The dog days of summer seem to be dragging on. The idea of a hot meal doesn’t quite have the allure it typically does, at least not if you’re the one who has to stand over the stove cooking it. Enter another simple cold recipe with minimal cooking required to save the day!
This Asian Broccoli Cabbage Salad with homemade ginger dressing is so easy to make and has so much flavor, it is sure to make regular appearances in your meal plans.
In all honesty, you know I love my vegetables, but the dressing is the real star of this salad. It has a nice blend of acidity from the rice wine vinegar and lime juice, with savory umami from the soy sauce, a pop of spice from ginger and sriracha, balanced with just a hint of sweetness from honey to balance it all out.
What You’ll Need
Most of the veggies in this salad can be bought pre-chopped, and you may already have most of the ingredients for the dressing.
First, you’ll need a 16 ounce bag of broccoli slaw. I buy this pre-made in the produce section of my local grocery store. The one I buy has broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage, but really any mixture of shredded veggies will work.
While you can definitely shred your own cabbage if you’re so inclined, a bag of pre-shredded tri-color cole slaw works just as well. You’ll need 3 cups, or about half of a 16-ounce bag.
The final bit of produce is optional. Cilantro gives the salad a nice, fresh pop of flavor, but for those who don’t like cilantro, it’s not necessary. The dressing is so flavorful, the salad is amazing even without cilantro.
Vermicelli rice noodles can be found in the Asian section in most grocery stores. If you’re unable to find vermicelli, you can substitute with other shapes of rice noodles. In the absence of any form of rice noodle, regular angel hair pasta can be used as a last resort.
Now moving on to the dressing. You’ll need rice wine vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, sesame oil, sriracha, lime juice, honey, ginger, garlic powder, and onion powder.
A few substitutions can be made. First, sriracha is in short supply these days, so you can use 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper or 1 teaspoon of chili paste if you don’t have sriracha. Regular sugar can be used instead of honey (1 teaspoon). And finally, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger can be used in lieu of fresh ginger.
How To Make Asian Broccoli Cabbage Salad
The first thing you’ll want to do is soak the noodles in hot water per package instructions. Set a timer so they don’t get too soggy. A nice al dente texture works well in this salad. While the noodles are soaking, you will chop cilantro and any vegetables you choose to chop yourself and make the dressing.
Roughly chop enough cilantro to loosely fill a cup. If you’re shredding cabbage yourself, thinly slice to ¼ inch ribbons. To make the dressing, simply add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined.
Once the noodles are al dente, drain and rinse them with cold water. Roughly chop the noodles into shorter strands (about 1 inch).
In a large bowl, combine broccoli slaw, cabbage, noodles, and cilantro. Dress the salad by adding about 1/4 cup of dressing at a time, tossing the salad to mix well after each time you add dressing.
How to Store Asian Broccoli Cabbage Salad
You can cover and store this salad in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. The vegetables in this salad hold up quite nicely to the dressing, so you don’t even have to wait to dress it.
This recipe makes a pretty large batch, so any leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to a week. Warning: you will likely keep going to the fridge and sneaking bites until it’s all gone. The flavors are so addicting!
Serving Suggestions
This tasty salad goes well as a side dish alongside your favorite protein. You already have loads of veggies and a little starch from the rice noodles, so add some fish, chicken or tofu and you have yourself a balanced meal.
The beauty of this salad is that it works just as well as a main dish as it does a side dish. For a light lunch or dinner, toss it with some edamame, tuna, or baked tofu. For a little extra protein and crunch, peanuts are a nice nutty addition as well.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
This salad would pair nicely with this simple Asian Salmon.
For another great summer dish, try my Lemon Orzo Salad.
Asian Broccoli Cabbage Salad with Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz package broccoli slaw
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 4 oz rice vermicelli noodles, dry
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped optional
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 inch pc fresh ginger, grated or 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Per package instructions, soak vermicelli noodles in hot water until al dente.
- While noodles soak, make dressing by adding rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, lime juice, honey, ginger, and garlic & onion powder to a bowl and whisk together until well mixed.
- As soon as noodles are al dente, rinse with cold water and roughly chop into shorter strands.
- In large bowl, combine broccoli slaw, cabbage, noodles, and cilantro (if using).
- Add 1/4 cup dressing, toss salad, and repeat until all dressing has been well mixed with salad.
- Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
