crunchy asian salad

I loved eating the teriyaki meatball bowls all week but they desperately need a vegetable side to balance things out. So, I whipped up a quick Asian salad and coated it in the yummy sesame ginger dressing. It was just perfect. The crunchiness of the the cabbage, carrots, and peanuts was such a perfect contrast to the meatballs and rice.

The number of servings that you'll get out of this recipe will vary greatly depending on the size of your red cabbage. So, I didn't even measure servings but it looked like somewhere between 6 or 8 servings. You may get more, but I doubt you'd get less because my head of cabbage was one of the smallest I've ever seen. Also, I only used about 2/3 of the sesame dressing, so the recipe allows for more if you need it.

Pretty food is so... pretty.




Total Recipe cost: $7.26
Servings Per Recipe: 6-8
Cost per serving: $1.21 (assuming 6 servings)
Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 0 min. Total: 20 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 recipe	sesame ginger dressing	$2.87
1 small head	red cabbage	$1.92
2 medium	carrots	$0.42
1/2 bunch	green onions	$0.60
1/2 bunch	cilantro	$0.65
1 cup	peanuts	$0.80
TOTAL		$7.26

STEP 1: Cut the cabbage into quarters and then cut off the core. Slice crosswise into very thin strips. Also slice the green onions. Peel the carrots and then grate them on a cheese grater. Pull the cilantro leaves from the stems.

STEP 2: Combine the shredded cabbage, green onions, carrots, cilantro, and peanuts in a large bowl and toss to mix. Pour the dressing over top and toss again. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Say it with me now... "EEEE-ZEEEEEEE" That's the way we do it around here.

Step By Step Photos

If you've never cut cabbage into thin strips before, it's really quite easy. First, cut the cabbage into quarters. Then cut diagonally down from the center of each quarter to remove the core.


I usually cut the quarters into two one more time (to make eight wedges) and then cut across the wedges into thin strips. Presto, you now have shredded cabbage!


Prep the rest of the vegetables and add them to a large bowl with the cabbage. I sliced the green onions, pulled the cilantro leaves from the stems (but left them whole for visual effect), and shredded the carrots on a cheese grater because I didn't want to bother trying to julienne them.


Next comes the delicious dressing! If you're not up to making your own, there are usually several brands of sesame ginger dressing available at the grocery store.


First stir the vegetables together, then add the dressing to your liking. I only used about 2/3 of whole batch of dressing.


Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate until you're ready to eat. I suggest storing the salad in an air-tight container (as opposed to a bowl covered in plastic wrap) because cabbage likes to release a lot of not-so-pretty smelling gasses. Just sayin'. I've been there.