Ingredients and Substitutions

Cucumbers, I always prefer using Persian cucumbers or Lebanese cucumbers as I find they are crisper and have more flavour. If you can't get your hands on them, a regular cucumber will also work. Other green variations such as zucchini or snow peas / sugar snap peas would be great

Carrots are great as they keep well in this salad and can be either shredded or chopped. Adding a Red Bell pepper or other colours would be another great veggie

Red Cabbage is lovely and crunchy and brings a lovely colour to the salad. It also doesn’t go soggy. You can of course use green cabbage or even napa cabbage which is an Asian cabbage

Romaine lettuce is also added for extra greens and crunch. I only like to use the inner leaves which are lighter in color as they are a lot more crisp. You can then use the outer leaves for a different salad or dish

Edamame beans are soy beans and one of my favourite ingredients in this salad! They are packed with protein and are so crunchy and delicious! I buy frozen edamame beans from my local Asian supermarket and defrost them in water for a few minutes. For extra protein, you can also add tofu or even grilled chicken if you're not vegan

Fresh Herbs, I love using mint as it brings such a lovely freshness. Green onions can also be added if you like the tang

Cashews give a lovely crunchy and nutty taste. Almonds or peanuts are nuts that can also be used. Toasting them will make them taste so much better too! However, to keep it nut free, you can use sesame seeds or even sunflower seeds

Miso Salad Dressing

I love this dressing and add it on so many things! There is also more detailed information about it here - Miso Dressing

Miso paste is the base of the dressing. It gives a beautiful umami flavor and it includes nutrients and probiotics

Soy sauce, I always prefer to use a low sodium soy sauce that has reduced salt. You can also use tamari to make it gluten free

Lemon juice or lime juice is added for acidity

Vinegar, my preferred vinegar to use is rice wine vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar as they're mild and slightly sweet

Sesame oil brings a yummy nutty flavour and scent. It is quite strong so a little goes a long way

Ginger, I absolutely love ginger so I add quite a lot. You can also use pre grated ginger or even garlic

Extra virgin olive oil is always my preferred oil to use. Avocado oil or even grape-seed oil are other great oils to use

Optional add honey, agave or maple syrup if you like it on the sweeter side.

How to make Chopped Asian Salad

Here are my simple steps to make this delicious crunchy salad in no time.

Steps on how to make a chopped asian salad

Chop vegetables (cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, lettuce) into similar-sized cubes. You can use a chopper or mandolin as you prefer

Add chopped vegetables to a large bowl with edamame beans and fresh mint

Add miso dressing ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar and mix until well combined. If the dressing seems too thick, you can add a dash of water to help thin it out

Add dressing to the salad bowl and mix together so it's all nicely coated. To serve, top with cashews and it's ready!

Tips to make this Asian Chopped Salad

Chop all the ingredients into similar sized cubes. It not only looks better but it means with every mouthful you taste all the different veggies. You can use a chopper or mandolin to chop all the vegetables. It can save some time and be a little easier if you prefer not chopping all by hand

Use the inner leaves of the romaine lettuce which are much more crisp

If making this Asian salad for meal prep, I prefer to add the dressing and mint on the day I’m eating it. This keeps everything extra crunchy and crisp and the mint nice and fresh

Add the cashews right before serving! This keeps them crunchy

To make the salad more filling you can also add brown rice or quinoa, or even some rice noodles or ramen noodles would work