as a side salad or main dish!

Up next in our week of side salad recipes here on the blog, a delicious staple that every cook should have in her or his repertoire…

…a fresh, crispy, colorful, delicious Everyday Asian Slaw. ♡

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It’s the perfect light side dish to pair with with all of your favorite rice dishes, noodles, curries, dumplings, soups, satays, and stir-fries galore.  It’s the ultimate potluck dish as well — easy to make ahead and transport to picnics or parties, naturally gluten-free, and always a crowd fave.  It can also easily double as a big entree salad, especially if you add in some extra protein (such as chicken, steak, carnitas, shrimp, tofu).  But mostly, I just love this salad because it’s just super light and fresh and flavorful and makes me feel great.

As is the case with all of these side salads this week, this Asian slaw recipe is also 100% customizable with whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand.  So gather up a rainbow of whatever healthy slaw ingredients you love best, and let’s make some salad together!

Everyday Asian Salad Ingredients:

To make this easy Asian salad recipe, you will need:

• Slaw / Greens: I typically use a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw for this recipe (green or red cabbage, or a mix).  Or if you’re living somewhere (like me!) where bagged coleslaw isn’t available, you can just chop up a bunch of cabbage and make your own. ♡
• Shredded Carrots: Most bagged coleslaws also contain shredded carrots, but I like to add in more for that extra sweet and crunchy goodness.
• Veggies: I just chopped up a yellow bell pepper for this slaw.  But avocado would also be awesome, or there are all sorts of other crunchy slaw veggies that you’re welcome to add in too (see ideas below).
• Cilantro: A handful of fresh cilantro really brightens this salad up.  (Also, if you happen to have some fresh mint on hand, add that in too!)
• Onions: I used thinly-sliced green onions for this slaw.  But thinly-sliced red onions would work too.
• Almonds: Sliced or slivered, and preferably toasted a bit to bring out their flavor.
• Sesame seeds: I also love sprinkling on some sesame seeds (white or black) at the end for added crunch and flavor.
• Sesame vinaigrette: Made with oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup (or honey), toasted sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic, S&P.

How To Make This Salad:

To make this sesame Asian slaw recipe, simply…

1. Make your dressing.  Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.  Or — my preferred method — just add them to a mason jar and shake-shake-shake until the dressing is ready to go.  Taste and add in extra maple syrup or honey if you would like a sweeter dressing.
2. Mix the salad.  Then combine all of your salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle evenly with the dressing and toss until combined.
3. Serve!  And serve the sesame slaw right away while it’s nice and fresh!

Possible Variations:

This Asian slaw recipe is super flexible.  So feel free to tinker around with it and get creative and use what ingredients you love most!  For example, feel free to:

• Add a protein: Cooked chicken, steak , pork, shrimp, salmon, or tofu would all be great in this salad.
• Add extra fresh veggies: Such as cucumber, radishes, edamame, or — my top rec — avocado!!
• Add fruit: Such as diced fresh mango, pineapple or orange.
• Add crispy wonton strips: Always good with a slaw!
• Add more nuts: Chopped peanuts or cashews would also be delicious in this salad.
• Add a kick: If you would like your slaw to be a bit spicier, add some sriracha or hot chili oil to the vinaigrette. Or just drizzle it directly onto the salad itself.

Favorite Asian Recipes:

Looking for some entree recipes to pair with this salad?  It would be delicious served with…

More Side Salad Recipes:

If you’re looking for more side salad inspiration, here are some of my faves!

Yield: 4 servingss

Everyday Sesame Asian Slaw

This easy Sesame Asian Slaw recipe is quick and easy to make, tossed with the yummiest sesame vinaigrette, and can easily double as a side salad or main dish.  See notes above for possible ingredient variations.

Total Time:15 mins

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:0 mins

Ingredients:

Slaw Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) bag of coleslaw*
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, thinly sliced or diced
• 1/2 cup finely-chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
• toasted sesame seeds

Sesame Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil, or any other mild-flavored oil)
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce*
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed or minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
• sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. To Make The Vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl (or shake together in a mason jar) until combined.  Taste and add additional sweetener if desired.  Use immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
2. To Make The Slaw: Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl, drizzle evenly with the vinaigrette, and toss until evenly combined.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

*If making this salad gluten-free, sub in GF tamari.

Difficulty: EasyCategory: Vegan

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