This vibrant carrot and red cabbage salad is here to brighten up your plate! This easy recipe is made with Asian inspired flavours including lime, sesame and fresh herbs for a refreshing side dish. Ready in just 15 minutes!
Table of Contents
There's so many yummy ways to enjoy carrots, such as our Roasted Carrots with Maple Mustard Glaze, or our simple Carrot and Celery Soup. But when summer comes around, we love to enjoy them raw, in all their crunchy glory, in salads like this!
This red cabbage and carrot slaw is so colourful it's sure to give you a smile when it comes to mealtime!
Unlike our red cabbage slaw recipe, this salad is made without mayo. Instead, it has a light dressing made with fresh lime juice, olive oil, maple syrup and just a hint of sesame oil for a rich flavour boost. Enjoy!
This carrot and red cabbage salad recipe is:
- Bright
- Crunchy
- Easy-to-make
- Vegan-friendly
- Gluten-free
- Nutritious
- Refreshing
Ingredient tips
Here’s everything you need to make this purple cabbage and carrot salad:
Carrots: You want to use fresh carrots that are still firm for the best texture. You can peel them, or simply scrub them until clean.
To cut carrots into nice thin strips for salad I recommend using a mandoline slicer or the large holes of a box grater. If you have a food processor with a coarse grater disk, that will work too.
You can also use a sharp knife to julienne cut the carrots, by first cutting them into 2-3 inch lengths, then into thin strips, and then into matchsticks.
Fresh herbs: You can use your choice of fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro / coriander or parsley which all pair well with carrots. I like to choose the herb depending on what I plan to serve this salad with.
Step by step pictures
Here's a visual guide on how to make this cabbage carrot salad recipe.
For the full, adjustable and printable recipe, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1: Shred the red cabbage and julienne the carrots using a mandoline slicer or cut into thin strips using a sharp knife.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, maple syrup, sesame oil, and salt to make the dressing.
Step 3: Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until they turn golden brown and fragrant.
Step 4: Toss the cabbage, carrots, fresh herbs and sesame seeds with the dressing until evenly coated.
Top Tip
If you have time, let the salad marinate for at least 30 minutes for the dressing flavours to mingle with the veggies.
Substitutions and variations
Veggies: Feel free to change up the ratio of carrot to cabbage to suit you. Or add in thin strips of red onions, bell pepper or fresh apples for some variety. Just be sure to use around 6-7 cups or 600g of shredded veggies to have enough dressing.
If you can't have sesame, you can omit the sesame oil, or use some soy sauce to replace its umami flavour. Instead of sesame seeds, you can use sunflower seeds or crushed peanuts.
Instead of lime, you can use lemon juice. In a pinch, you can use apple cider vinegar to taste, which will give the salad a different, more fruity flavour profile.
Serving
Always mix the salad briefly before serving, to redistribute the dressing.
For a summery meal, this salad pairs perfectly with proteins like our Baked Tofu or Sticky Tempeh, alongside a wholegrain like quinoa or brown rice.
As a side dish, it also makes a colourful addition to Asian-inspired mains such as Burmese Tofu, Katsu Curry or Pad Thai.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Briefly mix again before serving.
More salad recipes
I hope you loved this refreshing carrot cabbage salad! If you're craving more delicious plant-based salads, try these:
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups (360 g) red cabbage finely sliced
- 3 medium (230 g) carrots julienned or cut into fine strips
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs mint, cilantro/coriander or parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Slice the red cabbage and carrot into thin strips using a sharp knife or mandoline slicer.4 cups (360 g) red cabbage, 3 medium (230 g) carrots
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, maple syrup, sesame oil and salt.3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Toast the sesame: Cook the sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until they turn golden brown and smell fragrant. Stir often to prevent them from burning.1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Combine the salad: In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, julienned carrot, toasted sesame seeds and chopped fresh herbs with the dressing.Serve immediately, or optionally marinate for around 30 minutes to let the flavours mingle.2 tablespoons fresh herbs
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
Leave a Comment & Rating