This simple sesame cabbage salad is one of my favorite side dishes for an easy weeknight meal. It gets better the longer it sits, and truly pairs well with so many main courses. I love a side dish that’s versatile and keeps well in the fridge for a few days, and this crunchy cabbage salad hits all of those marks. Plus it’s ready in 20 minutes or less!
Serve this with my Feta Stuffed Salmon or Chili Lime Chicken for a flavor-pack meal.
This salad has the right balance of savory and sweet, with the perfect crunch from nuts and seeds. I love it over a salmon rice bowl, or even tacos with a homemade sriracha mayo.
What You’ll Need To Make This Cabbage Salad
This recipe comes together so easily. Here’s what you’ll need-
- Green cabbage– I used two bags of pre-shredded cabbage, but you can shred your own head of cabbage
- Fresh scallions and dill
- Nuts & seeds– I used sliced almonds, raw cashews and sesame seeds
- Homemade sesame dressing– a simple dressing made from toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and a few other simple ingredients
Make it a meal
This salad keeps its crunch for a few days, so I love serving it throughout the week in different ways. Here are some of my go-to main courses to serve it with-
- Hot honey salmon bites
- Add veggies to fish tacos
- Bulk up the veggies in burrito or wrap
- Serve over a chicken bowl with rice
This cabbage salad is simple to make and has the best combination of flavors. I can’t wait for you guys to try it!
More easy side dishes to try:
Harissa Roasted Carrots
Beet Whipped Feta with Roasted Cauliflower
Sesame Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sesame Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- Two 10-oz bags shredded green cabbage, or 1 small head finely shredded or sliced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
Sesame Dressing
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- Salt & pepper
Directions
- Prepare your dressing by adding all of the ingredients together to a small jar or bowl and shaking or whisking together until smooth.
- Add the shredded cabbage to a large salad bowl and toss together with the dressing. Set aside while you toast the nuts and seeds.
- Heat a small pan over medium heat and add in the sesame seeds, cashews and almonds (without oil). Toast the nuts for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until they begin to brown and are fragrant. Toss every minute to avoid burning the nut mix.
- Add the toasted nuts to the cabbage with the dried cranberries, dill and chopped scallions
- Toss together to combine. The longer the salad sits, the more flavor the cabbage absorbs so you can prepare this up to 1-2 days before serving.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I had a purple cabbage along with green so did both and added some shredded carrots. Great recipe, will do often
Thank you Jen, I’m so happy you enjoyed it!