Asian Salad with Colorful Vegetables and Peanut Dressing
I used the most nutritious and colorful vegetables to make this Asian salad. Then I drizzled it with a creamy and delicious peanut dressing. I toped it with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds and chili flakes. When I tasted it I couldn’t stop myself from finishing the whole bowl. It was so good! I had to share the recipe with you so you can prepare it and enjoy it at home.
Why should you make this recipe?
You can serve this Asian salad as side dish or an appetizer. It comes together in twenty minutes or less.
There is nothing complicated about this recipe. It doesn’t require any cooking. You need to wash and chop the vegetables and prepare a quick dressing. Then combine everything together and enjoy.
This salad is perfect for vegetarians, because it doesn’t contain any meat. It is also dairy free.
The Asian salad is so nutritious. All of the vegetables in this recipe are rich in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. The peanuts and the peanut butter are high on protein and contain heart healthy fats.
Helpful tips
You need smooth peanut butter for this recipe.
Read the ingredient list on your peanut butter jar. I recommend using a brand that contains only peanuts and salt. Avoid using peanut butter with added sugar and other oils.
To make this recipe heart healthy use low sodium soy sauce.
If you want to make the Asian salad vegan replace the honey with maple syrup.
To make this recipe gluten free replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos or Tamari.
If you have leftover I don’t recommend storing it in the fridge. Since there is salt in the soy sauce it will loose moisture fast and become wilted.
Asian Salad with Colorful Vegetables and Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing
- ¼ cup smooth peanut butter no sugar added
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce Tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free diet
- 1 Tbsp Honey maple syrup for vegan diet
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar other vinegar would work too
- 1 medium sized garlic clove pressed or finely chopped
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger or to taste
- 2 Tbsp water or more if needed
For the salad
- 1 small head nappa cabbage about 4 cups thinlly sliced
- ½ cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 large carrot grated
- 1 cup snap peas cut verticaly through the middle
- 1 thinly slsliced radish I used watermelon radish
- 2 mini seedless cucumbers thinly slisliced
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- a handful of roasted peanuts
Optional toppings
- sesame seeds
- red chili flakes
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the salad dressing (peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and water). Stir untill well to combine.
- Wash and chop the vegetables. Add them to a deep bowl. Pour the dressing on top of the vegetables and stir. Top with sesame seeds and chilly flakes (optional). Serve and consume right away.
