This Whole30 and Paleo Asian Coleslaw is a delicious and refreshing side dish to any meal that’s packed with all the healthy veggies. You’ll love the crunchy addition of toasted cashews as well!
I’m a huge coleslaw lover. Not only is it deliciously crunchy, refreshing, and perfect as a side to any meal, it’s one of those dishes that actually taste better on the 2nd or 3rd day so it’s great for making a giant batch of to eat throughout the week, especially when you are busy. Recently, I put a spin on my classic coleslaw recipe by using Asian flavors and ingredients, and I’m kinda obsessed with the result. This Paleo Asian Coleslaw turned out so fabulous that I know it’ll be on a weekly rotation in our house.

Paleo Asian Coleslaw Recipe
The textures and colors are so bold and vibrant with various vegetables, crunchy toasted cashews, and flavor packed dressing made with coconut aminos, fish sauce, sesame oil garlic, and ginger. This coleslaw, of course, is served as a side, but I’m not joking when I say that I’ve been eating 2-3 servings of this on its own in one sitting with a small portion of protein because it’s so dang delicious.
Best of all, this Paleo Asian Coleslaw comes together so quickly and easily that the hardest part is slicing the vegetables and toasting the cashews. The rest is just tossing everything together and letting the flavors combine and meld. It’s a delicious way to get in a ton of healthy nutrients in your meal with minimal effort!
#AsianSaladFeast Party
This recipe is coming to you as part of the #AsianSaladFeast link party to celebrate the first day of Spring, hosted by JinJoo of Kimchimari. There are around 15 of us participating, each sharing an Asian salad recipe that’s delicious, unique, and fun.
Here are the other bloggers’ creations who are taking part in this celebration:
Wok & Skillet’s Thai Larb Salad
Brunch-n-Bites’s Gado Gado Salad
Nut Free Wok’s Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Vermicelli Salad
What To Cook Today’s Urap (Salad with Spiced Grated Coconut Topping)
Healthy World Cuisine’s Authentic Thai Fish Salad
A Taste of Joy and Love’s Thai Seafood Salad (Yum Talay)
Kimchimari’s Tofu Salad with Iceberg Lettuce and Sweet Corn
Grits & Chopsticks’ Crunchy Thai Eggplant Salad
The Sasha Diaries’ Springtime Sushi Bowl
Love Is In My Tummy’s Burmese Gin Thoke (Ginger Salad)
Chopstick Chronicles’ Shabu Shabu Cold Noodle Salad
V for Veggy’s Japanese Potato Salad
Daily Cooking Quest’s Broccolini Sesame Dressing

Paleo Asian Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 medium head of cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 carrot shredded or grated
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Sea salt to taste
Dressing
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger minced
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- Optional: 1/4 tsp coconut sugar omit if on a sugar detox or keto
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the cashews to the skillet and toast stirring for 2-3 minutes until they are golden brown and fragrant.
- Remove from heat and let the cashews cool, then chop roughly into smaller pieces.
- Quarter the cabbage. Remove the core and thinly slice each quarter crosswise.
- Combine cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, onion, green onions, and cashews in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.
- Pour over the vegetables and mix together well until everything is coated in the dressing.
- Let the coleslaw sit for 10 minutes or more in the refrigerator. The flavors will build more the longer it sits.
- Taste and add salt, if needed.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds right before serving.
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That looks so good, Jean! I can tell from the ingredients that I’ll love the dressing. I’ll have to try this soon. 🙂
This is such a beautiful coleslaw Jean. What a feast to the eyes and I’m sure the tummy! I love your Asian twist in this salad!!
So colorful! I love the twist you put in to make this Asian style. Can’t wait to try it. Yum!
Loving this delicious slaw. Fabulous flavors and textures. This would be a perfect slaw for all of our grilling favorites. When you get a minute, can you please update our link to https://www.hwcmagazine.com/recipe/authentic-thai-fish-salad/ as for some reason this one is not working. Thanks so much and take care.
Ohhhh yesss! I totally need to try this Asian spin on coleslaw… so inspired! I love sesame oil so I can imagine it takes coleslaw to new heights 😛 xx
What a gorgeous, colorful salad! I love that it’s paleo, too. This is definitely going on my recipe list!
I love everything that went into that salad!!! I have to check out coconut aminos! That sounds fascinating!
I once ordered an Asian coleslaw in San Francisco, and haven’t been able to appreciate regular slaw anymore, haha 🙂 Yours looks equally impressive Jean, and it may soon be reproduced at home!
My hubby is a huge coleslaw fan and he requested all the time. I love your version because of all the Asian flavors, and so healthy! I gotta try this!!
Beautifully presented Asian infused Coleslaw salad with flavour packed dressing 😀 I’ll have to try this salad soon.
This coleslaw looks and sounds so incredible! I love all the colors and flavors here; especially the cashews! Brilliant!
Funny – I just purchased a salad similar to this from a local health food store’s deli and loved it, was wondering how I could make it at home. Then I came across this! Thanks for the inspiration, very timely for me!
So glad to hear! Hope you enjoy it.
What a beautiful salad, I love that it tastes better the 2nd or 3rd day, perfect for a make ahead meal!
I had high hopes for this salad but I just made it and I am so bummed. I am going to have to throw the entire thing away because it is SO salty.
So sorry you found it salty! Did you use coconut aminos, and not tamari or soy sauce? I’m just surprised because I’ve made this several times and never found it salty. I think you can still save it if you add more cabbage to it. Let me know if that works out!
I didn’t sub anything. 🙁
Dang. Maybe it’s the brand of fish sauce. I’ll adjust the recipe. 🙂
Love this slaw! The 2nd time I made it, I reduced the sesame oil to 1 TBSP and added 1 TBSP hot chili oil, and it was even better. It is absolutely delicious served with this Asian pulled pork. https://allthenourishingthings.com/instant-pot-sweet-n-spicy-asian-pulled-pork-paleo-keto-option/
Thank you so much!! I love your adjustments. I’ll have to try that!