If you’re looking for a new go-to salad, this miso crunch salad is for you! This Trader Joe’s inspired recipe combines sweet and salty flavors, crunchy texture, and bright colors to make the most delicious and nutritious meal.

Miso crunch salad in a white bowl with a side of chow mein noodles, roasted cashews, and cilantro.

If you’re a fan of Trader Joe’s, you may recall this miso crunch salad and just how popular it was. Unfortunately, it was discontinued, but with a little trial and error, I was able to re-create a copycat version at home!

The combination of crunchy veggies, crispy chow mein noodles, salty nuts, and smooth miso dressing makes this miso crunch salad recipe oh-so-delicious and slightly addictive. I think it’s the perfect side dish to bring to a summer BBQ as it pairs well with everything from grilled shrimp to burgers and chicken, and keeps well in the fridge so you can prep it ahead of time and grab it when you’re ready to eat.

Close up of miso crunch salad in a white bowl with a serving spoon.

Why You’ll Love It

Crunchy + Colorful – The combination of bright colors and crunchy textures in the salad makes it so delicious it’s almost addicting.
Full of Flavor – The sweet and salty flavors in the sesame miso dressing and the fresh flavors of the vegetables ensure that this miso crunch salad hits all the right notes.
High in Fiber – With 3 grams of fiber per serving, this Asian salad is a great way to eat more fiber.

Miso crunch salad ingredients: chopped kale, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, cilantro, sesame miso dressing, roasted cashews, chow mein noodles, and sesame seeds.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Cabbage – This recipe calls for a mixture of green cabbage and red cabbage, also known as purple cabbage, to ensure the salad has some color, but you can use one or the other if needed.
Kale – To add some greens and fiber.
Carrots – To add some color and more veggies. The recipe calls for you to julienne your carrot, but you can use pre-shredded carrots if you prefer.
Cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro, you can use parsley and/or sliced green onions instead.
Cashews – To add some healthy fats and some crunch, you can use roasted peanuts if preferred.
Sesame Seeds – To add some flavor and more healthy fats.
Miso – To make the sesame miso dressing. I used white miso, as I think it provides the best flavor, but any miso paste will work.
Olive Oil – To make sesame miso dressing, avocado oil would also work nicely.
Sesame Oil – To ensure the dressing has a hint of sesame flavor. You can use regular or toasted sesame oil.
Rice Vinegar – To balance the dressing with some acid, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, or orange juice would also work well.
Honey – To add a hint of sweetness to the dressing,
Garlic – To flavor the dressing. The recipe calls for fresh garlic cloves, but you can use garlic powder if needed, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Fried Chow Mein Noodles – While optional, these add a nice crunchy topping to the salad.

Dietary Adaptions

To Make it Gluten-Free: Swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos and omit the chow mein noodles.

How to Make the Trader Joe’s Miso Crunch Salad

Prep the vegetables. Shred the cabbage, chop the kale, slice the carrots, and mince the cilantro.
Make the dressing. Add the dressing ingredients, olive oil, sesame oil, miso, rice vinegar, honey, and garlic, to a small food processor and blend until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as needed.
Toss the salad. In a large bowl, add salad ingredients, cover with sesame miso dressing, and toss until well combined. Once mixed, sprinkle the salad with roasted cashews, sesame seeds, and crispy chow mein noodles, although optional.
Serve and enjoy! The salad can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

Chopped kale, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, cilantro, and cashews in a white bowl with sesame miso dressing on top.

Red’s Nutrition Tip

Miso is a fermented soybean paste and a great fermented food to add to your diet as it is a good source of probiotics for gut health. In addition to salad dressing, miso works well in soups or as a marinade, like in my honey miso salmon and Asian salmon tray bake.

Overhead shot of miso crunch salad in a large white bowl with a tea towel, sesame seeds, cashews, and chow mein noodles on the side.

Serving Suggestions

This miso crunch salad is a great source of fiber and healthy fats, so pairing it with a source of protein and complex carbohydrates, such as rice or potatoes, can help to it a more balanced meal. I think one of the following protein sources would work well with this salad:

Grilled chicken
Grilled salmon
Grilled steak
Grilled shrimp
Grilled tofu
Edamame

Miso crunch salad on a plate with grilled chicken.

Storage

Once dressed, the salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours, if left any longer the salad will get soggy.

If you want to prepare the salad ahead of time, prepare the vegetables and dressing, then store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, add the chopped veggies, cover with dressing, toss until well combined, and top with the remaining salad ingredients.

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