Tasty Thai Asian Slaw

This Tasty Thai Asian Slaw is bursting with fresh flavours starting with fresh mint, coriander, basil and lime and finishing with a Thai dressing that is teeming with umami.

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A close-up of Thai Asian slaw in a black bowl with chopsticks on the side

A Thai twist for classic coleslaw, the cabbage is brought to life with fresh herbs and a wonderful Thai dressing while the peanuts and sesame seeds add a nice crunch.

This salad stays fresh in the fridge for ages which makes it a great base for adding your favourite protein, such as succulent grilled chicken, tender shredded beef, or flavourful pork, making it a satisfying main meal.

For more Asian Slaw recipes try our Chinese Cabbage Salad or for something a bit more filling our Vietnamese Beef Salad is amazing!

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What Makes This Asian Slaw Unique?

Our Tasty Thai Asian slaw is bursting with vibrant and bold flavours. It perfectly balances the sweet, sour, salty, and spicy elements that make Thai cuisine so unique and delicious.

We use traditional Thai ingredients like fish sauce, fresh chillies, ginger, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, coriander/cilantro, and brown sugar. Which give our slaw an authentic Thai twist.

You Will Need

Labelled ingredients needed to make Thai Asian Slaw.

🕥 Time Saving Tip  - you can save time by using pre-packaged coleslaw mix as a base for Thai Asian slaw.

How To Make It

Step 1 - Prepare Your Cabbage

Remove the hard core and any damaged and the thick outer leaves from your cabbage.

A napa or Chinese cabbage half with its core removed on a wooden board with a knife.

Separate the leaves and wash them gently under cold running water.

Chinese cabbage salad leaves are washed in a colander under water in the sink.

Shake to remove excess water and pat dry.

Napa or Chinese Cabbage leaves being dried in a towel on a wooden board.

Then shred finely using a sharp chef’s knife.

Hands shredding Chinese cabbage on a wooden board.

Step 2 - Prepare Your Herbs and Chilli

Wash and trim your chilli, then slice thinly on the diagonal.

Hands diagonally slicing chillies on a wooden board.

Wash all your herbs, pat dry or spin dry in a salad spinner to remove excess water

Pick the basil and mint leaves from their stems.

Mint and basil leaves on a wooden board.

Roughly chop your coriander.

Chopping coriander or cilantro on a wooden board with a knife.

Step 3 - Prepare Remaining Veg

Wash, trim and peel your carrots cut into a fine julienne with a mandoline or grate coarsely.

Carrots are being cut into fine julienne with an orange mandoline slicer.

To prepare your capsicum, cut it in half and remove the core, seeds and inner ribs with a parring or any other small knife. Rinse under cold water.

Then place the glossy side of the capsicum face down (it is much easier to slice this way as your knife does not slip) and cut into 2 cm (½ inch strips).

Step 4 - Shake-up the Dressing

Chiffonade your kaffir lime leaves, add your grated ginger and minced garlic, place in a glass jar. Visit our Chiffonade post for step by step instructions.

Hands thinly slice rolled up lime leaves on a wooden board.

Add the lime juice, fish sauce, and oils in the glass jar, season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper and shake until emulsified.

Step 5 - Assemble Your Salad

Place your cabbage, carrots, capsicum, herbs, sesame seeds and peanuts in a large mixing bowl, pour over the vinaigrette, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Prepared Thai Asian slaw ingredients ina white bowl.

Toss until the vegetables are coated with the dressing and the herbs and nuts are evenly distributed throughout the salad.

Mixing Thai Asian slaw in a white bowl with tongs.

Arrange your Asian slaw on a salad platter scatter the chillies and some extra peanuts on top to garnish, place in your fridge to chill until you are ready to serve.

Thai Asian slaw in a black bowl with chopsticks on the side and cut limes and lime leaves scattered around.

Serving Suggestions 🍽

An all-purpose Asian salad that you can serve with barbecued meats, fish cakes or spicy curries. We served ours with a classic Thai Green Chicken Curry.

Make Ahead Tips for Asian Slaw

You can easily shred the cabbage and carrots and keep them separately in water the day before. I like to keep them in separate containers so that the carrots do not discolour the cabbage. Strain the carrots well before adding to your salad and rinse the cabbage thoroughly as it will have a slight smell to it

Julienned carrots in water. — CARROTS IN WATER

Shredded napa or Chinese cabbage in water. — CARROTS IN WATER

Make the dressing a day or two ahead this will allow for the kaffir lime and ginger flavours to infuse the est of the dressing. Double or triple the dose to use as a marinade for steak chicken fillets or even salmon.
This Thai Asian Slaw is even better if you make it an hour to two in advance allowing all the flavours to meld together.
Make a big batch of this salad (minus the dressing) and keep it in your fridge for your lunchbox throughout the week, just add the dressing the day before.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Thai Asian Slaw Suitable for Meal Prep?

Yes, Thai Asian slaw is an excellent choice for meal prep. Its sturdy ingredients, such as cabbage and carrots, hold up well, even when dressed.
Prepare a batch in advance and store it in the fridge; the flavours often improve as they marinate, making it a convenient and tasty option for quick, healthy meals.

What Diets Is Asian Slaw Suitable For?

This salad is low carb, dairy-free and suitable for both vegans and vegetarian if you use soy sauce instead of the fish sauce.
It can also be keto (just use a keto brown sugar and coconut aminos or tamari) and paleo if you use a paleo-friendly fish sauce and ¼ teaspoon honey instead of brown sugar).

How Long Can It Be Stored in the Refrigerator?

Thai Asian slaw can be refrigerated for about a week. However, for the best texture and flavour, it's recommended to add any delicate ingredients, such as herbs, just before serving.

What Makes This Asian Slaw Unique?

You Will Need