Epic Cabbage Crunch Salad with Roasted Peanut Vinaigrette
Incredible cabbage crunch salad featuring thinly sliced cabbage, crisp bell pepper, shredded chicken and crunchy peanuts all lathered in a glorious roasted peanut vinaigrette? YES PLEASE. This is what salad dreams are made of!
- 1 Erica’s Notes:
- 2 Simple Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Cabbage Crunch Salad Recipe:
- 3 How to Make Cabbage Crunch Salad:
- 4 Expert Tips
- 5 Variation Ideas
- 6 FAQs
- 7 If you love this easy crunchy cabbage salad you’ll love my other simple salad ideas!
- 8 Epic Cabbage Crunch Salad with Roasted Peanut Vinaigrette
Erica’s Notes:
If you know me, then you know that I am not really a ‘meal prep’ person. And what I mean by that is that I cannot prep five breakfasts, five lunches and five dinners to eat every weekday. I love to eat different dinners almost every evening- it’s a time we can all sit down at the table and spend some time together.
The type of meal prep I can get behind though- is a giant salad with tons of veggies and ideally multiple sources of protein and fiber that I can reach for when I need a quick and easy lunch. I’ve recently been on a dense bean salad kick and now I’ve moved on to my next iteration. Enter: crunchy cabbage salad.
Humble cabbage gets a major glow-up in this crunchy cabbage salad recipe! It is filling and satisfying enough to serve as an easy weeknight dinner but also holds up well in the fridge and is great for meal prep lunches. And if you leave out the shredded chicken, it’s a great side dish served with teriyaki salmon or potstickers! Last night, I served it up with grilled cheese sandwiches (toddler-friendly option) and it was enjoyed by all. My two-year-old inhaled the bell peppers and edamame (she calls them ‘mama beans’) and my four-year-old enjoyed the peanuts. 🙃
I love that this cabbage crunch salad feels a little more fall/winter-coded. I’m all for a big green salad in the summer but in the cooler months, I reach for heartier options and this salad feels heartier while still being fresh, light and healthy! Also I can eat a LOT of salad, so I love that you get a huge portion.
It’s really truly, feel-good food. 😋
Simple Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Cabbage Crunch Salad Recipe:
Cabbage: this salad features a mixture of red cabbage and green cabbage. You could absolutely grab the pre-shredded cabbage but I’m a diva and like my cabbage sliced very thinly so I buy a whole head of cabbage and use the blade attachment of my food processor to thinly slice it. You could also use a mandolin set on the finest setting.
Carrots: I buy the bag of pre-julienned carrots. You could julienne whole carrots yourself using a sharp knife or julienne peeler.
Edamame: shelled edamame adds convenient, plant-based protein to this salad! You can find it in the frozen vegetable aisle of most regular grocery stores.
Fresh herbs: I must implore you, do NOT skip the fresh herbs! I’m a big believer that there is no such thing as too many herbs- you will be shocked at how much delicious flavor they add. I recommend a combo of fresh cilantro, fresh mint and green onions.
Sweet bell pepper: any color will work! I use red bell pepper, which you can find in the produce section of the grocery store.
Cooked chicken: this is optional, but I love adding a boost of protein to this salad. I add a couple handfuls of shredded rotisserie chicken (any cooked and shredded chicken will work).
Peanuts: I love roasted, salted peanuts- they add that extra bit of saltiness and depth of flavor.
Peanut vinaigrette: oh my worrrrd this roasted peanut vinaigrette is SO good. Made with roasted peanut oil, rice vinegar, fresh lime juice, brown sugar (or honey or maple syrup), fresh garlic, ground or fresh ginger and a bit of sriracha if you like! Some grocery stores carry roasted peanut oil which you can find in the oil/vinegar aisle, I purchased mine online right here.
How to Make Cabbage Crunch Salad:
In a large bowl combine both varieties of cabbage, carrots, edamame, fresh herbs, bell pepper, chicken and peanuts.
Add dressing ingredients to a small blender and blitz until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can vigorously shake or whisk the dressing ingredients together in a mason jar, small bowl or salad shaker. Taste and season with another pinch of salt or spritz of lime, if needed.
Drizzle salad with vinaigrette and toss to combine in the large mixing bowl. Plate it up and garnish with extra peanuts, herbs and a big squeeze of lime. SO GOOD.
Expert Tips
- Use the blade attachment of a food processor to get finely shredded cabbage.
- Don’t forget the fresh herbs! Any or all: green onions, cilantro, mint, parsley, Thai basil or chives.
- This is a great meal prep salad. Store the components separately: salad, dressing and peanuts all in separate containers until ready to assemble your portion.
- I love to use my stand mixer to make quick and easy shredded chicken. Add cooked chicken to the mixing bowl and use the paddle attachment, mixing on medium for 10-15 seconds. It sounds weird, but it shreds up the chicken so quickly and perfectly, it’s worth dirtying the extra dish!
- Use bagged coleslaw mix and rotisserie chicken for easy shortcuts!
Variation Ideas
- Leave out the chicken and serve as a plant-based side dish.
- There are lots of crunchy topping options! Feel free to add crispy rice noodles, black sesame seeds, crunchy ramen noodles, wonton strips or chow mein noodles for extra crunch.
- Use an apple cider vinegar dressing and sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead of peanuts for a nut-free version.
- Add a splash of toasted sesame oil to the dressing if you like sesame flavor.
- Switch up the fresh veggies and add curly kale, red onion, orange bell pepper, chopped broccoli or thinly sliced cucumbers!
FAQs
Store assembled salad, dressing and peanuts separately in airtight containers in the fridge up to five days. Another idea: in mason jars layer the dressing, then salad, then peanuts. When you’re ready to eat, dump the mason jar contents in a bowl and you have a perfectly dressed salad!
Use ½ cup neutral flavored oil (like avocado oil or canola oil) and add 1 ½ tablespoons peanut butter to the dressing. I’d recommend blending it or whisking vigorously so you have a cohesive peanut butter dressing.
To make vegan cabbage crunch salad, simply omit the shredded chicken. Feel free to add an additional vegan protein source (beyond the edamame) like crispy tofu or roasted chickpeas.
To make an extra crunchy salad you could add toasted ramen noodles, sliced almonds, roasted cashews, wonton strips, crispy fried onions, Asian sesame crackers, chow mein noodles or rice noodles.
Yep! Use two 14oz bags for a similar quantity.
Since this is somewhat of an Asian cabbage slaw, it would go well with potstickers, wontons or teriyaki salmon.
Nope. I just run the shelled edamame under hot running water for a few seconds and let sit at room temperature.
If you love this easy crunchy cabbage salad you’ll love my other simple salad ideas!
Crunchy Asian cabbage salad with sesame ginger dressing and crispy wontons
Farro grain salad with lemon honey dressing
Imma dive headfirst into this salad.
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Epic Cabbage Crunch Salad with Roasted Peanut Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Crisp, colorful and peanutty, this refreshing cabbage crunch salad is in the consistent rotation at my house!
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
- 3 cups finely shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 1 cup chopped fresh herbs- green onions, cilantro and mint (I recommend a mix of all of these!)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 cup peanuts, finely chopped
- Optional crunchy topping ideas: wonton strips, chow mein noodles, toasted ramen noodles, crispy rice noodles, sesame seeds, roasted cashews, sunflower seeds
Roasted peanut vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup roasted peanut oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl combine both varieties of cabbage, carrots, edamame, fresh herbs, bell pepper, chicken and peanuts.
- Add dressing ingredients to a small blender and blitz until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can vigorously shake or whisk the dressing ingredients in a mason jar or salad shaker.
- Drizzle salad with vinaigrette and toss to combine. Garnish with extra peanuts, herbs and a big squeeze of lime. SO GOOD.
Notes
Meal prep instructions: store veggies, chopped peanuts and dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Add some of each to a bowl or container and shake or toss to combine right before eating. Lasts up to five days.
Mason jar instructions: add 2-3 tablespoons dressing to the bottom of five quart-size mason jars. Divide cabbage salad into each. Top with peanuts. Store in the fridge for up to five days. When ready to serve, dump the mason jar contents into a bowl and enjoy!
Roasted peanut oil: the dressing for this salad is reminiscent of peanut sauce with flavors of peanut, garlic, ginger and lime. I love peanut sauce for noodles but for a salad, I find it too thick and clunky. That’s why I opt for roasted peanut oil here, which has all the incredible peanut flavor but makes a silky, light vinaigrette instead of a heavy peanut sauce. Roasted peanut oil is a lot different than refined peanut oil (like the kind they use in deep-fat fryers) and you can find it at many grocery stores, but I ordered this one on Amazon and it came the next day! If you can’t find roasted peanut oil use ½ cup of any neutral flavored oil and add 1 ½ tablespoons peanut butter to the dressing.
Refer to above blog post for ingredient information, expert tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 9.6 g
- Sodium: 178.8 mg
- Fat: 26.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.4 g
- Fiber: 6.2 g
- Protein: 20.7 g
- Cholesterol: 34.5 mg
The sauce was fantastic! Perfectly balanced and zingy. I poured the sauce over noodles and it was amazing! Will def be making this again! I didn’t have peanut oil so I followed the substitution instructions with oil and peanut butter.
I made this recipe after Thanksgiving with some leftover turkey and it was delicious! My 15yo daughter requested that I make it again, so it’s on the schedule for this week. Always thankful your recipes Erica – balanced AND soooo tasty!
Used this as a meal prep veggie option for my work lunches for this week! I omitted the peanuts and the chicken. What a delightful twist on coleslaw! I absolutely loved the mint flavor! Certainly will be sharing this recipe at summer BBQ’s this summer!
Woohoo! Happy to hear Julie, thank you!