Asian Cabbage Salad With Crunchy Seeds
Quick answerMakes 6-8 People servings, ready in 10-20 minutes, International cuisine.
This is one of those salads that requires zero culinary skills but always impresses guests. It's a cabbage salad with an Asian flair and a crunchy bite. So it's not really Asian, but that shouldn't stop you from telling your guests it is :)
In time, I'll bring some more cabbage salad recipes here (and salads in general), because I feel this veggie is a bit underrated. It really shouldn't be! It's so versatile, and I'm going to prove it! Meanwhile, you can check out different salad recipes like the green herbs salad.
Now, on to the salad. The only "hard" part is chopping the cabbage. If you have a food processor, it'll literally take you a minute. If not, that's all the "hard" work I'll be asking you to do. Oh, and roasting the seeds — just don't burn them, ok??
Here Are Some Tips:
- To save time, you can cut the cabbage in advance, make the sauce, and roast the seeds.
- You can always make a big batch, mix the cabbage with the sauce in advance, and just add the seeds before serving.
- Never roast the seeds together. They each have different roasting times.
- Roast the seeds on medium-low heat. Pay attention, because nothing will happen for the first few minutes and then they can burn in like 10 seconds!!
- You can use whichever seeds you like — but I recommend you don't skip the pine nuts!
- For a gluten-free version, use Tamari or another GF soy sauce.
Method
- 1
Prepping the salad and roasting the seeds· 10-15 Minutes
Chop the cabbage to small pieces. Roast each seed individually and keep aside.
- 2
Mixing it All!· 3-5 Minutes
in a small bowl (or designated sauce bottle) add the sugar, oil and soy (or Tamari). Mix very well. Pour the sauce over the cabbage. Make sure it coats it very well. Before serving add all the seeds and mix again.
Recipe by
Jaron Kimhi
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
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Questions & answers
Can I use Tamari instead of soy sauce?
Yep, the recipe actually mentions it as an option — swap it 1:1 and you've also got a gluten-free dressing.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Make it in parts — dress the cabbage ahead, but keep the roasted seeds separate and only toss them in right before serving so they stay crunchy.
Do I really need to roast each seed type separately?
Yes, do it separately — pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds all toast at different speeds, so grouping them risks burning the smaller ones.
Can I swap out any of the seeds if I don't have all three?
The recipe calls for pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds — if you're missing one, just bump up the quantity of the others to keep that crunchy topping going.
How do I make sure the dressing coats the cabbage evenly?
Mix the sugar, oil, and soy really well before pouring, then toss the cabbage thoroughly so every piece gets covered — don't rush this step.