Napa Cabbage Salad with Sesame Dressing

This Napa Cabbage Salad is fresh, crunchy, a little sweet and spicy, and packed with nutty, garlicky, sesame-soy goodness. Delicious proof that salads don’t have to be sad and bland!

Crisp napa cabbage, juicy cucumbers, and crunchy peanuts are paired with a sizzling sesame-garlic dressing that’s so good you’ll want to drizzle it on everything.

Add in edamame or tofu for a little extra protein, and you’ve got a salad that’s fresh, light, satisfying, and ready in 30 minutes.

Table of Contents:
1. Why you’ll love this salad
2. Ingredient notes
3. Step-by-step instructions
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Recipe card with notes

Why you’ll love this salad

The perfect balance of flavors

One bite of this salad, and you’ll immediately know that it hits all the right notes—savory from the soy sauce, nutty from the sesame, bright and zingy from the vinegar, and just a touch of heat to keep things interesting.

A texture lover’s dream

Crisp and light napa cabbage, juicy cucumbers, and crunchy peanuts? Every bite is a mix of crisp, tender, and crunchy goodness so your palate never gets bored.

Easy to make, hard to stop eating

The hardest part is chopping the veggies (which isn’t that hard). The dressing comes together in minutes, and once you toss everything together, it’s impossible not to go back for more.

Whether you serve it as a side, a light lunch, or a fun meal prep option, this salad is one you’ll want to keep on repeat.

overhead view of salad with a wooden spoon.

Ingredient notes

Napa cabbage

A type of Chinese cabbage, it’s widely used across East Asian cooking. Compared to your standard green cabbage, napa cabbage has a more delicate and tender texture and milder, sweeter flavor.

Shapewise, it’s oblong, rather than round, and less dense/heavy. And its thinner, less compact leaves make it ideal in salads like this one (and of course, in kimchi!).

It’s a cool season vegetable, but you’ll likely find it year round in American grocery stores.

Tips for buying: May also be sold as “Chinese cabbage.” Sold at well-stocked grocers and Asian markets. In Europe, it may be called Chinese leaf, Chinese cabbage, or winter cabbage.

Substitutes: If you can’t find napa cabbage, you can use regular green cabbage. You’ll want to slice it as thinly as you can with a sharp knife, or use a mandoline for the best results. Or, if you have access to savoy cabbage, which is a bit more tender and less dense than green cabbage, use that. In Europe, if you have access to pointed or hispi cabbage, you can also try that.

Fresh, Crunchy Veggies

In addition to napa cabbage, this salad features scallions, cucumbers, carrots, and optionally, red bell peppers. The combination makes for a pleasing variety of fresh textures.

That said, this salad is also flexible. Feel free to customize it with the fresh crunchy veggies of your choice. See the Tips section for more ideas.

Roasted Peanuts

Roasted, salted peanuts add both texture and flavor to this salad, bringing rich, nutty, salty vibes to the table. And with 7g protein per 1-oz serving, they also make this salad more satiating!

Tip: For a less peanut-heavy salad, halve the amount of peanuts called for in the recipe.

Substitutes: For peanut-specific allergies, use roasted cashews (or slivered almonds). If allergic to all nuts, you can omit entirely or supplement with ¼ cup (32g) roasted sesame seeds and/or ¼ cup (35g) roasted sunflower seeds. Or, if you have access to roasted soybeans or soy nuts, those would be a fun addition here.

Sesame-Garlic Dressing

With a variety of crisp veggies and crunchy peanuts, this salad is already easy to love, but the pièce de résistance is the sizzling sesame-garlic dressing.

We’re talking hot oil poured over garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, and chili flakes to bring out the deep, toasty flavors, then paired with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and agave. Yes, it’s as magical as it sounds.

overhead view of salad with a wooden spoon on a wooden cutting board.

Step-by-step instructions

Slice the napa cabbage in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

Prepare the other vegetables: Julienne the cucumbers (i.e., slice into thin strips); or slice into half moons. Grate the carrots. Slice the scallions thinly on a bias. If using, slice the red bell pepper into strips.

other sliced vegetables on a marble cutting board.

Add the cabbage and other vegetables to a large serving bowl.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss with your hands.

cabbage and other vegetables together in a bowl.

In a small bowl, layer these ingredients in this order: sesame seeds, chili flakes, grated ginger, and finally grated garlic on top.

Heat the neutral-flavored oil in a small saucepan for a few minutes until hot and shimmering, then immediately pour over the garlic mixture. Allow to sizzle, then stir.

sesame seeds, chili flakes, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.

person pouring hot oil over ingredients in the bowl.

After 1 minute, stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, agave, and if using, toasted sesame oil.

oil and sesame seed mixture in a small bowl.

Soy sauce, rice vinegar, agave and toasted sesame oil mixed in with the rest of the ingredients.

If using the edamame, cook according to the bag or defrost in a bowl of hot water. Drain and season with salt, then add to the salad.

Pour the Sesame-Garlic Dressing on the salad.

person pouring sesame sauce over mixed veggies.

Toss the dressing into the salad, then stir in the roasted peanuts. Toss again. Taste for seasonings and adjust, then serve.

sauce mixture dumped over veggies in the bowl.

final mixed salad in the bowl with peanuts on top.

Tips for making this recipe

Customize to your liking

Feel free to make this salad your own.

You can use different crunchy vegetables. For instance, try thinly sliced celery instead of the bell peppers or carrots. Or, if you have some red cabbage on hand, shred a handful and toss that in.

If you have access to bean sprouts, a handful or two of those would be lovely here.

Have fresh mint or cilantro on hand? Chop them up or tear them with your hands, and add them into the salad. Thai basil leaves would be even lovelier!

Want more heat? Add a thinly sliced fresh red chili pepper along with the other veggies.

Want more crunch? Add some fried shallots at the end. Check out page 224 of my cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor, for homemade fried shallots, or buy them in a jar online (affiliate link) or at your local Asian grocery store.

Meal prep to get ahead

This salad already comes together pretty quickly, but you can get ahead of things by meal prepping it too.

Sliced cabbage: Store in a reusable bag or ziploc bag in your crisper for up to 5 days.

Sliced bell peppers: Store in an airtight container in your crisper for 3 to 5 days.

Grated carrots: Store in a reusable bag or airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Scallions: Once washed, dry them well and slice them; store loosely wrapped in a paper towel, then place in an airtight container or reusable bag; store for 2 to 3 days.

Note: Cucumbers are best when sliced fresh.

When it’s time to serve, just whip up the Sesame-Garlic Dressing, slice the cucumbers, and chop the peanuts, and you’re ready to serve!

Note: You can also make the Sesame-Garlic Dressing a couple days ahead of time and store it in a sealed jar in the fridge.

side view of bowl of salad with a wooden spoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is napa cabbage sold?

At well-stocked grocery stores, as well as Asian grocers. It’s even sold at some Walmarts.

I can’t find napa cabbage. What else can I use?

Check out the Substitutes listed in the Ingredient Notes section.

Is this napa cabbage salad gluten-free?

The only source of gluten is from the Chinese light soy sauce, so to make this salad gluten-free, simply use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.

I have a peanut allergy. What can I use instead of peanuts?

My first suggestion would be roasted, salted cashews. Next would be slivered almonds.

If allergic to all nuts, you can omit entirely or supplement with ¼ cup (32g) roasted sesame seeds and/or ¼ cup (35g) roasted sunflower seeds. Or, if you have access to roasted soybeans or soy nuts, those would be a fun addition here.

What should I serve this salad with?

You can serve this salad as a light lunch, as a side dish, or even for dinner.

To make it a complete meal, be sure to add the optional edamame for protein, or fold in your preferred protein. If you have a bit more time, baked tofu, marinated tofu, or fried tofu would be great here.

You can also bulk up this salad by folding in some sliced or diced ripe avocado.

If you want to serve this salad as a side dish, it would pair nicely with any East Asian main course. Try my Gochujang Noodles (which also uses napa cabbage!), Sesame Noodles, Tofu Stir Fry, or Chinese Braised Tofu.

How do I store leftovers?

While the salad will lose some of its initial crunch, it’s still delicious two or three days later, as cabbage salads can stand up in the fridge for a few days. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can serve leftovers cold, or at room temperature. I particularly love stirring some cooked rice into leftovers for something a bit heartier.

If you loved this Napa Cabbage Salad, please give the recipe a rating and review below!

Big Vegan Flavor

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