Crunchy Asian Chopped Salad

4.2 15 Published Jun 04, 2018, Updated Sep 23, 2024 Don’t get me wrong, I definitely go in phases of loving certain salads. I was on a blackened chicken Cobb salad kick for a bit and now my new go-to is this Asian chopped salad. I feel like whenever I create a new salad I eat it every day for a week or two and then get the itch for change so I create another combo.

Ingredients Needed for This Crunchy Asian Salad

napa cabbage – romaine lettuce will work as well. purple cabbage – see my note below about all the healthy benefits. carrots and red bell pepper – these fresh veggies add a nice crunch to the salad. avocado – for some added creaminess and healthy fat. green onion – if you don’t have green onion, yellow or red onion are both great alternatives. cilantro – adding fresh cilantro to this salad gives it such great flavor. almonds – for some added crunch. chicken – some protein to make this salad even more filling. chili almond dressing – the real star of the show here! It’s amazingly creamy and is legit giving me life right now. I’ve been drizzling it on everything!

Notes and Substitutions

Vegetarian: You can omit the chicken for a vegetarian salad. I recommend using chickpeas, tempeh, or my crispy baked tofu as a sub for additional protein. This will make the salad more filling. Red pepper: Not a fan of red bell peppers or don’t have any on hand? Feel free to use green or yellow instead. Cheese: If you’re looking to add in some cheese to this salad I think feta would work well. Dressing: I love the chili almond dressing I created for this salad but any dressing would work if you’re in a pinch. Some other dressing options: creamy balsamic dressing, cilantro lime dressing or peanut dressing. OXO salad chopper bowl: You certainly don’t need the salad chopper but it makes this salad super easy to toss together and is probably my favorite salad accessory. 😉 So many people have told me they bought the salad chopper because I recommended it and their lives have been forever changed… just sayin’!

How to Store Asian Chopped Salad

To make it in advance: If you’re making this as a meal prep salad I recommend adding some dressing to the full batch but saving some to add just before serving as well. The cabbage doesn’t get soggy but you lose a little flavor from the dressing as it sits so I like to add a drizzle when I serve it. I also recommend adding the avocado right before serving. To store leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.