Red Cabbage Salad with Soy Sesame Dressing
Crunchy red cabbage salad tossed with a tangy soy sesame dressing, fresh basil, and cashews. Ready in 15 minutes. Naturally vegan, meal-prep friendly, and tastes even better the next day.
4 people
Calories: 192kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- ¾ cup fresh basil leaves roughly chopped (sub with cilantro or mint if needed)
- ½ cup chopped cashews or use peanuts or almonds
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar unseasoned preferred
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave
Instructions
- Prep the cabbage: Thinly slice the red cabbage and place it in a large salad bowl. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes while you prepare the dressing—this helps activate its antioxidants.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Toss the salad: Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss to coat well.
- Add the toppings: Sprinkle the chopped cashews and fresh basil over the top and give it one final toss.
- Serve immediately for maximum crunch and flavor.
Notes
- Shred the cabbage thinly for the best texture.
- Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes after shredding to activate antioxidants and improve flavor.
- Use toasted sesame oil, not plain.
- Add cashews right before serving so they stay crunchy.
- Start with less dressing than you think you need.
- Dressed salad keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
- Undressed shredded cabbage keeps up to 5 days.
- Dressing keeps separately up to 1 week.
- For gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos.
- For nut-free, use sunflower or sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 523mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 982IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg