This is a copycat of a Japanese Slaw sold at a charcoal chicken chain called Chargrill Charlie’s here in Sydney. This slaw-like salad has a Japanese spin with a scattering of edamame, sesame-dressed wakame seaweed salad and a creamy soy dressing. The seaweed totally makes it!
Japanese Slaw – Chargrill Charlie’s copycat
This recipe was requested by a reader. I was happy to oblige because although I find the Chargrill Charlie’s chicken so-so, their salads are actually pretty good! In fact I’ve done another before, a copycat of their famous Green Bean Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing.
So this recipe is a copycat of the Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw, named as such because the base salad is made using finely shredded cabbage and carrots like western Coleslaw but with the addition of seaweed salad and edamame all tossed with a sesame soy dressing.
It is very good!
What goes in this Japanese Slaw
This salad is a direct copycat of the Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw, so the ingredients are what I spied and tasted, with the exception of green onion which I think adds much needed freshness.
What goes in the salad
Japanese seaweed salad – This is sliced strands of a type of wakame seaweed, dressed in a sweet sesame dressing. It’s somewhat slippery and has a unique texture unlike anything I can think of in Western cuisine. These days, it is often served as a small side dish at sushi bars and Japanese restaurants, and it’s become extremely popular – with good reason. It is addictive!! I literally cannot stop eating it.
It is sold already dressed at seafood shops (usually in small black trays, like pictured below), as well as Asian and Japanese grocery stores. I also understand it comes in frozen packets, though I’ve never bought it (I believe you can buy it at Costco?). It has a fridge shelf life of several weeks.
If you’re not a fan of seaweed salad, you’ll be missing a key element of this Japanese Slaw because the dressing on the seaweed salad actually forms part of the dressing for this whole salad. So really, don’t skip it!
Edamame – Also known as fresh soy beans. Buy them frozen, either in their pods or already shelled. Simply prepare per the packet (usually a 5 minute boil). It’s pretty common these days, even sold in the frozen vegetable aisle of large grocery stores here in Australia (Woolies, Coles etc).
Cabbage – Both green and red, because that’s what Chargrill Charlie’s use!
Carrot – Again, because Chargrill Charlie’s uses it.
Green onion – Chargrill Charlie’s does NOT use this! But I do, because I think it adds much needed freshness into the salad.
What you need for the Japanese Slaw dressing
And here’s what you need for the dressing. Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise is the optional extra touch here which gives the dressing an extra creamy element just like the one used by Chargrill Charlie’s.
Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise – This is purely optional so feel free to skip it if you are turned off by the inclusion of mayonnaise in the dressing! We only use 1 tablespoon, and I’ve included it because I am pretty sure Chargrill Charlie’s uses it to make the dressing just a wee bit creamier.
If you can’t find or don’t have Kewpie mayonnaise (but why not?? Everybody knows it’s the best mayonnaise around!) feel free to use ordinary mayonnaise (preferably whole egg) or simply skip it.
Rice vinegar – The acid in the dressing, for brightness.
Olive oil and sesame oil – Our oils. Sesame for flavour but olive oil as well to dilute the strength of using sesame alone.
Sugar – Because the Chargrill Charlie’s dressing is distinctly sweet. Mine is a bit less sweet than theirs.
Soy sauce – This is the salt in the dressing.
Wasabi paste – The Chargrill Charlie’s dressing definitely has a distinct bite to it! It’s not spicy, but rather a background warmth. You can wasabi paste in tubes at supermarkets and Asian/Japanese grocers. Wasabi is purely optional, so feel free to leave it out.
How to make Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw
Just shake up the dressing in a jar, put everything in a bowl and toss.
Yes, it’s that easy, and that’s why there’s no recipe video for this recipe! Though, as always, if you ask nicely in the comments section below, I’ll make this for lunch and film it for you!
What to serve with this Japanese Slaw
I personally find this salad has enough substance to it to be a meal. Well, let’s be more truthful: It’s good for a light(-ish) lunch. For dinner, it’s for those days when I’m trying to be “healthy”.
For a normal meal, I’d add a side of protein to fill it out. Here are some on-theme suggestions:
Enjoy! – Nagi x
PS. No video today as it’s a “easy salad day” where I’m sharing 3 fairly straightforward recipes: this salad, a Pear Salad with Blue Cheese (swoon!) and Roasted Large Mushrooms with Green Onion Thyme Butter. But if you really want a video for this one, just leave a comment below and I’ll do it when I get a chance!
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Japanese Slaw – Chargrill Charlie’s Copycat
Ingredients
Japanese Slaw:
- 5 cups (tightly packed) green cabbage , finely shredded (~1/2 medium head, Note 1)
- 2 cups (tightly packed) red cabbage , finely shredded (~1/4 small head, Note 1)
- 1 carrot (medium) , peeled and finely shredded (using a julienne shredder, or box grater, Note 2)
- 2 green onion stems , finely sliced on the diagonal
- 1 cup edamame , cooked per packet directions (Note 3)
- 2/3 cup Japanese seaweed salad , pre dressed (Note 4)
Dressing:
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (sub cider vinegar)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (Note 5)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar (any type) or 1 1/2 tsp honey
- 1/2 – 1 1/2 tsp wasabi paste , adjust to taste (entirely optional) (Note 6)
Instructions
- Dressing: Shake Dressing ingredients in a jar until the mayonnaise is fully emulsified. Taste and add more sugar if you want.
- Toss with salad: Place cabbage, carrot, green onion, half the edamame and half the seaweed salad in a bowl. Add about 3/4 of the dressing, toss. (Seaweed will mostly stay in clumps).
- Wilt: Set aside for 15 minutes to let the cabbage wilt a bit.
- Serve: Toss again, then pile onto serving platter or bowl. Drape over remaining seaweed salad (in clumps) and edamame, drizzle with remaining Dressing. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Snuffle all you want. There are no crumbs for you!
Hi Nagi, I love this recipe. Is there any chance you could do a post on Japanese pickles please?
Thank you over and over for improving my cooking so much.
Easy to make, best flavour.
Great salad, there is a place near me called “Char” and I googled Japanese coleslaw and your recipe popped up. I added some finely sliced green capsicum. So similar. Thanks
Very nice. I used rehydrated wakami since it was all I had on hand before shopping. Also had no green onions and no wasabi, but I topped it with toasted sesame seeds. I read the instructions after I had already mixed everything together so…your presentation is undoubtedly superior!
Hi Nagi
Where do you buy toasted sesame oil in Australia? I’ve never seen it at chain supermarkets, or even Asian grocers in Chinatown.
Thanks!
This is THE BEST coleslaw dressing! So happy I found it. Thank you!! 🙂
Currently making this and I think I bought the wrong seaweed. It’s come out of the packet completely covered in salt and I have to soak it for 40 minutes?? Have made everything else though, and the dressing is amaaaazing!
Yes that’s a different seaweed. The one I used here can be eaten straight out of the container. N x
Thank you so much for the delicious recipe! We are local too so thanks for the tip off about the seafood shop!
Just had this at a post lockdown picnic. The best!!! Thank you for the awesome recipe.
Most awesome salad!!
Suggest in the notes you point out that toasted sesame oil is NOT the same as sesame oil … I had to do a last minute toasting of sesame seeds and infused it with grapeseed oil🤪
I never knew there was a difference!!
Hi Nagi
I really want to know how to make Japanese seaweed salad instead of just buying it. It’s so tasty I love it, do you or your Mum have a recipe? I love your recipes I use a lot of them all the time especially cause my husband is vegetarian but my kids are not! They all love your recipes
Thanks Jacinta
Hi Nagi,
This salad was amazing!!!!!! Your recipes have been keeping my spirits up here in lockdown Melbourne. So alongside RecipeTin Meals you are doing great work for your readers keeping us happy and healthy and occupied with your recipes. I also found a wonderful Asian grocer that delivers so I can limit my supermarket visits and keep cooking with all the right ingredients like the seaweed salad and edamame!!!
Thanks again,
Jules
Hi Jules, I am in Melbourne too. Do you mind letting me know the name of the grocer so I can source the seaweed salad please?
Hi Donna,
Sorry for the late reply. The site is premium co groceries. https://premiumco.com.au/
😊
You can get a huge pack from Costco in the deli section – somewhere near the dips and cheese isles
That’s great to hear Jules, thanks os much for the awesome feedback 🙂 N x
Great recipe Nagi, everyone loved it, a big hit with kids who helped make it. We served with roasted pork belly. Great combo! Thanks 😊
Yum!!! Sounds amazing Pip! N x
Hi Nagi
Love the look of this Japanese slaw, but about the beans! I bought frozen broadbeans! Are they the same as edamame or have I failed before I’ve even started?
Hi Robyn, they aren’t the same unfortunately. If you can remove the tough shell on them, you can use them as a sub though 🙂 N x
Hi Robyn, if you take the tough outer layer off the broadbeans the texture, size and colour will be similar so they should work fine. (And yum! Broad beans!)
The dressing is spot on!!! Thanks Nagi👌🏼
I’m so glad you love it Naz!! N x
Made the Japanese seaweed salad last night – fantastic flavours. A wonderful crunchy, colourful salad full of delicious goodness. Many thanks Nagi.
That’s great to hear Lois!! N x
Made this slaw with the Really Good Fish Cakes. Bought 2 packs of seaweed salad from the sushi shop, and used frozen edamame from Coles that I cooked according to the instructions. Delicious and healthy salad that complemented the fish cakes perfectly. Thanks for your fabulous recipes Nagi!
That’s awesome!!! Thanks so much Caroline! N x
Have just rehydrated wakame seaweed and it looks just the same as yours! 👏👏👏😁 smells great too! I picked it up in woolies in the Asian section.
Fantastic Sue – I’ll have to look next time I’m there! N x
Hello Nagi, I cannot find ‘rice vinegar’ anywhere, just ‘rice wine vinegar’… is this the same??
Thank you.
Hi Lucy, same thing 🙂 N x
Terrific.
Thank you so much for the reply.
Looks so yummy- can’t wait to try! Nagi, do you think
wakame- dried seaweed rehydrated might be an ok substitute? That’s all I can find
If you have a sushi shop nearby, get some seaweed salad. I don’t know if that’s possible for you. It’s worth a shot.