This looks great! Can I prep any of this salad ahead of time?

Yes! If you are making this ahead, you can definitely chop and prep all the veggies in advance and even mix them together. I would just hold off on mixing in the chow mein, cashews, and dressing until just before serving.

What kind of edamame should I buy for this?

I buy edamame frozen, already shelled, and just boil them for a few minutes like you would boil peas.

I'm going to add some protein to this. Any suggestions for how to prepare it?

If you want to grill some chicken or shrimp to go on top (yummy), I recommend marinating it in soy sauce, honey, and garlic for a bit to give even more flavor.

Cashew Crunch Salad with Sesame Dressing Recipe

Description

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!

Ingredients

Units Scale

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)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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 the thai chili cashews from Trader Joe’s or 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.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Chop
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired

Keywords: cashew crunch salad, asian salad, sesame dressing, cashew salad