Thai Cabbage Salad
Thai Cabbage Salad is perfect to make in the spring when mint starts coming up in the garden, but you can make it without mint if you prefer. If you’re a cabbage fan and like Thai flavors you’re going to love this interesting salad; see notes about using Vegetarian Fish Sauce if that’s important to you!
PIN Thai Cabbage Salad to make it later!
Thai Cabbage Salad is perfect to make in the spring, especially if you have fresh mint growing in your yard, and I think it’s also tasty enough to be completely worth a splurge on some grocery-store mint! But if you don’t want to buy mint, just use more cilantro or see other suggestions in the recipe.
This is a recipe I first made with my nephew Jake, and we were absolutely raving the entire time we devoured four servings of this salad. And recently I decided the old photos needed an update, and when I made it again with Kara, we loved it just as much. For the new version we slightly increased a few ingredients and used the more-authentic Chili Garlic Sauce in the dressing, but you can use red pepper flakes if you don’t want to buy that!
If you like Thai flavors, I’m guessing this Thai Cabbage Salad might become one of your favorites, whether or not you decide to buy mint!
What Ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- cabbage
- green onions
- mint (optional)
- cilantro
- peanuts
- lime juice, (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice)
- fish sauce, preferably Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link) or use Vegetarian Fish Sauce (affiliate link)
- Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link)
- Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link), or use red chile flakes
Is this Cabbage Salad an authentic Thai recipe?
I’m not claiming that this salad is an authentic Thai salad, but it does have the combination of salty, spicy, sour, and sweet that Thai dishes are known for.
What if you don’t want cilantro in the Thai Cabbage Salad?
If you don’t enjoy the taste of cilantro, I would just use a bit more thinly-sliced green onion in this salad.
Can you make Thai Cabbage Salad without mint?
If you don’t have mint in the garden and don’t want to buy it, you can make the salad without mint. Use a bit more cilantro if you like, or I think chopped fresh basil or Thai basil would also taste great in this.
How to make the Thai Cabbage Salad vegetarian:
The dressing for this salad uses my favorite Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link) but you can buy Vegetarian Fish Sauce (affiliate link) to make it a vegetarian recipe. Or make your own Vegan Fish Sauce if you prefer.
How low in carbs is this Thai Cabbage Salad?
This cabbage salad with Thai flavors and fresh herbs has about 11 net carbs per serving, and 6 grams of protein.
How to Make Thai Cabbage Salad:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce (or Vegetarian Fish Sauce), Monkfruit Sweetener or sweetener of your choice, and Chili Garlic Sauce (or red chile flakes) to make the dressing.
- Thinly slice and chop the cabbage. You can use either color, but we used more red than green, which made the salad pretty.
- Toss cabbage together with the dressing, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, while you chop the other ingredients.
- While the salad marinates prepare the chopped mint, chopped cilantro, and thinly-sliced green onions.
- Chop peanuts; (use either unsalted or salted peanuts, whichever you prefer.)
- When all ingredients are ready, add the green onion, chopped mint, chopped cilantro, and most of the peanuts to the cabbage, saving a few peanuts to sprinkle on each serving.
- Serve Thai Cabbage Salad right away and enjoy!
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
For a delicious low-carb meal you could serve the Thai Cabbage Salad with any of these low-carb Asian main dishes:
- Asian Marinated Chicken Kabobs
- Chicken with Peanut Sauce
- Filipino Chicken Adobo
- Grilled Ginger-Soy Pork Chops
- Coconut Milk Shrimp (over Cauliflower Rice)
More Tasty Cabbage Salads:
It’s probably obvious that I’m a huge cabbage salad fan; check out my collection of salads that use cabbage for more ideas!
Thai Cabbage Salad
Thai Cabbage Salad has that combination of salty, spicy, sour, and sweet flavors that Thai food is known for. This salad uses mint, but you can replace it with more cilantro or another fresh herb if you don't want to buy mint!
Ingredients
- 5 cups thinly sliced and chopped cabbage (see notes)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts (see notes)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 1 T fish sauce (see notes)
- 2 T Monkfruit Sweetener (see notes)
- 1 tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce (more or less to taste, see notes)
Instructions
- Stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, sweetener of your choice, and Chili Garlic Sauce (or red chili flakes) to make the dressing. (You might start with the smaller amount of Chili Garlic Sauce and taste on your finger to see if you want more heat.)
- Thinly slice and chop enough red and green cabbage to make 5 cups of sliced cabbage.
- Put the cabbage in medium-sized bowl and toss with the dressing.
- Let the cabbage marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Slice the green onions. Wash and spin dry the mint leaves and cilantro, using a salad spinner or drying with paper towels, then chop enough to make 1/2 cup each chopped mint and cilantro (or whatever herbs you are using).
- Coarsely chop peanuts with a chef’s knife.
- Add the green onion, chopped mint, chopped cilantro, and most of the peanuts to the cabbage and toss to combine.
- Serve right away, sprinkling a few peanuts on each serving of salad.
Notes
Use a mix of red and green cabbage if you have it. We used more red than green, which made a pretty salad. I love Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) but use any sweetener of your choice.
You can use fish sauce (affiliate link) or Vegetarian Fish Sauce (affiliate link).
If you don't have Chili Garlic Sauce you can use dried red chile flakes.
Use salted or unsalted peanuts, and you can use more peanuts if you prefer!
We ate this all so I didn’t get to see how it would keep in the fridge, but I am guessing it would be best freshly made.
This recipe was slightly adapted from Thai-Style Cabbage Slaw in Sunset Magazine Easy Party Food. (I could not find the recipe online.)
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 127Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 445mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 5gSugar 7gProtein 6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
As long as you use an approved sweetener, everything in this Thai Cabbage Salad is approved for low-carb eating plans (but probably not Keto) or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This cabbage salad with Thai flavors was first posted in 2012. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2025.
34 Comments on “Thai Cabbage Salad”
I use palm sugar and like to add red onion. I also like to use the green flattish cabbages found in Asian grocery stores. Thanks!
Now I MUST go to the Asian market and look for that cabbage! Glad you are enjoying the recipe!
I have enjoyed cooking with your recipes for many years, but this recipe is still one of my favorites! It is so good and easy to substitute a little if you don’t have the exact ingredients (lemon for lime, cashew for peanuts, etc.) Thanks for delicious recipes that I feel good about eating!
So glad you are enjoying it, and thanks for the reminder. I need to make this myself.
If you're looking to increase shelf life at finding you eat this dish often, you can extend its shelf life by only combining the dressing and cabbage serving by serving. Until you're ready to eat, just use three individual storage units for the dressing, pre-chopped cabbage, and other ingredients.
Good idea!
I don't think fish sauce really makes things taste like fish, just adds a complex flavor (I know one fish-hater who doesn't even taste it in things.) But you could replace with a little soy sauce or Worcestershire.
Thanks for sharing. I don't care for fish, any suggestion on what I could replace it with? Or would it be ok to leave it out?
I'm making this tonight!!!! I needed to do something with my mint leaves!!!!
Great idea to make it ahead and add the dressing later.
I made this today as part of my make ahead Sunday. I didn't put the dressing on it and put the ingredients in four plastic bags with a half of a paper towel inside. I'm going to take three with me to work this week, and my daughter is going to take one with her to school. I'll put the dressing on when I dump it all into a bowl at work…let it sit about 10 minutes and then nom nom nom. I hope it works because it looked so good it was hard not to snack on it-ok, I'll admit I did eat four peanuts-but I did put them on the food diary and with all the extra calories I burned today with the cook ahead Sunday, I think I'll be ok! YUMMMY. Thanks Kayln!
Glad you have enjoyed it so much. We pretty much went crazy over this too!
I don't know why something so simple can taste soooo goood! That recipe rocks. I've made it twice already (with sugar and with Truvia, good either way,)& it's so satisfying. I will be making this a lot in the warmer months, especially.
Will have to check out that salad; I made another salad from that book that I loved.
FYI: The slaw I'm speaking of is the sweet winter slaw on page 102.
I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled for something similar bowl-wise! I've been eyeing a lot of the CB2 dinnerware, it's similarly sleek/spare, and reasonably priced to boot.
Nicole, I have that cookbook too, love it. Sorry but no idea where I got that bowl, although I do buy a lot of props at stores like Ross, Marshalls, TJMaxx/Homegoods.
Kalyn, this slaw looks great! I just bookmarked it, so I imagine it will grace my table soon. I made an asian-inspired slaw that is sort of similar from the Plenty cookbook a couple weeks ago (I should be posting about it on my blog in the near future) that I loved, and so when I saw your recipe I got really excited! Also, I was wondering if you could share where you purchased the square bowl in these photos, I really like its sleek design.
Nicole
Sounds like the perfect light low calorie meal!
Deborah, I had to learn about mint the hard way too, so I'm glad mine is well-contained now. And even in a raised bed, some of the mint tries to travel out into the garden!
I planted mint once, but not in a container. It was everywhere!! This slaw sounds refreshing and delicious.
Rachel, I'm jealous of your mint growing; mine is barely starting to get a few green leaves. Hope you enjoy it!
This sounds delicious and I have most of the ingredients on hand! I just transplanted some mint I got at the farmer's market, so I actually have some fresh stuff at home 🙂
Pam it was totally worth it!
Oh, I agree completely! I bought mint two weeks ago and it nearly killed me. But I couldn't wait.
I love Thai food but am always at a loss on how to make it at home. This looks really accessible, thanks for posting!
Bookmarked and will be tried very soon. I am always up for any cabbage dish, especially Thai inspired. Thanks, Kalyn,
Kirsten
CJ, it's pretty wintery here too, but I do have some tiny little green shoots on my mint!
It's still winter here…… But this salad looks awesome!
Joanne, Jeanette, and Lydia, so glad you like it. I can't rave enough about how good this was!
I am a huge fan of Thai flavors so this salad is right up my alley. Love how pretty this salad is with the mixture of cabbages and the peanuts sound perfect.
With the thai flavors in this, I'm pretty sure I'd be super satisfied to have it daily! I can never get enough of 'em.
This makes me want to run out to my garden to see if the mint is starting to come up yet! I know just what you mean about buying mint at the store in the winter, but for a special salad, it's worth it every now and then. Thanks for linking to my red cabbage salad recipe, too.
That is kind of fun how they match, isn't it. Trust me, this salad is amazing!
This is my type of dish!! I can't wait to make this. Beautiful picture and I love how it matches your banner 😉