Tropical Cabbage Salad with Maple Sesame Dressing Recipe
This Tropical Cabbage Salad with Maple Sesame Dressing offers a vibrant and refreshing mix of crunchy cabbages, sweet mango and pineapple, nuts, and aromatic herbs tossed in a tangy and slightly sweet maple sesame dressing. Ideal as a light lunch or a colorful side dish, it’s packed with fresh flavors and a satisfying crunch.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Fusion
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 1/2 cups nuts (almonds, macadamia, or pistachios)
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ Savoy cabbage (10 oz in total), shredded
- ½ red cabbage (10 oz), shredded
- 1 mango, peeled, stoned and chopped
- 1 cup fresh (or canned) pineapple, chopped
- 1 fresh red chili, deseeded, finely sliced
- 2 green onions (white and green parts), finely sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- 1 ½ cups cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
For the Maple Sesame Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup canola oil (or avocado oil)
Instructions
- Toast the Nuts: Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts, sugar, kosher salt, and chili flakes. Toast while stirring frequently until the nuts are golden and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare the Vegetables and Fruit: Shred the Savoy and red cabbages finely. Peel, stone and chop the mango, and chop the pineapple. Deseed and finely slice the fresh red chili. Finely slice the green onions including the white and green parts. Tear the mint leaves and roughly chop the cilantro leaves.
- Make the Maple Sesame Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together fresh lime juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, soy sauce, kosher salt, and canola (or avocado) oil until well combined and emulsified.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large salad bowl, add the shredded cabbages, mango, pineapple, sliced chili, green onions, mint, and cilantro. Pour over the dressing and toss thoroughly to coat everything evenly.
- Add Toasted Nuts: Once the nuts are cooled, sprinkle them over the salad and gently toss once more to distribute.
- Serve: Serve immediately for maximum crunch or refrigerate for up to 1 hour to let flavors meld. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute the nuts with your favorite variety or omit for a nut-free version.
- You can adjust the chili flakes and fresh chili quantity to taste for desired spiciness.
- If fresh pineapple or mango is not available, canned pineapple can be used; drain well before adding.
- The salad is best consumed within a few hours as the cabbage may release water and soften over time.
- For a vegan option, ensure the soy sauce is gluten-free if needed and that no honey is used in place of maple syrup.
