If youโve ever ordered tonkatsu at a Japanese restaurant and found yourself happily eating the mountain of shredded cabbage on the side, this recipe is for you. This Japanese cabbage salad is crisp, tangy, savory, and the kind of side dish that instantly lightens up a meal.
This Japanese cabbage salad is one of the easiest side dishes you can make at home. It only takes a few minutes, uses simple pantry ingredients, and delivers a refreshing balance of bright, tangy, and nutty flavors.
What makes this version special is the addition of bonito flakes and toasted sesame seeds, which add a subtle smokiness and umami to the light vinegar dressing. The result is a crunchy salad that pairs perfectly with fried dishes such as chicken katsu, as a side to a bowl of soba or ramen, even as a topping for rice bowls like this delicious tekka don.
Why You’ll Love This Salad
- Ready in 5 minutes
- Full of crunch and low in calories
- Can be made with bagged coleslaw mix, which keeps prep to a minimum
Table of contents
What is Japanese Cabbage Salad?
Japanese cabbage salad is a simple side dish of shredded cabbage dressed in a light soy-vinegar vinaigrette. Itโs often served alongside fried foods such as sliced tonkatsu with the famous tonkatsu sauce, croquettes (korokke), or karaage (fried chicken) because of its light and refreshing properties, which help balance the dishes.
Many Japanese restaurants serve shredded cabbage completely plain so diners can season it themselves with a squeeze of lemon. At home, itโs common to toss the cabbage with ingredients like soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
Cabbage Salad Ingredients
- Pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix: Using pre-shredded coleslaw mix keeps this recipe extra fast and easy. If you prefer making it from scratch, use green cabbage and shred it as thinly as possible.
- Vinaigrette: A mix of sugar, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, and finely chopped scallions. The result is light, refreshing, tangy, and earthy.
- Toppings: Toasted sesame seeds for some nuttiness, and bonito flakes for a smoky and briny element.
If you enjoy Japanese salads, try my Japanese carrot ginger dressing โ the same dressing served at many hibachi restaurants. Or, for more refreshing salads, check out this roundup of 25 Asian Salad Recipes We All Love.
How to Make Japanese Cabbage Salad
This is one of those recipes that barely feels like cooking. It only has 3 easy steps:
- Whisk the ingredients for the vinaigrette together in a small bowl.
- Put the shredded cabbage in a mixing bowl, add the vinaigrette and mix well.
- Finish with the toppings. Enjoy!
Because the dressing is light, the cabbage stays crunchy and fresh for quite some time. It can be served it right away or left for a few minutes to absorb the flavor of the vinaigrette.
Recipe Tips for the Best Cabbage Salad
- Use very finely shredded cabbage. The thinner the cabbage, the closer it will feel to the kind served in Japanese restaurants.
- Donโt overdress it. This salad should feel light and refreshing, not too salty or tangy.
- Taste before serving. Since cabbage can vary in sweetness and water content, it’s better to taste the salad before serving it. It might need a tiny splash more vinegar or soy sauce.
- Serve it cold or slightly chilled. Thatโs when it tastes the most refreshing!
What to Serve with Japanese Cabbage Salad
As mentioned before, Japanese cabbage salad goes really well with deep fried dishes! But it also pairs well with many other dishes. Personally, I like to serve it as a side to a bowl of miso soup and and and some savory stir fried noodles like yaki udon or yakisoba. Or as part of a light lunch with an onigiri or some maki rolls.
It also goes well with sandwiches like this tamago sando, katsu sando or Japanese potato salad sandwich. It’s also worth mentioning that if you are looking for something a littler heavier, the vinaigrette can be swapped for something like this nutty and creamy sesame dressing.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
PrintJapanese Cabbage Salad
This is a light and refreshing recipe for Japanese Coleslaw that’s also very quick and easy to make. Less than 5 minutes from start to finish!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2–4 people 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing Bowl
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Low-Carb
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
Vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 stalk scallion, finely chopped
Toppings
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
Instructions
- Prep the salad. Place the shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix in a large bowl.
- Make the vinaigrette. Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette together in a small bowl.
- Toss the salad. Pour the vinaigrette over the shredded slaw and toss well to coat evenly.
- Add toppings and serve. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and top with bonito flakes before serving.
Notes
Storage: This salad is best served fresh because of the crispy texture of the cabbage. If you do have leftovers, store them in the fridge and eat them within a day. It will still tastes delicious, but the texture will soften as the cabbage sits in the dressing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 149
- Sugar: 6.4g
- Sodium: 291mg
- Fat: 9.2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13.6g
- Fiber: 3.9g
- Protein: 5.2g
- Cholesterol: 2mg
Frequently Asked Questions
Itโs very similar. Japanese restaurants usually serve finely shredded cabbage completely plain with a lemon wedge on the side. This version has a little more flavor from the vinaigrette and bonito flakes.
You can prep the dressing ahead of time, but I recommend tossing it with the cabbage right before serving for the best texture.
No. This is a lighter Japanese-style cabbage salad with a vinaigrette-style dressing rather than a creamy coleslaw-type dressing.
Do you think your carrot ginger dressing would be good with this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Jeremy! Yes, I think the carrot ginger dressing would work beautifully with this! ๐
I do not use canola oil, saffron, vegetable. What other oil would you recommend olivee or avacado? I do use small amounts of sesame.
Thank you
Hi Ann Marie! Yes, avocado oil is good and a mild olive oil – something not too spicy – also works well ๐
Fantastic recipe! A perfect light okazu for virtually any meal. Seasame oil in place of canola really brings it home for me.
Thanks for posting!
Thank you Jen!
Really nice and light. We whisked in a small amount of Kewpie mayo to give it a slight creaminess. It was amazing with our chicken katsu.
Thank you so much Kate! ๐
Clarification please: light soy sauce meaning low sodium or Usukuchi Shoyu?
Hi Andrea! Itโs usukuchi ๐
hello, used kadoya sesame oil instead of canola oil and added a bit of crushed and minced garlic – took this dish to another level!
Bought some coleslaw mix today and made the sauce. ย Very good. Also had goma and furikake with bonita.
Do you have a ginger dressing for lettuce? ย Always get it in a Japanese resturant.
Hi Kuba, I have a ginger carrot dressing which you can find by typing ‘japanese ginger carrot dressing’ in the search box ๐ I hope it’s the one you are looking for!
I make this recipe and it taste good
Thank you for providing such a fantastic recipe.
Instead of using pre-shredded coleslaw mix, I used pre-packaged japanese cabbage salad. My guested loved it and I didnโt need any of the other ingedients.
That’s great Ahito! Thank you for sharing ๐
I ADD TOASTED SLIVERED ALMONDS. LEARNED THIS RECIPE FROM TOKYO ROSE. IVA TOGURI. SHE HAS PASSED, BUT JUST WAS ONE OF MY GREAT FRIENDS.
Would apple cider vinegar be ok to use if you don’t have rice vinegar?
Hi Anna! Yes, apple cider is okay to use ๐
you can sub Braggs Liquid Aminos for soy sauce to be GF.
Thank you Bonnie for the tip!