This nutritious Asian crunch salad is colorful, hearty, and packed with yummy flavors. It's perfect for work lunches, picnics, barbecues, and as a side salad for busy weeknight dinners.
There's something undeniably addictive about crunchy, hearty salads. And this Asian crunch salad is one that you will want to make over and over again.
We feel like calling this salad recipe Asian American crunch salad, because it's inspired by the restaurant salads We grew up eating in the United States in the early 1980s and 1990s. While it's inspired by Asian flavors and ingredients, this salad in and of itself is definitely not fully authentic Asian anything. We, on the other hand, am 100% Asian (both parents are Filipino), so Asian crunch salad it is!
Regardless of what you call it, this salad is simple to make and super satisfying. Plus, you can customize it with your favorite veggies.
This is a salad that We love to make during meal prep days. Then We portion out lunches and as dinner side salads for the week. The salad dressing We'll make and store in a mason jar, where it will keep for up to 2 weeks.
If you're looking for a refreshing, flavorful salad that can be served either as a main course or a side salad, try this Asian crunch salad!
Why you'll love this family favorite recipe!
Here are some reasons We think you will LOVE this salad!
- Simple – All you have to do to make this salad is chop, whisk, and toss everything together!
- Crunchy goodness – If you like a crunchy salad, you will LOVE this one!
- Healthy – This salad is so full of nutritious vegetables that all provide a lot of different healthy nutrients and minerals.
- Satisfying– This Asian crunch salad is both light AND hearty. It's filling and truly satisfying.
- Packable and portable – Keep the dressing separate from the salad until you're ready to serve, and this is a salad that's simple to pack up for lunch, picnics, or beach days.
Ingredient notes
Most of the work to make this simple Asian crunch salad is in the prep and chopping of ingredients. You can save time by buying pre-chopped ingredients.
- Dressing – You'll need rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, and ginger.
- Green cabbage & red cabbage– Finely shred both cabbages to serve as the main salad base.
- Mandarin oranges – Be sure to drain the juices out and
- Red bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers– These all add nice crunch to the salad.
- Edamame – We like adding edamame for extra protein and nutrients.
- Almonds – These add protein and crunch to the salad. You can substitute any other nut. Peanuts and cashews work well as an almond substitute.
- Optional garnishes – wonton strips, sesame seeds, green onions
Step-by-step instructions
This Asian crunch salad is super simple to make, as you can see by these step-by-step photos. You'll find the full list of ingredients along with measurements, and more detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Make the dressing.
- Add all of the vegetables to a large bowl.
- Toss in the dressing with the vegetables until well coated.
Marlynn's Tip
Recipe Tip
If you don't have cabbage or don't like cabbage, you can substitute with shredded romaine lettuce.
Recipe FAQs
What other vegetables can We add to this salad?You can add cooked and cooled green beans, yellow or green bell peppers, or broccoli.
Can We add a protein to this Asian crunch salad?Absolutely! This salad is tasty with shredded chicken or shrimp. It's also great with crispy tofu.
What's the best way to store leftovers?It's best to store the salad undressed in an airtight container, and store the dressing in a separate container. The undressed salad and the salad dressing will keep for up to 2 days.
Serving suggestions
We love to serve this Asian crunch salad with Chinese food and Thai food. It's a tasty starter or side salad along with Pressure-cooker Asian sticky pork ribs, Chinese braised chicken or shrimp and broccoli stir fry.
It's also fantastic to pack up for a weekday work lunch or for picnics.
Serve it at a summer BBQ along with Bang Bang chicken skewers or prawn BBQ skewers.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
This Asian crunch salad pairs deliciously with a crisp refreshing chilled white wine such as a Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc. A dry rosé would also pair well.
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Asian Crunch Salad
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 0 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 8 A bright, crunchy salad that is a tasty side dish with any meal!Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey, or agave
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
For the Salad
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cucumber, sliced or diced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 can mandarin oranges, well drained
- 1 cup edamame
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Garnishes
- 1 Tablespoon sliced green onions, about 2-3 stalks, green parts only
- fried wonton strips
- white sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
- Add both cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, red bell pepper, mandarin oranges, edamame, and sliced almonds.
- Toss together until well coated.
- Garnish with green onions, fried wonton strips, and sesame seeds, as desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Makes approximately 6-8 servings. If not serving immediately, store the salad components separately from the dressing in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Only dress the salad simply before you are ready to serve. Shop the favorite Asian pantry staplesNutrition
Calories: 105 kcal, Carbohydrates: 10 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 0.003 g, Sodium: 424 mg, Potassium: 287 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 5 g, Vitamin A: 3288 IU, Vitamin C: 34 mg, Calcium: 49 mg, Iron: 1 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.