Shop
My
Custom
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOWMy Cabbage Salad Recipe Is Fast, Fresh, And Full Of Flavor
When I don’t feel like turning on the stove but still want something crunchy and satisfying, this cabbage salad recipe is my go-to. It’s light, super quick to throw together, and the sweet-salty dressing brings everything to life. I take a little shortcut with the cabbage to save time (because who wants to shred it by hand?), and the combo of textures from the peppers and sunflower seeds is so good. I’ve made this for everything from weeknight dinners to cookouts, and it always disappears fast. Here’s why:
- Bold, savory flavor – The dressing has that perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy. I love adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Crispy crunch in every bite – The mix of cabbage, bell peppers, and seeds makes this salad seriously satisfying. No soggy sides here.
- Ready in minutes – It takes just 10 minutes to throw together, and I’ve even made it while the main dish was still cooking. It works with everything from Asian-inspired meals to whatever’s on the grill.
This one’s always on repeat at my house. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my cabbage salad recipes, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Cabbage Salad:
- Coleslaw Mix – I almost always grab a bag of coleslaw mix to save time — it’s my go-to for cabbage salad, taco slaw, even egg roll in a bowl. If you’d rather shred your own, go for a mix of green cabbage and carrots. Red cabbage works too, or even Napa or savoy if you want more of an Asian vibe.
- Bell Pepper – I love the crunch and natural sweetness it adds. If I’m out, I’ve swapped in things like carrots, onions, or even cucumbers and it still turns out great.
- Green Onions – These give just the right mild onion flavor without being too strong. I like slicing them thin so they mix in better.
- Sunflower Seeds – These add a nice little crunch, but I’ve also used chopped almonds or walnuts when that’s what I have. Pecans could work too!
Asian Salad Dressing:
- Coconut Aminos – I use this as a soy sauce swap, but low-sodium soy sauce works just fine too.
- Olive Oil – You can use avocado oil or any neutral oil you like.
- White Wine Vinegar – I’ve also used rice vinegar, white balsamic, or even apple cider vinegar. Lemon juice works too in a pinch.
- Sesame Oil – I like the nutty flavor it adds! Toasted is my favorite, but regular is totally fine.
- Seasonings – I kept it simple with garlic powder, sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sometimes I’ll add a little ginger or a spoonful of Dijon for extra flavor.
VARIATION: Make the cabbage salad dressing creamy, sweet, or both!
- Sweet – Add 2-3 tablespoons of honey (or sugar-free honey).
- Creamy – Add 1/4 cup of mayo (store-bought or homemade mayonnaise).
- Change it up – Swap in my Asian salad dressing instead.
How To Make Cabbage Salad
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Whisk the dressing. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut aminos, olive oil, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the salad ingredients. Toss in the cabbage, bell peppers, green onions, and sunflower seeds.
- Mix it up. Give everything a good stir until it’s all coated. When I have time, I pop the cabbage salad in the fridge to let the flavors come together.
My Recipe Tips
- Chop the peppers small. I find smaller pieces mix better with the cabbage and don’t overpower every bite. Plus, it just looks prettier.
- If you’ve got a few extra minutes, lightly toasting the sunflower seeds makes the flavor pop. I do it in a dry skillet for a couple minutes.
- Let it marinate. I know it’s tempting to dig in right away, but letting the salad sit for an hour makes a huge difference in flavor.
Serving Ideas
Not sure what to pair this Asian cabbage salad with? Here are some of my favorite serving ideas:
- Asian-Inspired Mains – This cabbage salad goes so well with bold flavors! I like it with sweet and sour chicken or teriyaki chicken. If you want a spicy twist, try it with black pepper chicken or sriracha chicken.
- Grilled Mains – It even works for cookouts! I usually toss this salad on the table with burgers, grilled steak, or salmon if I’m cooking on the grill. It just goes with everything.
- Air Fryer Mains – When I want something fast and don’t feel like turning on the oven, I pair this salad with air fryer pork chops or crispy chicken thighs.
Cabbage Salad
My cabbage salad recipe is crunchy, flavorful, and tossed in a simple Asian dressing. It’s my favorite when I want something fresh and easy!
Remove Ads
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Asian Salad Dressing:
Cabbage Salad:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos or soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
-
Add the coleslaw mix, bell pepper, green onions, and sunflower seeds. Stir until well coated.
-
Serve immediately, or if you have time, refrigerate for 1 hour to intensify flavors.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you balance the flavors, boost the crunch, and make this salad even more satisfying.
- Serving ideas: See my serving ideas for simple ways to turn this cabbage salad into a full meal.
- Store: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Freezing doesn’t work well for this one.)
- Meal prep: This cabbage salad is perfect for making ahead. It holds up great and actually tastes even better after a few hours.
- Dressing note: For a sweeter dressing, add honey (regular or sugar-free honey) or powdered sweetener of choice to the dressing, to taste.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Cabbage Salad
39 Comments
Joan Anderson
0I just made this and am excited to try it for supper in a while. But, I’m wondering why my salad is such a dark color compared to the picture. I used soy sauce because I don’t have any coconut aminos, but coconut aminos is also dark in color. Did I not have enough cabbage? Your picture looks so fresh and mine looks kind of dark. I did snitch a little and it tasted yummy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Joan, I find the cabbage kind of absorbs some of the dressing and doesn’t turn out noticeably brown for me. I always make it with coconut aminos, though, so not sure if that part works differently with soy sauce. Either way, I’m glad yours tasted great!
Kathryn
0We really like this salad and have had it multiple times alongside the Korean Beef bowl recipe on this site. They complement each other really well! We usually end up doubling it for our family of 6 because we like it so much, and if there are any leftovers, I will sometimes add some shredded chicken to it and have it as a lunch salad the next day.
Ali
0I’m just eating the itty bitty leftovers of this salad and I loved it so much I had to come back and leave a review. We served it at a barbecue party yesterday and everyone thought it was great – 10/10 recommend! Thank you!!
Janice
0This recipe is so delicious! I made some yesterday, and the whole family enjoyed it! The Asian salad dressing gives so much flavor to the salad! I would definitely make this again!
Amanda
0Loved this salad! It’s so fresh tasting, and the dressing was easy to make and full of flavor. Definitely making this again over the summer.
Jenn
0This was so good! I had to substitute the coconut aminos for soy sauce, but it came out delecious still! I love the crunch from the bell pepper, and it just tasted so fresh!
Liz
0This salad was so good!! I love the crunchy flavor. I’ll definitely be making this all summer!
Lois Eberhart
0Recipe says serving size is 1 cup, but doesn’t say how many servings the recipe produces. Please advise – I want to make a large amount for a potluck.
Thanks. Love your recipes!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lois, This recipe makes 6 servings. You can find that information at the top of the recipe card.
Marie Alm
0I had no idea what coconut aminos were but made this recipe anyhow. I left out the bell pepper and green onion, added some feta (crumbled small), and used a light hand with the salt. The result was very good.
Barbara Bramlett
0What is Asian salad dressing ?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Barbara, You can find the recipe for the salad dressing in the recipe card.
Kayla
0This is about the 4th or 5th recipe I’ve tried from Maya and they are all SOOOO delicious. I added in chicken breast to make it a meal and it definitely hit the spot.
Karen
0I left out sesame seeds and scallions but added red onions and bacon. It is delicious.
Edward Torres
0Thank you for the recipes, they are great. Jim!
Rebeca
0Usually we don’t like Asian style dressings but this one is a keeper. Delicious recipe and I forgot the seeds. I made my own blend with kale, cabbage and 2 small carrots. Hubby ask to put this salad on rotation…. thanks
Ari
0Great simple low carb salad. Easy to spruce up if you want it loaded, or as is for a simple side salad. Biggest grievance is that there is olive oil! I understand the need/want for a carrier oil, but olive oil does not fit the flavor profile for this recipe. Maybe use avocado oil, or my personal go-tos: sunflower or safflower oil. Just stick with something more neutral than olive oil. I honestly just use only sesame oil instead of a carrier and sesame because I enjoy that stronger flavor. Anyways, overall a good recipe!
Elizabeth
0Hi. This is a great recipe and a nice change from a mayo dressing, and I love that it doesn’t have sugar. I didn’t have sunflower seeds so added both roasted sesame seeds and black sesame seeds. Came out great. Husband loved it too.
Thanks Maya
Lianne Aultman
0I so wanna make this for the family (trying to sneak in more good keto food) anyway what would you recommend as a good replacement for the sunflower seeds, my husband is allergic? I would like to keep the recipe as close to yours as possible. Thank s for your time.
I’m very excited to make this -it looks soo good!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lianne, Pepitas work great or slivered almonds if you would rather try a nut for a topping.
Bewlbridge
0Hi Maya, Can you tell me what ingredients go in your coleslaw mix. I’m in the Uk, so our per-prepared items are different.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Bewlbridge, Coleslaw mix is thinly shredded cabbage (purple, green, or a mix of both) and shredded carrots.
Bewlbridge
0Thank you so much. Keep posting wonderful recipes that inspire us all!
Valerie Greene
0Hi, I love this recipe. I sometimes use this as a dressing for hotdogs. Instead of Avocado mayo, can I just use Kraft real mayo? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Valerie, I’m glad you like the recipe! Yes, you can use any mayo you like, but most commercial mayonnaise has gmo oils, and some have added sugar, so it’s a personal choice what kind of mayo you want to use.
David Silverman
0I’ve made this recipe over 20 times and followed it exactly. It is perfection! Initially did soy sauce but now prefer the Coconut Aminos — great flavor and worth buying (Trader Joe’s!). The only revision I made was using a blend of “greens” from Trader Joe’s called “cruciferous crunch” which is a blend of cabbages, kale and brussel sprouts — it stands up perfectly to the dressing and doesn’t get too soggy! I also find making it in a large wooden salad bowl seems to help the dressing adhere better than my glass mixing bowl. Goes great with a side of fresh salmon also!
Thanks again for the great recipe!
Wendy Hallman
0Made this as a side dish and the family LOVED it. Had it the next day with some Chicken added to it and it was even better the next day.!!!!
Lisa Wilson
0I just read this recipe, want to try it now. I don’t have coconut aminos(never heard of them!), will it still taste good without?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, Coconut aminos is a replacement for soy sauce, and pretty important for the flavor of the recipe. If you don’t have it, you can get it using the link on the recipe card, but if you don’t mind using soy sauce, you can substitute that instead.
Alisa Fleming
0Asian-style cabbage salads are my favorite! They usually contain loads of sugar though, so I love this low sugar option. It is still so flavorful.
Carrie Padron
0Yum! Just made this for lunch. We like spice so I kicked it up a notch with red pepper flakes and ground ginger in the dressing. Finished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds for aesthetics and some slivered black pepper almonds just cause we had ’em. 😉 Loved it. Would be great without any tweaking. Thanks!
Vicky
0So many good ingredients in this salad. I have made asian salads before, but I haven’t tried adding sunflower seeds to it. Such a good idea and a way to get some extra protein and healthy fats.
Caitlyn Erhardt
0Love how simple and healthy this recipe is! Can’t wait to make it this summer at a BBQ!
Lisa
0The asian salad was sooo delicious! And I’m so happy that I made a ton of it and I’m planning to have it for lunch for a couple days this week. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Jessica Formicola
0I love all of these colors and ingredients!
Justine
0I love that you use coconut aminos in your dressing! It was really good with the rice vinegar, too. Definitely love this salad!
Sandi
0This is a great salad for summer BBQs.
Lisa Huff
0Wow, love how this is ready in 5 minutes with so many fresh flavors and gorgeous colors! Perfect for summer parties.