Easy Asian Coleslaw with Orange Sesame Dressing
This colorful and delicious Asian Coleslaw Recipe makes the perfect side to any BBQ. It's loaded with crunchy veggies, sweet mandarin oranges, and roasted cashews and tossed in a (mayo-free!) creamy orange sesame dressing. You will LOVE it!
Salad season has officially arrived and I have the most delicious Asian coleslaw recipe for you. It is delicious enough to eat as a stand-alone, veggie-loaded meal but I love it as a healthy side for whatever I've got sizzling on the BBQ.
All about the best Asian coleslaw recipe:
- Any coleslaw is only as good as what it's tossed in and this Asian coleslaw is tossed in a sesame mandarin dressing that is INSANE. It's seriously delicious enough to warrant that full caps yelling. Creamy from the tahini (no mayo!) and sweet from the juiced mandarin and a little honey or maple syrup, this salad dressing is bursting with flavor.
- Mandarins. Because there are no better oranges.
- Cashews. Or roasted garlic cashews because they are the best things ever.
- All the crunchy veggies tossed together like a pretty rainbow.
Video: how to make this Easy Asian Coleslaw recipe
Mayo-Free Coleslaw Dressing
Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place for mayo-based coleslaw dressings. But when your coleslaw is sitting out for an hour at a picnic or BBQ, you want a mayo-free dressing.
Or when you're trying to lighten things up, mayo-free is the way to go.
This Asian coleslaw dressing has the perfect mild creaminess from a little tahini. ← also big-time flavor going on here because of that sesame paste.
Here's how to make your Asian Coleslaw Dressing:
Step 1: put everything into a jar and give it a good shake.
Step 2: celebrate that there is no step two! ?
See those cashews up there? Those delicious little things are garlic roasted cashews. And they're the best things ever.
If the store you shop at carries something similar, buy them! If not, buy roasted and salted cashews.
But always be on the lookout for garlic roasted cashews. They're pretty much life-changing. One day I'll experiment with making my own with some garlic powder. When I do, you'll be the first to know.
See that perfect salad dressing pour up there? I owe a shout-out to my dad for that one. He's often a TEM taste-testing guinea pig when he comes over for dinner. This time I put him to work with the photoshoot.
Thanks for the help, dad! I'll pay you with burgers and Asian coleslaw anytime.
And if you're looking for another delicious summer salad recipe, check out my Greek Salad Recipe!
Easy Coleslaw Recipes:
- Classic Broccoli Coleslaw with Lemon Buttermilk Dressing
- Broccoli, Cauliflower, Blueberry Coleslaw
- Carrot, Beet, and Apple Coleslaw with Cumin Mint Vinaigrette
- Fennel Apple Coleslaw with Candied Almonds
Easy Asian Coleslaw with Creamy Orange Sesame Dressing
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
Orange Sesame Dressing
- Juice from 1 mandarin orange, about ¼ cup
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons each: toasted sesame oil and avocado oil, or another light flavored oil
- 2 tablespoons each: rice wine vinegar, honey (or maple syrup for vegan), and soy sauce (sub coco aminos for paleo)
- ½ teaspoon each: finely minced ginger and garlic
Easy Asian Coleslaw
- 1 lb thinly shaved cabbage, I like half purple and half green cabbage
- 2 carrots, sliced into thin strips (a mandolin works great for this)
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ cup roasted salted cashews
- 3 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a 2 cup glass jar and give it a good shake. It's ready to go when it's creamy. Note: if your tahini is very thick, mix it with the orange juice first then add the rest of the ingredients and shake.Juice from 1 mandarin orange, 2 tablespoons tahini, 3 tablespoons each: toasted sesame oil and avocado oil, 2 tablespoons each: rice wine vinegar, honey (or maple syrup for vegan), and soy sauce (sub coco aminos for paleo), ½ teaspoon each: finely minced ginger and garlic
- Add all the Asian coleslaw ingredients to a large salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat.1 lb thinly shaved cabbage, 2 carrots, 1 red pepper, ½ cup roasted salted cashews, 3 mandarin oranges, ¼ cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
This looks so delicious! Thank you for posting! I am making this for dinner tonight. I made the salad dressing this morning. And will prep veggies now too. My question is: What is the best time to toss it all together? Immediately before serving or is a few hours ahead of time okay? Don’t want to cause it to wilt. Thanks again!
I like it best when it’s tossed right before serving. 🙂
JUST PLAIN FABULOUS!! A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE. AS FOR THE NAME, ANYTHING WITH THOSE INGREDIENTS WOULD CONSTITUTE “ASIAN” IN MY BOOK. NO WORRIES THERE.
Easy and delicious! Definitely will make it ago but might add some green onions.
All I have to say is WOW! I made this for a bbq party this past weekend and everyone raved about it. Thank you!
Awww thanks! I’m so happy everyone loved it!
I think I’ve eaten a salad at least every single day for the month of May and thus far in June! I am SO ready for salads this summer. This Asian coleslaw salad looks too perfect–I might make it for my first Food Science club meeting and see how it turns out!
It feels so great to eat big salads all the time, doesn’t it?! Yay for salad season!
This sounds delicious. I’m making tonight. Here’s a recipe for the garlic cashews: https://www.alittlebitofspice.com/roasted-spicy-garlic-cashew-nuts-recipe-dish
You are so awesome! Thank you for sharing that recipe!