Asian Peanut Slaw

This Asian Peanut Slaw is filled with veggies but anyone would be happy to eat it due to the amazing peanut dressing. This healthy slaw makes a tasty side dish or can be a main course with your favorite protein. Add it to your list of go-to slaw recipes along with this Kale Apple Slaw and Spicy Cabbage and Corn Slaw.

I am on the fence about Asian slaw I don’t know why. Probably from eating too many bad take out and prepackaged versions. However, I finally found a slaw, and very importantly dressing, that I love. The slaw starts simply with all the regular players - red and green cabbage, carrots, celery, and red onions. But then the magic happens with chopped jicama, cilantro, scallions, lime juice, a jalapeno for heat, and some crushed peanuts.

And then there is the most amazing spicy peanut lime dressing. It is made with a combination of peanut butter, lime juice, Sriracha, sesame oil, and garlic powder. It's kind of like a spicy peanut sauce and you will be licking it off the spoon, it is so tasty. It also doubles as the most amazing stir-fry sauce and tastes amazing drizzled on grilled chicken or pork. Let's be real, it would taste good on pretty much anything at all. 

When it comes to serving this dish, it is a perfect side dish or summer salad with your favorite grilled meats. I love serving it with this simple Soy Ginger Grilled Chicken or Asian BBQ Grilled Pork alongside some brown rice or quinoa. It also can serve as the base for an entree salad with rotisserie chicken, shrimp, or tofu. And since the cabbage is hearty, it's a really good recipe to use for meal prep. Pack the dressing separately and you can enjoy this Asian slaw all week for lunch.

Recipe Ideas for Asian Peanut Slaw

There are tons of ways to customize this Asian slaw recipe and make it something that your entire family will love. 

• Leave out the spice: Although we love heat I know it isn't something that everyone loves. You can easily leave out the heat in this recipe by simply leaving out the fresh jalapeno and Sriracha. It will still be full of flavor and will work for kiddos and those who don't like things spicy.
• Add noodles: I love Asian style pasta salads use rice noodles or soba noodles. To turn this into a pasta salad, add one package of cooked rice or soba noodles. You will also need to double (or even triple) the dressing recipe to make sure you have enough for the noodles as well.
• Make grain bowls: We are obsessed with grain bowls just as much as the next person and I love turning this slaw into a hearty grain bowl. I start with a bowl of brown rice or quinoa. Then I add the Asian Peanut Slaw and some rotisserie chicken. I also double the peanut dressing recipe so I have some extra to drizzle over the rice and chicken.
• Add protein: As I mentioned above, one of the best ways to turn this into a main dish is to add your favorite protein. It pairs great with chicken, steak, pork, or shrimp. For a vegetarian option, you can add tofu or tempeh. Edamame is another yummy way to add some protein.
• Add sweetness: You may have noticed there is no added sugar in this recipe and specifically in the dressing. If you like a sweeter peanut dressing, you will want to add some honey or maple syrup to the dressing. Normally when I make this for a party, I leave out the spice and add some honey to make it more of a crowd pleaser.
• Cook it: Believe it or not, this slaw is delicious cooked. However, you have to make a few adjustments.  When making a cooked version of this dish, I leave out the jicama altogether. Then I saute everything in coconut oil until it is tender crisp. Finish by tossing it with the dressing and topping with fresh cilantro and peanuts. So so good! When I cook it this way, I almost always add some ground turkey or ground turkey sausage. It may sound weird but believe me, it's amazing.

Meal Prep Ideas for Asian Slaw

1. Make the dressing and pack into small containers, like these. I always try to use glass or stainless steel containers to avoid the plastic.
2. Start by filling your container with your a whole grain of your choice - brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley, buckwheat soba noodles, brown rice noodles, or for a low carb option use cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash.
3. Toss together all the slaw ingredients and divide into your meal prep containers. 
4. Add your favorite protein on the side - chicken, tuna, salmon, shrimp, steak, or tofu.
5. When ready to eat, toss everything with the dressing and dig in.