Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing – So light & refreshing, yet so satisfying! Plus, it’s SO easy to put together and you won’t need to cook anything!

It’s getting a little hot in my neck of the woods, so heat-free meals are in heavy rotation now. This Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing is on that list, along with my favorite Avocado Black Bean & Corn Salad.

I don’t usually just have salad as a meal, but this one is really filling. It’s loaded with romaine lettuce, cabbage, carrots, edamame, sliced almonds, mandarin oranges and topped with crunchy noodles.

And talk about nutritious…this salad is protein-rich, filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants!

Oh, and the dressing is simply marvelous! It’s savory, zesty, subtly-sweet and citrusy. I added very little oil to keep it light and healthy too.

Here’s what you’ll need for the dressing:

Sesame Ginger Dressing

Rice vinegar
Low sodium tamari (sub soy)
Toasted sesame oil
Agave
Liquid from canned mandarin oranges
Fresh ginger
Garlic
Sesame seeds

Just whisk it all together! 

Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine well. The flavors are really easy to adjust to your liking, so taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Now place dressing in the fridge while you wash and cut your veggies. This will give the flavors time to marinate. The dressing will slightly separate so don’t forget to whisk again before pouring on the salad.

*Tip: If you can’t have soy, you can replace the tamari with Coconut Aminos and the edamame with snow peas.

Asian Chopped Salad

It’s so easy to put this all together, just thaw the frozen edamame, drain the oranges (save liquid), shred the romaine and purple cabbage, slice the green onions and julienne or shred the carrots.

*Tip: make sure your veggies are nice and dry after washing to prevent sogginess. I always run the veggies through my salad spinner. It helps keep everything crisp and fresh. It’s one kitchen item that I can’t do without. 

If you want to make things even easier, you can buy most of the veggies pre-washed and pre-cut. Then all you’ll have to do is pour everything into your salad bowl.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, add the dressing (*whisk before pouring), almonds, and half the oranges to the bowl of veggies.

Now, gently toss to combine well. Some of the dressing will settle to the bottom, so if you feel the veggies need more coating, just toss gently again.

Top with the crispy noodles and the remaining oranges. You can sprinkle on more almonds and sesame seeds too.

Customisable

This Asian Chopped Salad is easily adjustable, so feel free to omit ingredients and add your favorite herbs, veggies, nuts and seeds.

You can add things like bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, snow peas, cilantro, basil, mint, peanuts, hemp seeds, cashews or seasoned tofu. It’s completely fool-proof so have fun with it!

*Tip: If you are bringing this to a get-together, leave the oranges and dressing out until it’s ready to serve. Otherwise, the lettuce will get soggy. Another option is to serve the dressing on the side. Top with noodles right before serving too.

*Pin for later*

I’d love to hear from you

If you make this Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

5 from 1 vote

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Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Prep Time

20 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing – So light & refreshing, yet so satisfying! Plus, it's SO easy to put together and you won't need to cook anything!

Course: Salad, Side

Recipe Type: Asian, Vegan

Keyword: Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Servings: 6

Calories: 187 kcal

Author: Melissa Huggins

Ingredients

Sesame Ginger Dressing

• 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari (sub soy)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon agave
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 1/2 tablespoon ginger , minced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons liquid from canned mandarin oranges
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Salad

• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame , thawed
• 1 large head (12 oz) romaine lettuce , shredded (about 7 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups red cabbage , shredded
• 1 1/2 cups carrots , julienne (matchstick) or shredded
• 1/3 cup green onions , sliced thin
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds , raw or toasted
• 1 10 oz can mandarin oranges , reserve liquid
• 1/2 cup crispy noodles (for topping)

Instructions

Sesame Ginger Dressing

1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (add a pinch of salt if desired). Place in the fridge while you wash and cut your veggies. This will give the flavors time to marinate. (* Whisk again before pouring on salad) 

Salad

1. To a large mixing bowl, add the lettuce, cabbage, carrots, edamame, almonds, and green onions. Toss to combine well. 

2. If you're ready to serve the salad, add the dressing (*whisk before pouring) and half the oranges. Gently toss to combine. Some of the dressing will settle to the bottom, so if you feel the veggies need more coating, just toss gently again. Top with crispy noodles and the remaining oranges. You can sprinkle on sesame seeds too. Enjoy! 

Recipe Notes

* This salad is easily adjustable, so feel free to omit ingredients or add your favorites. You can also add fresh chopped cilantro, basil or mint.  Chopped peanuts work well too. 

 

 

* If you are bringing this to a get-together, leave the oranges and dressing out until it's ready to serve. Otherwise, the lettuce will get soggy. Another option is to serve the dressing on the side. Top with noodles right before serving too. 

 

 

* If you want to make things even easier, you can buy most of the veggies pre-washed and pre-cut. Then all you’ll have to do is pour everything into your salad bowl.

 

 

 

Nutrition Facts

Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Amount Per Serving (2 cups)

Calories 187 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Sodium 245mg 10%

Potassium 503mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 8g

Protein 7g 14%

Vitamin A 211.8%

Vitamin C 23.8%

Calcium 9.6%

Iron 12.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.