Asian Chopped Salad is a bowl of crunchy, delicious goodness. This is a vibrant and healthy side dish with a sweet and savory flavor profile. The homemade Asian salad dressing is quick to whip up and irresistible.
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Crunchy Asian Salad Recipe
Asian Chopped Salads always found their way into my grocery cart. Once I decided that I could easily make it homemade, I was hooked. Making this salad from scratch is a no-brainer. It is just as good (if not better) than the bagged varieties. Plus, you get to use the freshest ingredients and control what you put in the salad. Using fresh cabbage, carrot and snap peas gives this salad an amazing crunch with every bite.
How to Make Asian Chopped Salad
Don’t fall for the bagged salads! You’ve got this. Making an Asian chopped salad is super easy. Follow these simple steps:
- Roast cashews on a preheated skillet and chop them into small pieces.
- Wash and prepare all your veggies and place them into a large bowl.
- Sprinkle the salad with chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, crunchy noodles, and cashews.
- For the dressing, combine the ingredients together in a jar and shake well.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, toss everything together, and season with salt and pepper.
Asian Salad Dressing
What makes this salad so great is the homemade Asian dressing! It’s certainly going to win you over. It’s super easy to make and you likely have most of the ingredients to make it hanging out in your fridge and pantry.
Grab a mason jar and fill it with sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, ginger and salt, and pepper. Then, seal the jar and get to shaking! Once the dressing looks well-incorporated, pour it right over the salad.
Other Variations of the Salad
To change things up you can always add a few other ingredients to the mix. Here are some options:
- Nuts – Peanuts, almonds, or cashews add a wonderful crunch to this salad.
- Proteins – Grilled chicken, pan-seared steak, pulled pork, or even shrimp and eggs will work great.
- Veggies – Cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, and zucchini are tasty additions.
Can this Salad be Made Ahead?
The great thing about crunchy salads is they last longer than spinach or lettuce-based salads. After you mix in the dressing, this salad will stay fresh for a few hours. You can make it in advance, but only add the dressing right before serving. If you are meal-prepping, store the veggies separately from the dressing.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes:
- Chow Mein – make your favorite takeout dish at home.
- Fried Rice – a great way to use leftover rice.
- Beef and Broccoli – this stir fry is the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
- Mongolian Beef – super saucy and satisfying
- Lo Mein – it’s all about the sauce, incredible flavors!
- Yakisoba – these noodles are so satisfying with a wonderful mouthfeel.
Asian Chopped Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Salad:
- 3 cups white cabbage , thinly sliced
- 3 cups red cabbage , thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 medium carrot, julienne
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup cashews, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup crispy chow mein noodles, or wontons
Ingredients for Asian Salad Dressing:
- 4 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tsp salt, or added to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or added to taste
Instructions
- Roast cashews on a preheated skillet until golden brown. Let them cool down completely. Chop them into small pieces.
- Wash and prepare all the vegetables and arrange them in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle the salad with chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, noodles and cashews.
- For the Asian salad dressing, combine the ingredients together in a jar and shake well.
- Pour the dressing over the salad before serving and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Per Serving
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If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Could I sub ramen instead of chow mein noodles? I’m just trying to use what I have on hand.
Hi Melody, while I haven’t tried that substitution, here’s what one of my readers wrote: “This is so good. I didn’t have any Chow mein noodles so I just used ramen broken up, soooo good! Thank you!”. I hope this helps.