Asian Peanut Slaw Recipe (2024)

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Easy Asian peanut slaw with red and green cabbage, shredded carrot tossed in a luscious sesame, peanut dressing with a touch of ginger and lime.

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A riff on our famous peanut noodles this vegan Asian peanut slaw is my favorite thing to make on a hot day. It’s perfect as a side dish or tossed with cold soba noodles, peanut tofu and a bunch of herbs, which is exactly what happened to it a couple of times this week. And If you feel like chopping up a bunch of crunchy veggies by all means toss them in there.

Peanut Slaw Dressing

It’s raw and lusciously creamy, the perfect mix of tanginess from limes, sweetness from maple syrup and spice from freshly grated ginger root. You can make it as hot as you like with a few drops of your favorite hot sauce. The crazy mango hot sauce is my favorite but it truly is “crazy hot” just like they say. I also love adding some sesame seeds into the mix or hemp hearts, whatever you fancy is fine.
This dressing is also lovely tossed with a store bought bag of broccoli slaw if you happen to have that in your fridge right now. I had cabbage and carrots but a green apple cut into sticks makes a great addition as well. You should also try my tangy green apple coleslaw from last year with apple cider vinegar dressing.

Because peanut butter is so rich there is absolutely no need to add oils to this recipe, so you have a whole food plant based compliant and Plantricious recipe. Really awesome stuff!

It’s also gluten and dairy-free, vegan and good for you.

Slaw Ingredients:

Thinly shredded purple & green cabbage

Shredded carrots

Scallions & Fresh Cilantro

How to shred your cabbage and carrots:

I used a mandolin to shred the cabbage and a julienne peeler to make ribbons out of my carrot. Alternatively you can use your food processor with the shredding attachment or just go for a pre-shredded store bought vegetable mix.

Slaw FAQ:

Can I make the slaw in advance ? Yes, you can slice all your ingredients and prepare the dressing but ideally DO NOT toss the slaw until ready to serve so it is perfectly crunchy.

Can I substitute the peanut butter with anything ? Sure, feel free to use almond butter instead, everything else will completely change the flavor of the dish.

Can I use shredded Brussels sprouts instead of cabbage ? Absolutely, Brussels sprouts make a great replacement for cabbage in most recipes.

P.S. As always please report back if you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag me with #VeggieSociety on Instagram, it always makes my day ~ Florentina Xo’s

5 from 3 votes

Asian Peanut Slaw

Easy Asian peanut slaw with red and green cabbage, shredded carrot tossed in a luscious sesame, peanut dressing with a touch of ginger and lime.

Ingredients

2.5 cups red cabbage shredded
2.5 cups green cabbage shredded
1-2 carrots shredded
3 scallions chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves OPTIONAL

Peanut Dressing:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp coconut milk or any plant milk
2 limes juiced
1.5 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp fresh ginger root grated
1.5 tbsp sesame seeds
1 pinch red pepper flakes to taste
hot sauce to taste optional

Instructions

Make the Peanut Dressing:

In a mixing bowl whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, coconut milk, soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, pepper flakes and sesame seeds. Whisk together until a smooth and creamy consistency is achieved.

Make the Slaw:

Add the shredded cabbage, carrot and scallions to large mixing bowl and set aside.
Pour the dressing over the top of the veggies. Toss to coat well, adjust seasonings to taste and serve promptly or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Optional: Garnish with fresh cilantro, black sesame seeds or salted chopped peanuts for some crunch.

Notes

I used a mandolin to shred the cabbage and a julienne peeler to make ribbons out of my carrot. Alternatively you can use your food processor with the shredding attachment or just go for a pre-shredded store bought vegetable mix.
You can slice all your ingredients and prepare the dressing but DO NOT toss the slaw until ready to serve so it is perfectly crunchy.
Brussels sprouts make a great replacement for cabbage in most recipes so feel free to use them here.

Nutrition

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: peanut slaw, plant based, vegan,, wfpb

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 134kcal

Author: Florentina

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FAQs

What's the difference between coleslaw and slaw? ›

The real difference is that the raw, chopped vegetables in coleslaw are primarily cabbage: Napa, red, savoy, or bok choy. Slaw without the cole can feature any crunchy veggie in place of cabbage, including chopped or shredded broccoli, carrots, snow peas, jicama, and more.

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Why did KFC stop selling coleslaw? ›

The fast food chain was forced to stop selling its coleslaw tubs when a supply issue meant the slaw would have to be served up without the dressing. “We are currently experiencing a supply issue with our KFC coleslaw dressing,” a KFC spokesperson said. The slaw is made up of cabbage and carrots coated in mayonnaise.

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Is coleslaw healthy or unhealthy Why? ›

Yes, coleslaw can be healthy! The base of coleslaw is shredded vegetables (traditionally cabbage), so inherently coleslaw is vitamin- and fiber-packed and good for you. The issue is the dressing. Most traditional creamy coleslaw dressing is made with high fat ingredients like mayo and has sugar added too.

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Why is coleslaw now called slaw? ›

Whatever the reason for the formation, people familiar with the food item began tinkering with its name. For instance, the Latin-based cole was substituted for cold and the spelling variant slaugh was used with cold or cole. The name was also chopped to slaw or slaugh.

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What defines a slaw? ›

Slaw is a cold salad commonly made from sliced or chopped raw vegetables, especially cabbage or carrots, mixed with a dressing made with mayonnaise or vinegar.

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Is slaw a southern thing? ›

If you come down South, you'll likely hear it referred to simply as “slaw,” though there are a handful of folks who will never stop calling it “cold slaw.” When mayonnaise was invented in the 1800s, Southerners were impressed with its versatility and started making it for all kinds of dishes, including coleslaw.

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Is coleslaw the same as shredded cabbage? ›

Most people refer to sliced or shredded raw cabbage coated with mayo- or vinegar-based dressing as coleslaw (or just slaw). It may also contain lemon juice, onions, shredded carrots, slivered almonds, and even fruit.