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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Easy Dinners

    Asian Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing

    Published: Feb 18, 2016 · Updated: Aug 20, 2023 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Pin Recipe
    Asian Slaw with Sesame Gingered Dressing Pinterest Pin
    Asian Slaw with Sesame Gingered Dressing Pinterest Pin

    It’s so easy to slice veggies for an Asian slaw and whisk up Sesame Ginger Dressing that dinner will be ready before you know it.


    Asian Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing

    Sesame ginger vinaigrette tossed with colorful Asian slaw veggies like cabbage, snow peas and peppers, has got to be one of my favorite salads. This vinaigrette is easy, and so good, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything in sight, if not drink it! But please don't ACTUALLY drink it, because drinking salad dressing is weird and probably off-putting to your loved ones. Save some for the rest of us!

    I like to add chicken to my salad to make it a meal, but I regularly make this slaw without the chicken as a side dish; it's also one of the best salads to make for potlucks. No one will be complaining it's on the table!

    This video I made for my post on KSL.com shows how I made this salad in three minutes. Okay, okay it may have taken me a bit longer than three minutes in real life, but not much more. For more fun cooking videos subscribe to my YouTube channel Tara Teaspoon Official, here.

    I used rice wine vinegar as the base for this dressing because it’s light and adds a tangy zing without overpowering the other flavors. As with all vinaigrettes, the trick is to get all of your flavorful ingredients together before adding the oil to them. The oil breaks into little teeny tiny parts when you whisk it. This separates the other ingredients and makes them float happily amidst the little oil parts. (Some people call that emulsification, but I prefer my more technical description.) The point being that your flavorful ingredients need to be nicely mixed and combined so they disperse evenly. Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ginger and vinegar, and then taste the mixture. If you like it stronger, add a bit more soy sauce; sweeter, add more honey. When the flavor is just right, slowly whisk in the canola oil and let it break it into teeny tiny parts.

    Savoy cabbage and Napa cabbage

    Savoy cabbage and Napa cabbage tend to have leaves that are a bit curly, even dark green. They can both be used in Asian slaw because of their tender bite and mild flavor. In a pinch, you can substitute standard cabbage, but it has a stronger taste and takes a bit more effort to chew.

    It only takes a few simple chops and slices to work through your cabbage, peppers, snow peas and scallions. You can thinly slice your cucumber as well, but I love these little paddle slicers. They make quick work of veggies (use the guard for safety, and watch those fingers).

    The mandarins add juicy sweetness, but if they aren’t handy at your store, slice some orange segments into the salad instead.

    In the cold winter months, I grill my chicken indoors on a grill pan, or electric grill like this one.

    📖 Recipe

    Sesame Ginger Dressing with Asian Salad ingredients in bowl

    Asian Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing

    Tara Teaspoon
    Savor this seriously tasty salad with an authentic vinaigrette for a fresh, delicious dinner. Makes 1 cup dressing.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch
    Servings 4 to 6

    Ingredients
      

    Dressing:

    • ½ cup rice wine vinegar
    • ½ tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
    • ⅔ cup canola oil

    Salad:

    • 4 cups Napa or Savoy cabbage (thinly sliced)
    • ½ red bell pepper (sliced)
    • ½ yellow bell pepper (sliced)
    • 1 cup snow peas (sliced)
    • 1 small cucumber (sliced)
    • 1 scallion (sliced)
    • 2 mandarins (segmented)
    • ⅓ cup cilantro leaves
    • Grilled chicken (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • For the dressing, stir together all the ingredients except the canola oil until well combined. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly. Set aside.
    • For the salad, toss everything in a large serving bowl, top with sliced chicken if desired. Whisk the dressing again just before drizzling on salad.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 85mgPotassium: 502mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 1477IUVitamin C: 97mgCalcium: 114mgIron: 1mg
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    Veggies in the winter are so tasty and healthy. For a great dinner try my Roasted Vegetable Pizza, or serve my Vegetable Trio with Orange Thyme Dressing on the side of your main dish.

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    Tara in kitchen making salad

    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe and food styling Tara Bench. Photography Tara Bench. Video production Melanie Donahoo

    Comments

      5 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    1. Mary says

      July 19, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      I could absolutely DRINK this dressing! One of my favorite recipes of Tara's!

      Reply
      • Lacey says

        June 07, 2023 at 8:12 am

        This is such an amazing, light, flavorful salad that is perfect any time of the year. We always pair it with our gyoza. The colors pop and it presents so well.

        Reply
    2. Morgan says

      October 01, 2020 at 4:49 pm

      Can this be made ahead of time? Or should the dressing be added right before serving?

      Reply
    3. Pat says

      April 24, 2021 at 9:57 am

      The dressing tasted good, but are the proportions off a bit; the 2/3 cup oil seemed to dilute the taste completely. Plse check the ingredients proportions - I would love to make this again.
      Pat

      Reply

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

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