Crisp Napa Cabbage Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Crisp, crunchy and full of bright flavor, this Napa Cabbage Salad is wonderfully addictive. Vegan and light, it pairs tender napa cabbage with juicy orange, crunchy almonds and a tangy Asian-style dressing. It’s simple to prepare, stores well for meal prep, and is easy to customize with added protein.

I enjoy cabbage prepared in many ways — raw, sautéed, or shredded into slaw — and napa cabbage stands out for its delicate, crinkly leaves and mild taste. This Napa Cabbage Salad sits somewhere between a salad and a slaw. It combines thinly sliced napa cabbage with bright citrus, crunchy vegetables and toasted sliced almonds, all tossed in a balanced Asian dressing made with rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and a touch of maple syrup.

This salad is fresh and vibrant on its own, and it also makes a terrific side for grilled fish, tofu, roasted chicken, or a scoop of edamame to make it heartier. The mild texture of napa cabbage makes it especially pleasant raw — crisp, slightly tender, and easy to season.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Addictively crisp and crunchy, with a sweet-savory balance from the orange and dressing.
• Makes excellent meal prep — keeps up to 3 days refrigerated when dressed.
• Vegan by default and simple to adapt to gluten-free, paleo or Low FODMAP diets by swapping soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos and using only the green parts of scallions for Low FODMAP.

Recipe ingredients

If you need to adapt the salad for special diets or swap ingredients, use similar fresh produce and pantry staples. The core flavors come from the napa cabbage, orange and the Asian dressing.

• Napa cabbage — oblong, crinkly leaves, mild flavor. Substitute green cabbage if necessary.
• Oranges — fresh navel or other sweet oranges for segments and juice.
• Sliced almonds — toasted for crunch and flavor.
• Carrot, red bell pepper, green onions and cilantro — for color, texture and brightness.
• Rice wine vinegar, neutral oil, sesame oil, reduced sodium soy sauce, maple syrup, salt and pepper — the dressing components that bring the salad together.

The ingredient list below contains the full quantities used in the recipe.

How to make this recipe

This Napa Cabbage Salad is quick and straightforward to assemble. Toasting the almonds and preparing the dressing ahead of time saves even more time when you want to eat.

Pro tip: Toast the almonds and make the dressing ahead. Store toasted almonds in an airtight container for up to one week, and refrigerate the dressing for up to two weeks.

1. Cut the top and bottom off the orange, then stand it upright and slice away the peel and pith from top to bottom.
2. Cut along each side of a segment to free it and repeat for all segments; reserve the segments for the salad.
3. Squeeze the remaining orange membrane to collect about 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice for the dressing.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread sliced almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 7–10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Watch closely to avoid burning.
5. Whisk together rice wine vinegar, neutral oil, reserved orange juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, salt and pepper until combined.
6. In a large bowl, combine thinly sliced napa cabbage, orange segments, carrot (matchsticks or grated), red bell pepper, sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.
7. Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat the ingredients. Top with toasted sliced almonds and serve immediately.

Recipe FAQs

Recipe notes

• Make ahead: Toast almonds and mix the dressing in advance. Store almonds in an airtight container up to one week; dressing keeps refrigerated up to two weeks.
• This salad stores well for meal prep and will keep dressed in the fridge for up to 3 days. For peak crunch, add almonds just before serving.
• Customize with extra vegetables or proteins like edamame, shredded chicken, or tofu to suit your meal plan.
• To make gluten-free, paleo or Low FODMAP: swap soy sauce for wheat-free tamari or coconut aminos; for Low FODMAP, use only the dark green tops of green onions.

More salad recipes you’ll love:

• Winter salad recipes
• Citrus fennel and avocado salad
• Massaged kale salad
• Shaved Brussels sprout salad with apples, bacon and hazelnuts
• Winter radicchio salad
• Thai chicken salad

Did you try this recipe? If so, please leave a review below and tag @flavorthemoments on social media so I can see what you made.

Napa Cabbage Salad with Asian Dressing

Servings: 8 | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Total Time: 25 mins

Napa Cabbage Salad is crisp, crunchy and utterly addictive. This vegan salad is sweet and savory and tossed in a bright Asian dressing — perfect for meal prep or a light main.

Ingredients

• 1 head napa cabbage, small to medium, halved and sliced thinly
• 2 medium navel oranges
• 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks or grated
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 green onions, sliced thinly on the bias (use only dark green tops for Low FODMAP)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Asian dressing

• 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (vegetable or similar)
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1.5 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (or tamari/coconut aminos)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

1. Cut off the top and bottom of each orange, then cut away the peel and pith. Segment the oranges and reserve the segments for the salad.
2. Squeeze the remaining orange membrane to collect about 2 tablespoons of juice for the dressing.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast sliced almonds on a rimmed baking sheet for 7–10 minutes until golden and fragrant.
4. Whisk together rice wine vinegar, oil, orange juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, salt and pepper until combined.
5. Combine napa cabbage, orange segments, carrot, bell pepper, green onions and cilantro in a large bowl.
6. Toss with dressing to coat. Top with toasted almonds and serve.

Notes

• Toast almonds and prepare dressing ahead for easy meal prep. Almonds keep up to one week in an airtight container; dressing keeps up to two weeks refrigerated.
• Salad will keep dressed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; add almonds just before serving for best crunch.
• Customize with added vegetables or proteins like edamame, tofu or shredded chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 202 kcal, Carbohydrates: 15 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 15 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 157 mg, Potassium: 513 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 8 g, Vitamin A: 2290 IU, Vitamin C: 73 mg, Calcium: 148 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is intended as a guideline for informational purposes.

All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.