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You’ll want this Asian Chopped Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing on repeat all year. It’s the perfect balance of fantastic flavor paired with healthy, simple ingredients-like crunchy fresh vegetables, peanuts, ginger, edamame, and much more. Top off this vibrant, colorful salad with tangy peanut dressing for a nourishing plant-based lunch or dinner. Following a special diet? It’s gluten-free, vegan, and low FODMAP friendly too!
- It’s the ultimate pairing of healthy meets delicious.
- It’s easy to meal prep ahead of time and keeps well in the fridge.
- It’s super versatile. Check out the list of ingredients for swaps and substitutions.
Asian Chopped Salad Recipe Ingredients
Ginger Peanut Asian Dressing Ingredients
- Oil. Avocado oil provides a tasty, neutral flavor, but any heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, like extra-virgin olive oil, will do!
- Acid. I use a combination of rice vinegar and lime juice. Other options include white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, or orange juice.
- Nut Butter. Peanut butter is my go-to. But you can also use almond butter or cashew butter and swap the peanuts in the salad for almonds or cashews.
- Sweetener. A little maple syrup adds a hint of sweetness. Feel free to omit or substitute honey (not vegan).
- Seasonings. Garlic (omit or use garlic-infused oil for a low FODMAP option), fresh ginger, and gluten-free Tamari soy sauce. Pro tip! Be sure to read labels as not all tamari is gluten-free. You can also use Bragg’s amino acids in place of the gluten-free tamari.
Asian Chopped Salad Ingredients
- Fresh Cabbage. Red Cabbage and Napa Cabbage, aka Chinese Cabbage, are my go-to’s in this Asian Chopped Salad. No cabbage? Make this with chopped leafy green veggies like kale or romaine lettuce.
- Chopped Vegetables. Like carrots, red bell pepper (use any colorful bell peppers on hand), and radishes.
- Fresh Herbs. I love this with lots of fresh cilantro, but feel free to omit it if that’s not your thing, and add other Asian-inspired herbs like Thai basil, chives, or mint.
- Protein. Pre-shelled/cooked edamame and peanuts add a boost of plant-based protein. But feel free to add various nuts (I think cashews would be fabulous), crispy chickpeas, or crumbled tempeh.
- Optional: Chopped green onions, sesame seeds, snow peas, snap peas, or a drizzle of sesame oil.
How to Make Asian Chopped Salad
You can make this Asian Chopped Salad lickety-split (20 minutes-LOL!), and you should be able to find all of the ingredients at your local grocery store.
- Make the dressing. Blend all peanut sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Feel free to make the dressing ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Chop the cabbage and veggies. Time-saving tip! By pre-chopped veggies, shredded carrots, and coleslaw mix for a super quick, easy, yet still delicious Asian Chopped Salad!
- Add the cabbage, veggies, edamame, peanuts, and dressing (to taste) to a large bowl. Toss well and serve.
Asian Chopped Salad Nutritional Information & Health Benefits
- A main dish serving is ~ two cups with 430 calories, 12 grams of protein, and 7 grams of fiber.
- This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and easy to make low FODMAP.
- Avocado oil is rich in anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
- Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables (like arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and more) are nutrition superstars. Regular consumption of cruciferous vegetables may help lower inflammation, improve blood sugar control, balance hormones, promote heart health, and reduce the risk of cancers. (1)
- Nuts, vegetables, and legumes (edamame) are all MIND diet-friendly foods to promote brain health and reduce Alzheimer’s risk.
Asian Chopped Salad FAQs
Absolutely! Both the Asain dressing and salad are easy to meal prep ahead of time. I mix and store the sauce in a mason jar. And, the chopped salad vegetables keep nicely in the fridge for a few days, making this a fabulous make-ahead meal!
You can make a light lunch or dinner from this Asian Chopped Salad. Or, if you eat meat, enjoy it with grilled chicken breast, leftover rotisserie chicken, or some yummy pan-seared salmon.
Like any regular salad, the healthfulness depends on what you add (or don’t add) to it. I’ve skipped the crunchy chow mein noodles, and wonton strips added to many restaurant-style Asian salads and used heart-healthy avocado oil in the dressing to keep the calories and saturated fat down. In addition, I’ve added many cruciferous fiber-rich veggies to keep this Asian salad recipe flavorful yet nutritious.
P.S. It’s Harry approved too!
I recently updated this post and had to share this photo of my sweet Harry the Labradoodle (who passed away last year) after he ate (stole!) the peanuts the first time I made this Asian Chicken Salad recipe. LOL!
Crunchy Asian Chopped Salad with Peanut Dressing
This Asian Chopped Salad with Napa Cabbage and Peanut Dressing, is loaded with healthy, crunchy veggies, peanuts, and edamame. Top it off with this tangy peanut dressing for a nourishing lunch or dinner.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 main servings or 8 side servings
Ingredients
Peanut Dressing
- 3/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 rice wine vinegar
- Juice from 1/2 of a lime
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free tamari, or to taste
Salad
- 2 cups chopped Napa cabbage
- 2 cups chopped red cabbage
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 1 cup chopped red peppers
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped radishes
- 1 cup shelled and cooked organic edamame
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/2 cup peanut dressing , or more to desired taste
Instructions
Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a high speed blender, and blend until smoothy and creamy. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Chop/cut the cabbage, carrots, red peppers. cilantro, and radishes, and place them in a large serving bowl.Add the edamame and peanuts, and toss well to combine.
Add 1/2 cup (or more to taste) of the dressing to the salad and toss well before serving, or serve the dressing on the side. You will probably have dressing left over.
Notes
Low FODMAP Option: Omit garlic in the dressing or use garlic-infused oil.
Dressing Ingredient Swaps (not all are low FODMAP)
- Oil. Avocado oil provides a nice, neutral flavor, but any heart-healthy monounsaturated oil, like extra-virgin olive oil, will do!
- Acid. I use a combination of rice vinegar and lime juice. Other options include white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, or even orange juice.
- Nut Butter. Peanut butter is my go-to. But you can also use almond butter or cashew butter and swap the peanuts in the salad for almonds or cashews.
- Sweetener. A little maple syrup adds a hint of sweetness. Feel free to omit or substitute honey (not vegan).
- Seasonings. Garlic (omit or use garlic-infused oil for a low FODMAP option), fresh ginger, and gluten-free Tamari soy sauce. Pro tip! Be sure to read labels as not all tamari is gluten-free. You can also use Bragg’s amino acids in place of the gluten-free tamari.
Salad Ingredient Swaps & Options
- Fresh Cabbage. Red Cabbage and Napa Cabbage, aka Chinese Cabbage, are my go-to’s in this Asian Chopped Salad. No cabbage? Make this with chopped leafy green veggies like kale or romaine lettuce.
- Chopped Vegetables. Like carrots, red bell pepper (use any variety of colorful bell peppers you have on hand), and radishes.
- Fresh Herbs. I love this with lots of fresh cilantro, but feel free to omit it if that’s not your thing, and add other Asian-inspired herbs like Thai basil, chives, or mint.
- Protein. Pre-shelled/cooked edamame and peanuts add a boost of plant-based protein. But, feel free to add any variety of nuts (I think cashews would be fabulous), crispy chickpeas, or crumbled tempeh.
- Optional: Chopped green onions, sesame seeds, snow peas, snap peas, or a drizzle of sesame oil.
Nutrition Information: Is based on 4 main-dish servings (~ 2 cups each)
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 7401IU | Vitamin C: 91mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 3mg
EA Stewart, RD | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Asian, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Low FODMAP, MIND Diet, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword chopped salad recipe
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Let’s Chat! Are you a fan of chopped salads? What are your favorites? Anything else you would add to this Asian chopped Salad? If you enjoyed this recipe, please give it a 5-star rating. And, please share this post with your friends and family. Thanks so much for your support!
EA Stewart
Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist
EA Stewart, MBA, RD is an integrative registered dietitian specializing in wellness nutrition, digestive health, autoimmune disease, brain health, and vibrant aging. She creates easy, plant-forward gluten-free recipes for a wide variety of diets including low FODMAP, Mediterranean, and more.
