Cashew Crunch Salad with Sesame Dressing
This Cashew Crunch Salad is loaded up with crunchy veg, chow mein noodles, edamame, and roasted cashews and it’ll make you ACTUALLY WANT TO EAT A SALAD. And the sesame dressing – OMG!
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings 1
INGREDIENTS:
For the Salad:
1/2 head of green cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 head of purple cabbage, finely shredded
2 cups carrots, matchstick-cut or shredded
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup sliced green onion
2 cups cooked edamame (see FAQs)
1–2 cup roasted cashews (see notes)
2 cups crunchy chow mein noodles (optional)
chicken, shrimp, or any other protein you like
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil (you can use any other oil as well)
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil – very important for flavor!
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
a few shakes of garlic powder
optional: 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or mayo (more or less to taste – this changes it from a vinaigrette to more of a creamy dressing)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Shake the dressing ingredients up in a jar until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt or mayo (if using) and shake again until smooth. YUM.
Toss all the salad ingredients together. Drizzle with dressing and serve!
NOTES:
Cashews: I like this salad with regular roasted cashews – I also love it with those hot, flavor-loaded Thai-spiced cashews from ALDI!
Dressing: You can easily omit the Greek yogurt or mayo to keep this a vegan / dairy free salad! The dressing will be a little less thick (more like a vinaigrette), but it’s still totally delicious. For a creamy dairy-free alternative, you could try miso! To make this gluten free, leave out the chow mein noodles.
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Serves 8
Calories Per Serving: 337
% DAILY VALUE
28%Total Fat 22.1g
0%Cholesterol 0mg
26%Sodium 606.9mg
11%Total Carbohydrate 29.8g
19%Dietary Fiber 5.3g
Sugars 9.9g
17%Protein 8.5g
32%Vitamin A 292.4µg
47%Vitamin C 42.3mg
17%Iron 3mg
11%Potassium 535.3mg
15%Phosphorus 190mg