Best Asian Salad Recipe with Sesame Ginger Dressing
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This easy-to-make Asian salad recipe is packed full of veggies and tossed in a tasty sesame ginger dressing. It’s a fresh, crunchy, and seriously delicious side dish that takes just 15 minutes to make!
Whenever I make this salad for friends, they always ask for the recipe. And one of our readers, Megan, had the same experience. She commented, “I served this salad at a dinner party and received RAVES . . . thank goodness I increased the recipe because every single guest had seconds! Unbelievably delicious and I now make it just for us and plan to do so for dinner tonight. Thank you!!”
I just know that you’re going to love this one too, cause who doesn’t love a salad full of crispy veggies and crunchy roasted peanuts in a sweet sesame dressing? This easy-to-make Asian carrot salad is full of fresh and bright flavors.
This versatile Asian salad with sesame oil, ginger, and cashews is on high rotation in our kitchen. It has a lot going for it, and it’s a crowd-pleaser. We love the delicious mix of crispy veggies, crunchy nuts, fresh herbs, and tangy sesame dressing. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Why you’ll love Asian sesame salad
Here are a few reasons why I know you’ll love this salad recipe:
- It’s full of crunch – the right kind. We grate the carrots so they’re easy enough to chew (unlike chopped carrots.)
- The dressing is simple but delicious. It’s got the perfect sweet-tart combination and pairs perfectly with the subtle sweetness of the carrots.
- The salted peanuts offer the perfect taste and crunch.
- It’s easy to make, and we love easy recipes!
Gather these ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make the Asian salad recipe:
- The veggies: carrots, red pepper, celery, red onion, and cilantro
- Plus these flavor enhancers: toasted sesame seeds and roasted peanuts.
Here’s what you’ll need for the delicious dressing:
- Sesame oil, lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic
Make ahead and storage
Make ahead: If you’re prepping for dinner ahead of time, you can chop all the veggies a day in advance and make the dressing several days in advance. But wait until you’re ready to serve it before you mix everything.
Store: While this salad is best eaten shortly after you make it, leftovers can be stored in your fridge and eaten for several days. It’s a great salad to make for meal prep!
Best Asian Salad Recipe with Sesame Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
Asian Salad
- 2 medium carrots (grated)
- 1 medium red pepper (finely diced)
- 2 stalks celery (finely diced)
- ¼ medium red onion (finely diced)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts (can sub almonds or cashews)
Sesame Dressing
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 small garlic clove (grated (preferably with a Microplane))
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all the sesame dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake it well.2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 small garlic clove, A pinch of sea salt
- Add the Asian salad ingredients to a medium-sized bowl.2 medium carrots, 1 medium red pepper, 2 stalks celery, ¼ medium red onion, ¼ cup cilantro , 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat.
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
How to serve this Asian inspired salad
This versatile carrot salad recipe is perfect for pairing with any Asian-inspired meal. I love serving it alongside some slow-baked Asian salmon or glazed hoisin chicken drumsticks and our favorite coconut rice.
And if you love Asian-inspired salads, also try my easy Asian coleslaw made with mandarin oranges and cashews and Asian noodle salad with crunchy peanuts and sesame dressing!
Asian salad variations
There are lots of ways to customize this beautiful salad. Here are a few ideas to mix up:
- Add in some cooked edamame to make it a little more filling.
- Swap the peanuts for cashews or almonds.
- Use black sesame seeds (or a mix of black and white) for visual pop.
- Add some grated or julienned Asian pear for a more juicy crunch.
- Use orange juice instead of lemon in the dressing for a unique citrus-orange taste.
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Added a few salad leaves to bulk it out a little and served it with baked salmon and new potatoes, everyone loved it! Will definately be making again, thanks for the recipie!
Just had this Asian salad for our evening meal with a griddled piece of tuna. I added white cabbage and chopped mango and bean sprouts. It went down a treat and I will definitely make it again, it’s so easy and the vegetables can always be tweaked depending on what you feel like. I would love to know roughly how many calories are in your original salad and dressing.
many thanks Par
I’m making this for the second time this week! It’s amazing, I added red cabbage just so there would be more of it to have throughout the week. Thanks for the great recipe!
I just made this with your Bang bang shrimp…..oh my goodness, sooooo good. thank-you!!
This salad is absolutely amazing. I ate it nonstop for 2 days (made a double batch) and today I am going to make more. It gets even better when it sits in the fridge. Thank you so much for this lovely dish.
This was absolutely delicious, was a bit lazy and used pre-roasted(and salted) cashews as I didn’t have raw peanuts to hand but they were a nice substitute. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I was searching for a simple, Asian-style chopped salad and found your recipe. It looked colorful and since the ingredients were all on hand, I made it immediately … and again the next day! Your recipe is such a keeper. Pinned it to my board on Pinterest. Thank you.
The salad looks so yummy! Do you think it would taste good with some red cabbage, napa cabbage and edameme? I’m allergic to carrots so I’m trying to sub in other foods for the ones in the recipe.
Thanks, Lanna!
I definitely think there is a lot of room to experiment with this salad. Use it as a starting point and then add other veggies that you love (and aren’t allergic to!) I think different cabbages and edamame would be delicious ?
Thank you so much for this great salad! I’m not a huge fan of sesame oil but I loved the flavors in this recipe. I’m serving it tonight with grilled salmon and broccoli. I will definitely be putting this recipe into my regular rotation. Thanks again!
Thank you so much, Jayme!
Just saw this recipe today, I have had Asian inspired recipes in the past but they were made with noodles. I was going to the green grocer today and picked up a few of the ingredients that I was missing. All I can say is this is delicious 🙂 easy 🙂
Enjoy, Annie!!
Just made this for dinner tonight. Woah. SO good.
That’s so great to hear! Thank you for the feedback
I love this salad! It’s so good and dare I say….lighter too? Perfect!
I know, right! It’s so easy and tasty 🙂
Some people get irresistible ice cream cravings, some go crazy for Cocoa Puffs, but my Achilles’ tendon (fortunate or not) is any sesame-based Asian salad. I’m so glad I came across this–it looks absolutely delectable, and I can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing, and good luck on the D-you-know-what!
I wish I craved salads! I do love them but I also really love pork belly and cream and other rich and delicious food 🙂
Seems like an ideal dish for a picnic. I love getting everyone together for such occasions. This year we decided to go for a picnic to our favorite Park in Toronto and have a little fun with our children. But now that I’ve read your post I am looking forward to our next picnic in our garden with this Asian salad on the table.
I’m going to make this next week for my wild Rose. Only a few simple substitutions needed! I can’t wait looks delicious!
You’re brave for doing the Wild Rose. It’s so tough!!
Looks delicious! I like your masthead by the way!
Thanks, Johanna!