Ingredients and Substitutions

Shredded cabbage: You’ll need about 6 cups. I like to use stringy, angel hair style pieces of cabbage, since they are the easiest to eat and taste best in the salad. To achieve this, I shred the cabbage using a mandolin. To save yourself some time, you can easily substitute a 10 ounce bag of shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix instead.

Carrots: I usually use a box grater to grate them myself, but you can use pre-shredded carrots from the store too.

Green onions: I like to use scallions in particular, due to their mild flavor. If you don’t have green onions and don’t mind a more potent onion, try red onion.

Bell pepper: Use any color you want, as long as it’s thinly sliced.

Roasted cashews: Of course, you need these to make cabbage cashew salad! Look for dry roasted cashews that do not have any added oil, with or without salt depending on your preference. You can also substitute raw cashews.

Edamame: You can usually find cooked edamame (that’s also shelled) at most grocery stores. If it’s frozen, heat it in boiling water according to the package instructions before adding it to the salad.

Tahini: I love Mighty Sesame Co. tahini. It comes in a squeezable bottle and is so easy to use. Soom tahini is also a great product.

Lime juice: You need some acid to cut some of the bitterness from the cabbage and to add a little sweetness. Lime juice is my preferred option, but lemon juice or even apple cider vinegar would work as substitutes.

Honey: This is key to balancing the flavors in the salad. If you want the recipe to be vegan, swap in maple syrup instead.

Sesame oil: You can use regular or toasted sesame oil.

Garlic: I like fresh garlic, but you can substitute a half teaspoon of garlic powder if that’s what you have.

Sesame seeds: To make it a really sesame-y dressing, add a scoop of these, but only if you have them on hand.

Instructions

The full recipe card for cabbage cashew salad, including ingredient quantities, is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.

grated carrots, sliced green onions, and sliced bell pepper on a cutting board

Prepare the ingredients for the salad. Grate the carrots if you are not using pre-shredded ones, slice the green onions, and thinly slice the bell pepper. If you are shredding your own cabbage, do that now too.

ingredients for lime and tahini dressing whisked together in a measuring cup

Combine the dressing ingredients in a measuring cup. Whisk until smooth, adding splashes of water as needed to thin it to your desired consistency.

carrots, bell pepper, green onion, cashews, cabbage, and edamame in a mixing bowl

Combine the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

cabbage cashew salad being tossed in dressing with tongs in a bowl

Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad. Use tongs to toss the salad until everything is well-coated.

Storage

If you have leftovers, cabbage cashew salad will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. However, it will lose some of its crunch and may even getting soggy over time. If you want to make the salad in advance to eat at a later time or over a few days, keep the salad undressed in one container and the dressing in another. Dress the salad right before you want to eat it.

📖 Recipe