Asian Coleslaw with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

If you’re looking to try a new salad this week, give this Asian Coleslaw recipe a try. It’s tossed with a flavorful ginger dressing and is the perfect option to make ahead.

Whether you need a salad to bring to a party or just want some easy veggies on hand, this recipe will make your life easier. I like to shred the veggies myself (because I prefer thinly sliced cabbage and carrots), but you can also skip some of the prep work by starting with a bag of shredded coleslaw mix instead.

I recommend making this recipe at least an hour before serving. The longer it marinates in the dressing, the more flavorful it will become!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“I took this to a Memorial Day cookout yesterday and got tons of compliments. Now my 2 year old daughter is currently scarfing down the leftovers and drinking the dressing left in the bowl haha. I also like to make this a whole meal by serving it with a fillet of salmon. Thank you for this delicious, original recipe!” – Hannah

Asian Slaw Ingredients

• Shredded Cabbage. Use a mix of green and red cabbage for color, if you like, or choose just one variety. The flavor is delicious either way!
• Carrot. Shred a large carrot or two for natural sweetness and a variety of textures. (You can skip this if you start with a bagged coleslaw mix instead.)
• Green Onion. This is more mild in flavor than other onion varieties, so it adds a subtle flavor without being overwhelming.
• Cilantro. Fresh herbs always make salads taste better, so don’t skip this one!
• Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette. This homemade dressing is made with rice vinegar, a small amount of olive and toasted sesame oil tamari (which is a gluten-free soy sauce), honey, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.

Want more crunch? You can add sliced almonds or crunchy ramen noodles for even more texture. 

How to Make Asian Cabbage Slaw

Step 1:

In the bottom of a large bowl, add the olive oil, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari, honey, minced ginger, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. I recommend using a microplane to finely mince the garlic and ginger so you won’t end up with large chunks of either while enjoying this salad later.

Stir well until the honey dissolves.

Step 2:

Once the dressing is mixed, add the shredded cabbage, carrots, green onion, and cilantro. Toss well to ensure all the veggies are coated in the dressing.

Let the coleslaw marinate in the dressing for at least 15 minutes before serving, but longer is even better. You can tightly cover this salad and store it in the fridge overnight, if you want to make it ahead of time.

Asian coleSlaw Serving Tips

This cabbage salad will release liquid as it marinates in the dressing, so don’t be surprised if you see more liquid at the bottom of the bowl later. Stir well before serving and use tongs to let any excess liquid drip back into the bowl as you serve.

Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired, and add any other toppings you love!

Asian Coleslaw with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

5 from 20 votes

The next time you need a salad recipe to impress, try this Asian Coleslaw. Unlike classic coleslaw recipes, this one uses a sesame-ginger dressing instead of mayo. It has restaurant-quality flavor with simple pantry ingredients, so you can stir it together in just minutes. Be sure to give it time to marinate– the flavor will only get better with time!

prep20 mins cook0 mins total20 mins

Servings:6

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (see notes)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger , minced
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional; for spice)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 pounds cabbage (about 1 head)
• 2 carrots , peeled and shredded
• 3 green onions , chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, tamari, honey, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir well until the honey dissolves. Note: Use a microplane to finely mince the garlic and ginger directly into the bowl.
• Add the shredded cabbage, carrots, chopped green onion, and cilantro to the bowl of dressing and toss well. Let the salad marinate for at least 15 minutes for the best flavor. (It's normal for excess liquid to develop at the bottom of the bowl.) Then toss again and serve with sesame seeds as garnish, if desired.
• Leftover dressed salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir well again before serving to ensure the dressing is evenly distributed.

Notes

Nutrition information is for roughly one heaping cup of salad, assuming you get 6 heaping cups total from this recipe. This information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, so it’s just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Vinegar Note: If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, apple cider vinegar will work just as well. 

Make it Creamy: Add a 1/4 cup of almond butter or peanut butter to the dressing for a creamier texture.

Need a vegan dressing? Swap the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar.

Update Note: This recipe was updated in January 2026 with updated photos.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 407mg | Potassium: 386mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 3810IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asian coleslaw, asian slaw

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• Italian Salad
• Thai Peanut Salad
• Detox Salad
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If you try this Asian coleslaw recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it.