Asian Slaw (Not Soggy!)

Asian slaw served in a white bowl with a fork.

Asian Slaw (Not Soggy!)

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asian coleslaw, asian slaw

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 153kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

Don't you love it when you find a salad you actually CRAVE? This Asian Slaw is one of those salads. It's more flavorful than traditional coleslaw and includes extra tips for avoiding a soggy texture. Bring it to a party and prepare to be flooded with glowing reviews!

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Ingredients

Slaw Ingredients

1 medium head green cabbage (about 1.5 pounds shredded)
2 carrots , peeled and shredded
3 green onions , chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Asian Slaw Dressing

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (see notes)
1 tablespoon Tamari (or soy sauce)
¼ cup honey
1 clove garlic , minced
1 inch fresh ginger , minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional; for spice)

Instructions

For a less watery/soggy salad, start by arranging a colander in a large bowl.(You can also use a salad spinner to make the process easier.) Place the cabbage in the colander and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt. Toss well, then let the salad rest for up to 2 hours, or at least 30 minutes. The cabbage will sweat and start to release excess water.
While you wait for that, prepare the dressing. In a mason jar with a lid, combine the vinegar, oil, tamari, honey, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. (Note: Use a microplane to finely mince the garlic and ginger into the jar.) Stir until the honey fully dissolves, then set aside. You can store this with a lid in the fridge for up to 5 days to make it in advance.
When you're ready to use the cabbage, remove the colander from the bowl and rinse the salted cabbage under running water. This is a crucial step to remove the excess salt. Run it through the salad spinner, if using, to remove excess water after rinsing it. Or, press it dry with a towel. This will give you crunchy cabbage that won't get soggy in the dressing.
Transfer the drained cabbage to a large bowl and top with shredded carrots, green onion, and cilantro. Stir the dressing well, then pour a ⅓ cup of it over the salad. Toss well, and give the salad a taste. Add more dressing as needed, until the salad is flavorful. (You may want to use all of it, but everyone's taste buds are different.) The salad is ready to serve right away; garnish with sesame seeds, 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 make sure the dressing is well 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.

Update Note: This recipe was updated in May 2025 with the salting step, which helps prevent a watery cabbage salad. I also swapped one tablespoon of olive oil for more toasted sesame seed oil. If you don't love the flavor of toasted sesame oil, use olive oil instead.

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

Nutrition