Craving a colorful and refreshing salad for your next potluck party or family dinner? Try my Asian Coleslaw recipe with bright and crunchy vegetables. Dressed in a tangy and sweet sesame dressing, this healthy slaw is packed with flavors. It complements BBQ meats, tacos, Ahi tuna steak, and other Asian menus.
Looking for the most versatile side dish to go with your Asian theme menu? Try this Asian Coleslaw with bright, crunchy, colorful vegetables! Dressed in a nutty, sesame oil dressing, the slaw is packed with flavors and makes a much healthier and lighter alternative to the mayo-laden types.
It’s such a fantastic way to eat your colors. Not only it looks refreshing and appetizing, but it is so easy to put together for a weeknight family meal or a big potluck party.
Asian Coleslaw – Perfect Side Dish
From sandwiches, burgers, tacos to grilled meats, this is an excellent coleslaw to go with any Asian theme meals. You can also serve it along with deep-fried foods to balance out the richness and grease, thanks to the crunchy texture and refreshing taste.
Need some inspiration? How about pairing it with some all-star BBQ or summertime dishes such as:
- Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork (so yummy with tacos!)
- Coconut Shrimp
- Corn Dog
- Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Crispy Salmon
- Ebi Katsu Burger
- Lobster Roll
- Miso Salmon
- Teriyaki Burger
Easy Sesame Dressing for Asian Coleslaw
Whisk together apple cider vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds, salt & pepper, you’d get a zingy dressing that goes perfectly with the coleslaw. The sugar helps to mellow out the acidity of the vinegar, so don’t skimp on it. You can cut down slightly but have a taste first to see if it achieves the balance you desire. Alternatively, you can also use maple syrup or honey in place of the sugar.
What I love most about this sesame dressing is its light yet aromatic flavor. It’s incredibly versatile that you can even use the dressing for other green salads or noodle salads. There’s no chopping garlic or grating ginger involved. You will want to make it over and over again for your slaws!
Alternative Vegetable Choices
A great thing about this coleslaw recipe is its flexibility. If you don’t like a certain ingredient or don’t have it on hand, feel free to switch it out. For cilantro leaves, people either love or hate it, but I feel like the green herb plays a big role in the coleslaw. Its fresh & citrus-like flavor adds so much more zing to the dish. For those who don’t mind the taste, you don’t want to miss it out.
Here are a few other vegetables that could go well with the coleslaw. Anything fresh will make the slaw even better!
- Green Color: edamame, mint, shredded broccoli stem/stalk, shredded zucchini, snap peas
- Red Color: red bell pepper, red onion, apples
- Yellow Color: yellow bell pepper, corn, peanuts
A little sweet, a little tangy and packed with bright flavors, this Asian Coleslaw is one solid dependable side dish you can show up at any potluck party! And be ready to give out the recipe when asked.
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Asian Coleslaw with Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp sugar (to balance the vinegar‘s acidity)
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the Coleslaw
- 1 carrot
- 1 bunch cilantro (coriander) (½ cup chopped)
- 1 green onion/scallion
- ½ head red cabbage
- ½ head green cabbage
Optional Ingredients
- ½ cup shelled edamame
- ¼ red bell pepper (sliced)
- ¼ cup peanuts (shelled, peeled, toasted, and salted)
- 1 green onion/scallion
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. To make ahead: You can prepare and store the vegetables and dressing separately for up to a day or two in the refrigerator; toss to combine 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve.
To Make the Dressing
- In a bowl large enough to hold the coleslaw, combine ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 2 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds. Tip: The sugar is important to balance and mellow the acidity in the vinegar. If you substitute maple syrup or honey, check for the right balance of flavors.
- Add freshly ground black pepper and whisk well to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
To Prepare the Coleslaw
- Peel and julienne 1 carrot using a julienne peeler. If the strips are too long, cut in half or thirds lengthwise into 2-inch pieces. If you have a regular vegetable peeler, peel the carrot into thin sheets, then cut the sheets into long, thin julienned strips.
- Chop the leaves of 1 bunch cilantro (coriander) into ½-inch pieces and measure ½ cup chopped cilantro. Next, finely slice 1 green onion/scallion.
- Remove the core of ½ head red cabbage and thinly slice the cabbage or shred it using a cabbage slicer.
- Remove the core of ½ head green cabbage and thinly slice the cabbage or shred it using the cabbage slicer. Add all the sliced cabbage to a bowl or a salad spinner, as I do here. Wash under cold water and drain and dry completely. Tip: Try your best to remove the moisture, which could dilute the dressing.
- To the bowl with the dressing, add all the vegetables, including any optional ingredients like ½ cup shelled edamame, ¼ red bell pepper (sliced), ¼ cup peanuts, or 1 green onion/scallion (chopped). Toss everything and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Enjoy it soon while it‘s crunchy and fresh!
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on February 23, 2011. The images are updated with new step-by-step pictures in October 2017. The post has been updated in June 2020.
I’m so glad I found this recipe! Loving it and a keeper for sure! I can finally find other ways to use my ACV!!
Hi Cyn! Awesome! Thank you for trying this recipe and posting your photo! We LOVE it!😍
This was so good! I made it as a side salad but now I’m doubling the portion for my dinner tonight because it’s just that good! Will add shredded zucchini as well this time!
Hi Tanuja! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed this Dressing!
Thank you very much for trying many of Nami’s recipes and for your sweet feedback!☺️
Looking forward to learning new flavor profiles.
Hi Home In Folsom, We hope you enjoy this recipe! Thank you for reading this post.🙂
This is delicious and a firm favourite in our house. I usually serve it with tonkatsu but I’ve also served it with steak. Yummo.
Hi Lynn,
We are so happy to hear that it goes well with your favorite dishes!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!😊
This was delicious! I think next time I might add a touch of peanut butter for a bit of creaminess. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi Lalii! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Love your recipes and this looks delicious – such a fresh and versatile alternative to the usual mayo version. I am just wondering if there is any reason why you would use apple cider vinegar in preference to rice vinegar?
Hi Kathleen! I didn’t really make this Japanese style (then I would use rice vinegar) so I used apple cider vinegar for the flavor profile. 🙂
[…] inspirée de https://www.justonecookbook.com/asian-coleslaw/ (en […]
Made this last night, so fresh and tasty – added a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard to the dressing and a swirl of Japanese mayo to it before tossing. Went very well with your baked chicken Katsu and a small amount of rice. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch!
Hi Richard! Ohhh that addition of wholegrain mustard sounds amazing. And glad you tried baked chicken katsu, too. Hope your leftover lunch was amazing and thank you for your kind feedback!:)
This really looks appetizing! Do you happen to know how many calories does this have per serving? I am trying to lose weight thru calorie counting and would like to try your recipe. Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words! I’m sorry but I don’t offer calorie counting on my site. A lot of calorie counting plugins do not have information for Japanese ingredients and I rather not to share inaccurate information. Hope you understand…
[…] Well, according to my husband, these chicken drumettes are pretty close to what they serve at Norikonoko. You can imagine his happy face when he gave these drumettes a try. I reduced the amount of Sriracha sauce for my children’s portion, so they really enjoyed this quick appetizer as well. If you love spicy food, feel free to add more Sriracha sauce. Enjoy these Spicy Miso Chicken as a finger food at a party, or make it the main course, along with a side of rice and a refreshing Asian coleslaw. […]
Today is unusually hot here in Carlsbad even by the coast. We had some friends coming over for a party. With the hot weather, I did not want to make any food with mayonnaise. This coleslaw fit the bill perfectly. It’s delicious even without the cilantro since my husband is one of those who does not like that herb. I added some Fuji apples for extra sweetness.
Hi Winnie! Thank you so much for your kind feedback and comment. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe (and what a great idea to add fuji apples – I LOVE IT!!!!). Thank you for writing! xo
Every time I make this my family loves it! So delicious.
Yay! I’m glad to hear that. Thank you for your kind feedback, Aimee!
This was quick and easy and delicious. Will definitely make again.
Hi Pam! So happy to hear you tried this recipe (such an old post too, thanks for finding it!). Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
I am definitely going to try this!
It’s interesting because so many (western) style recipes of coleslaw call for mayo, which I find gross most of the time. I am so happy there is an alternative.
Thank you!!
Hi Aimee! Hope you enjoy this recipe, Aimee! 🙂
May I know how long can I keep this refrigerated? I Thought of making this and scoop them as n when I want to eat.
Hi Summer! You can keep it up to 2 days with less dressing. Otherwise it’ll be more like pickled salad. Hope that helps! 🙂