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Cabbage Crunch Salad With Lemon Tahini Dressing

ByLindsey Jenkins
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Cabbage crunch salad is a great side dish that’s refreshing, tangy, and full of texture. With crisp cabbage, toasty almonds, and a zippy lemon tahini dressing, this one hits all the right notes. It’s naturally dairy free, gluten free, and easy to customize based on what you have on hand.

Looking for more healthy recipes? Try my harissa roasted cauliflower with fresh herbs, zucchini antipasti, or oven roasted bok choy.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

  • Refreshing – The shredded cabbage, crunchy nuts, and tangy lemon dressing make this crunchy salad taste so fresh.
  • Make-ahead friendly – Cabbage is sturdy and can withstand being tossed in the dressing ahead of time. No soggy lettuce here.
  • Customizable – This raw cabbage salad is super customizable. Look at the ‘Make it your way’ section for loads of ideas of add-ins or how to make it a complete meal.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon miso Asian cabbage salad:

  • Green cabbage
  • Lemon tahini dressing – olive oil or avocado oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, white miso paste, tahini, rice vinegar, honey, pinch of salt. This dressing is a modified version of my popular creamy lemon miso dressing.
  • Black sesame seeds – extra texture and a pop of color.
  • Toasted sliced almonds – for extra crunch.

How to Make Cabbage Crunch Salad: Step by Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!

  1. Make the dressing. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.
  2. Dress the base. Add the sliced cabbage and sesame seeds to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and use your hands to massage it in. This helps tenderize the cabbage.
  3. Top and serve. Sprinkle with toasted almonds right before serving and enjoy!

Helpful Tips

  • Use a mandoline slicer for consistent, thin slices (just don’t forget the protective glove so you don’t lose a fingertip).
  • Massaging the cabbage helps soften and tenderize the vegetable.
  • Make it ahead, but keep the almonds separate to preserve the crunch until you’re ready to eat.

Quick Tip: Use a fresh head of cabbage over a bag of coleslaw mix for better crunch, flavor, and value. The vegetables in a salad mix are often dried out since they’re pre-cut.

Storage

Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.

If you’re making it ahead, keep the almonds separate and add them just before serving so they can retain their crunch. Otherwise, they get soggy if mixed with the dressing for too long.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this crunchy cabbage salad recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

  • No green cabbage? – purple cabbage (sometimes called red cabbage) or napa cabbage can be used. Or a combination.
  • No rice vinegar? – use white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar instead for a similar mellow flavor.
  • No miso paste? – in a pinch, you can use reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari.
  • No almonds? – use roasted cashews, toasted sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
  • Use a different dressing – peanut sauce, honey ginger dressing, or creamy Asian salad dressing
  • Make it a main dish – add shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken is a great quick option), crispy air fryer chicken bites, shelled edamame, or crispy tofu.
  • More crunch – toss in toasted ramen noodles or crispy chickpeas.
  • Extra fresh veggies – orange or red bell pepper, shredded carrots, or sliced green onions. If adding extra veg, reduce the amount of cabbage so the total amount is 8 cups.
  • Flavor boosters – a splash of toasted sesame oil for extra nuttiness, fresh herbs such as fresh mint or cilantro, or red pepper flakes for a bit of spice, mandarin oranges for a bit of sweetness, etc.

How To Serve

This crunchy cabbage salad is a versatile, great salad. Here are a few ideas of how to serve it:

More Salad Recipes

I hope you love this Cabbage Crunch Salad! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!

Cabbage Crunch Salad With Lemon Tahini Dressing

An oval serving plate with cabbage crunch salad: thinly sliced green cabbage, black sesame seeds, and toasted sliced almonds.
Cabbage crunch salad is a great side dish that's refreshing, tangy, and full of texture. With crisp cabbage, toasty almonds, and a zippy lemon tahini dressing, this one hits all the right notes. It's naturally dairy free, gluten free, and easy to customize based on what you have on hand.
Author: Lindsey Jenkins
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

Cabbage Salad

  • 8 cups thinly sliced green cabbage see notes below
  • 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
  • ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds

Lemon Tahini Dressing

Instructions

  • Make the dressing. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.
  • Dress the base. Add the sliced cabbage and sesame seeds to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and use your hands to massage it in. This helps tenderize the cabbage.
  • Top and serve. Sprinkle with toasted almonds right before serving and enjoy!

Notes

Use a mandoline slicer for consistent, paper-thin slices (just don’t forget the protective glove so you don’t lose a fingertip).
See the blog post for helpful tips, storage, and serving ideas.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No green cabbage? – purple cabbage (sometimes called red cabbage) or napa cabbage can be used. Or a combination.
No rice vinegar? – use white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar instead for a similar mellow flavor.
No miso paste? – in a pinch, you can use reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari.
No almonds? – use roasted cashews, toasted sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
Use a different dressing – peanut sauce, honey ginger dressing, or creamy Asian salad dressing.
Make it a main dish – add shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken is a great quick option), crispy air fryer chicken bites, shelled edamame, or crispy tofu.
More crunch – toss in toasted ramen noodles or crispy chickpeas.
Extra fresh veggies – orange or red bell pepper, shredded carrots, or sliced green onions. If adding extra veg, reduce the amount of cabbage so the total amount is 8 cups.
Flavor boosters – a splash of toasted sesame oil for extra nuttiness, fresh herbs such as fresh mint or cilantro, or red pepper flakes for a bit of spice, mandarin oranges for a bit of sweetness, etc.

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