This salad can be enjoyed on most diets, low-carb, vegetarian, dairy-free, With a little tweaking, it can be made suitable for all others. For keto/low carb, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Use coconut aminos to make it whole30 and paleo-friendly. For vegan, swap the fish sauce for extra soy sauce, coconut aminos or tamari. For gluten-free check, the labels on the soy and fish sauce as some may have unsuitable additives. Each serve contains 184 calories with a net carb count of 15 grams. (Please note we use a nutritional database to calculate the nutritional information and should be considered as an estimate).

EXPERIENCE THE FRESH FLAVOUR OF AN ASIAN CHOPPED SALAD!

This Asian Chopped Salad recipe is brimming with fragrant herbs and vibrant veggies. Add your favourite protein for a complete meal, or serve it as a tasty and effortless side for weeknight dinners.

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Asian chopped salad on a white plate with fresh herbs, chilli and chopsticks.

I love using herbs in my salads, and this Asian-inspired salad is full of beautiful fresh flavours and crunchy veggies. We have citrus-like cilantro/coriander, cooling mint and aromatic basil.

What I love about chopped salads is being able to taste a combination of flavours that are in every bite of the salad.

Our chopped Asian salad recipe features crunchy summer vegetables for one that includes cabbage; try our Seedy Cabbage or Thai Coleslaw; they are both delicious.

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❤️ Why I Love This Salad ❤️

This is a favourite salad recipe that I love for so many reasons!

First, it’s full of crunchy, colourful veggies – it’s a feast for the eyes!
The dressing is simple yet delicious – it’s got the perfect sweet-tart combination that pairs perfectly with the subtle sweetness of the tomatoes.
Plus, the cashews add a great nutty flavour and give this salad a great crunch.
Best of all, it’s super easy to make – we love easy recipes!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Mini Roma tomatoes – I just love these adorable tomatoes with their pop of sweetness. But feel free to use any tomatoes you have on hand. If you are using regular-sized tomatoes, then just dice them up.
Cucumbers – choose a seedless, small variety such as Persian, Lebanese, Kirby or qukes/cukes.
Yellow Bell Pepper /Capsicum – any pepper will do here; I just chose yellow for a variety of colours.
Red onion – for its bright crimson colour and pungent bitterness. White, brown or green onions will also work well here.
Nuts and seeds – we have used roasted cashews and black sesame seeds, but peanuts and white sesame seeds will also work great here.
Herbs – we have used coriander/cilantro, Asian mint and basil. If you are not a fan of coriander, then just add more of the others to make up the quantity.
Asian Salad Dressing – the dressing brings everything together it’s a simple soy, fish sauce, lime juice with a touch of chilli, and ginger. garlic and some palm sugar to sweeten things up. If you love sesame, try our sesame dressing instead.

Labelled ingredients needed to make an Asian chopped salad.

Variations

Sometimes, I like to add some cooked edamame beans or grilled chicken breast to boost the protein.
Add some crispy wonton strips for crunch; you’ll love the extra crunch they bring to this delicious salad.
Make this salad go further by adding a bag of coleslaw mix; look for one that has both purple cabbage and green cabbage for a wonderful mix of colours. But you will need to double the dressing.

How to Make this Salad

Step 1 – Shake-up the Dressing

I like to start with the dressing for this salad to allow the flavours to develop.

Just place everything in a glass jar and shake until emulsified (well combined). Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.

SHAKEN ASIAN CHOPPED SALAD DRESSING INGREDIENTS IN GLASS JAR WITH LIME, SOY & GARLIC ON THE SIDE

Step 2 – Chop and Dice Veggies

Wash all your vegetables and pat dry.

Cut your mini Roma tomatoes in half across the middle or in thirds if they are large.

CUTTING TOMATOES HORIZONTALLY ON A WOODEN BOARD WITH A KNIFE

Trim the tops and bottoms of your cucumbers, then dice.

CUTTING CUCUMBERS ON A WOODEN BOARD WITH A KNIFE

Remove the core and seeds from your capsicum, then dice.

Close-up of dicing yellow peppers on a wooden board with a knife.

Remove the papery skin from your and trim the top and bottom, then dice.

Step 3 – Prepare the Herbs

Wash all your herbs, shake to remove excess water, pat dry, remove the leaves from the stems, and then roughly chop them.

CLOSE UP OF CHOPPING DILL, CILANTRO, BASIL ON WOODEN BOARD WITH KNIFE

Step 4 – Assemble Your Asian Summer Salad

Add all the chopped vegetables, herbs, nuts and sesame seeds to a large bowl.

Season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper and pour the dressing over the salad.

Dressing on top of prepared Asian chopped salad ingredients in a white bowl.

Mix the salad until it is well combined.

Mixing Asian chopped salad in a white bowl with a spoon.

Arrange in a large salad bowl and keep chilled until ready to serve.

Some Serving Ideas

This Asian chopped salad is loaded with flavour and makes a great side to any grilled meats; it is excellent to serve with a store-bought charcoal chicken for a quick weeknight dinner.

Or it can be made as part of an Asian dinner and served with a Malaysian curry, crying tiger beef, chilli chicken, teriyaki chicken or whole roasted Asian fish.

To make it a complete meal, you could add some shredded pork, crispy tofu or chicken.

Tips and Questions

Can this Salad be Made Ahead?

This salad can easily be made an hour in advance with the dressing tossed through but without the herbs. When you toss the salad, transfer it from your mixing bowl minus the excess dressing to a salad bowl so it doesn’t get soggy.
The dressing can be made the day before and kept in a glass container (mason jars are perfect for this) in the fridge, bring it to room temperature and shake it up before using.
For a crunchy Asian Salad, I suggest chopping up the vegetables a few hours in advance and keeping them in separate air-tight containers in the fridge. Then right before serving, place everything in a mixing bowl, add the dressing and mix well to combine.

How Do You Keep Chopped Salad Fresh in the Fridge?

If you keep all of the veggies in separate airtight containers, and the herbs and the dressing separate, then store in the refrigerator, it should last 2-3 days. All you need to do is assemble it on the day.

How Long Does a Chopped Salad Last?

In our house, not long! But if you have any leftover salad, put it in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge, and you will be able to enjoy it the following day.

Are Chopped Salads Healthy?

Consuming a colourful chopped salad can be a nutritious and healthy way to eat the rainbow and maximise your nutritional intake as it is packed with low-calorie and high-fibre vegetables.

Suitable Diets

This salad can be enjoyed on most diets, low-carb, vegetarian, dairy-free,
With a little tweaking, it can be made suitable for all others.
For keto/low carb, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
Use coconut aminos to make it whole30 and paleo-friendly.
For vegan, swap the fish sauce for extra soy sauce, coconut aminos or tamari.
For gluten-free check, the labels on the soy and fish sauce as some may have unsuitable additives.
Each serve contains 184 calories with a net carb count of 15 grams.
(Please note we use a nutritional database to calculate the nutritional information and should be considered as an estimate).

Comments

5 from 6 votes

Asian Chopped Salad – full of fresh flavour

❤️ Why I Love This Salad ❤️

Ingredients and Substitutions

Variations