Cashew Crunch Salad with Sesame Dressing
Fresh cabbage, crunchy cashews, edamame, and a flavorful sesame dressing make this Cashew Crunch Salad a healthy and satisfying meal. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Salad
½ head green cabbage, finely shredded
½ head purple cabbage, finely shredded
2 cups carrots, matchstick-cut or shredded
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ cup sliced green onions
2 cups cooked edamame
1–2 cups roasted cashews
2 cups crunchy chow mein noodles (optional)
Cooked chicken, shrimp, or preferred protein (optional)
Sesame Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
A few shakes garlic powder
Optional: ¼ cup Greek yogurt or mayonnaise for a creamy dressing
Instructions
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine olive oil, white vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and garlic powder.
Shake vigorously until the dressing is well combined.
If using Greek yogurt or mayonnaise, add it to the jar and shake again until smooth and creamy.
In a large salad bowl, combine green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, cilantro, green onions, edamame, roasted cashews, and chow mein noodles.
Add cooked chicken, shrimp, or another protein if desired.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Toss everything together until evenly coated.
Serve immediately and enjoy the crunchy texture.
Notes
For maximum crunch, add the chow mein noodles just before serving.
Roasted salted cashews add extra flavor, but unsalted cashews work well too.
The salad can be prepared ahead of time; store the dressing separately until ready to serve.
For a vegetarian meal, simply omit the meat and enjoy with edamame as the protein source.
The creamy dressing version is richer and works especially well as a meal-sized salad.
