This cashew crunch salad recipe has become one of my new go-to meals! Why you ask? Because it’s simple, flavorful, and easy enough to whip up on a weeknight.
This cashew cabbage recipe is a combo of thinly sliced green cabbage, edamame, scallions, cilantro, crispy tofu, roasted cashews, and toasted sesame seeds, tossed in a silky sweet sesame ginger dressing.
And not only does this salad taste freakin amazing, it’s also packed with fiber, protein, and tons of micronutrients. So it’ll keep you full for hours!
Cashew Crunch Salad Ingredients + A Few Notes
Listing everything you’ll need for this cashew salad recipe, along with a few notes on ingredients that I recommend using!!
- High-protein tofu: High-protein tofu is a lot firmer (and higher in protein) than firm tofu and has a similar bite to chicken. Wildwood and Hodo Tofu are two of my favorite brands that sell high-protein tofu!
- Cashews: Feel free to buy roasted cashews to save a step in this recipe!
- Shelled edamame: Whole Foods (and I’m assuming most well-stocked grocery stores) sells organic and non-GMO frozen shelled edamame – it’s in the freezer section next to the frozen peas.
- Green cabbage
- Scallions aka green onions
- Cilantro
- Tahini
- Toasted sesame oil
- Coconut aminos: I love Big Tree Farms coconut aminos.
- Lemon juice: Any type of acid works here, so feel free to substitute in rice wine vinegar.
- Honey or maple syrup
- Spices: Including ground ginger, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Kosher salt
- Avocado oil
Let’s Chat Storing Leftovers & Meal-Prep
This salad keeps so well in the fridge, the key is keeping the salad base, cashews, and dressing separate so the salad doesn’t get soggy and the cashews stay crunchy! Best of all, this cashew crunch salad tastes good cold, so you don’t need to worry about reheating it if you want to prepare this as a grab-n-go lunch for work!
So to reiterate. Store the salad base (tofu, edamame, cabbage, scallions, and cilantro), roasted cashews, and sesame ginger dressing in separate containers. And toss everything together just when you’re ready to eat.
Looking For Recipes Similar To This Cashew Crunch Salad?
Listing a few favorites of mine that are pretty similar and perfect for summer!
If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram. I can’t wait for you to make this cashew crunch salad! As always, love it when you rate and review the recipe, your feedback is always appreciated!
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Cashew Crunch Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Thai, American
Description
This cashew crunch salad with sesame ginger dressing is bright, fun, crunchy, and packed with thai-inspired flavors! Plus, it’s easy to make, and simple enough to whip up on a weeknight.
Ingredients
Crispy Tofu
- 1 block (10 oz or 284 g) high protein tofu*
- Avocado oil
- Kosher salt
Cabbage Salad
- 3 packed cups thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1 cup shelled edamame, cooked (optional)**
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Sesame Ginger Dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 3 tbsp lemon juice or rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (feel free to use freshly grated ginger)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roast the cashews. Dump the cashews onto the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated for no more than 5 minutes – toss the nuts halfway through the baking process to ensure they roast evenly. Quick note, cashews (and all nuts) can burn very quickly, so keep a sharp eye on them as they roast. Once the cashews are done, dump them onto your cutting board or a small plate to cool.
- Bake the crispy tofu. Tear the tofu into small bite-size pieces and dump it onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet used for the cashews. Drizzle the tofu with avocado oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt, and toss to coat. Bake the tofu in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until it’s golden brown and crisp. Quick note, I prefer tearing the tofu instead of cutting it, as the little craggy nooks from tearing the tofu get super crispy.
- Prep the salad. While the tofu bakes, prep cabbage, scallions, edamame and roughly chop the roasted cashews. Add everything into a large serving bowl.
- Make the sesame ginger dressing. The last thing to prepare while the tofu bakes is the dressing. Add all the ingredients into a bowl or cup and whisk to combine until silky smooth. The dressing might look broken as you whisk it, but keep whisking and you’ll see it emulsify quickly. Taste and adjust seasonings and salt as needed. This dressing is on the sweeter side, so if you prefer it more savory, reduce the honey by half.
- Assemble and serve. Pour the dressing over the bowl (I use about half the dressing and add more as needed) and toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing and/or salt as needed. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!
Notes
*Feel free to use shredded/diced chicken if you prefer.
**Whole Foods (and I’m assuming most well-stocked grocery stores) sells organic and non-GMO frozen shelled edamame – it’s in the freezer section next to the frozen peas.
This was so yummy! I modified the dressing using peanut butter and also added some roasted cauliflower. I gave some to my partner and he said it was the best thing I’ve ever made him. 🙂
So happy you both liked it, made my day to read this! And thank you so much for leaving a review, appreciate it! 🥰
Your Instagram was recently recommended on my feed and this was the first of your recipes that I’ve made… it was delicious! That dressing! The crunch! Eating the leftovers as I type this. My husband also loved it and has asked that it be on regular rotation. Will definitely be trying more of your recipes soon.
Made my day to read this, so happy you found me/my recipes!! And thank you so much for leaving a review, means the world!