Asian Salad Wonton Cup Appetizers (EASY Asian Appetizer Idea)

These Asian Salad Wonton Cup Appetizers make a great recipe for a light snack as well as a fun party appetizer!

This recipe was originally published June 3, 2013. It’s been updated with new photos and additional information for clarity.

Creating These Asian Salad Wonton Cup Appetizers

With temperatures soaring, I am turning my “cooking” to more recipes that require as little cooking as possible.

There is something about warmer weather that stifles my appetite for hot foods.

I crave more salads, fresh fruits and vegetables, grilled meats that I can put on top of a salad or stuff inside a lettuce wrap. Sometimes, on really hot days, I just don’t feel very hungry at all. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the season’s best fresh fruits and vegetables.

We spent a lot of time at our neighborhood pool in the summer and always pack a cooler full of cold, fresh things to eat.

What I Love About this Asian Wonton Appetizer

3 reasons I love these Easy Asian Wonton Cups:

1. Recipes like these Asian Salad Wonton Cups satisfy my cravings for cool, crunchy recipes. It doesn’t require turning the oven on for very long at all and it is just enough for a little snack when a full, heavy meal doesn’t sound very appealing. Don’t want to turn the oven on? Skip the wonton cups and enjoy this cool, crunchy salad by itself.
2. You can easily add some chopped grilled chicken or cooked shrimp to the salad if you need something with a little more substance.
3. This packs easily in a reusable container to be eaten poolside. If you like to eat lunch at the pool in the summer while the kids play, this is a great recipe for that! I used to take it all the time when me kids were younger.

Ingredients in Asian Salad Wonton Cup Appetizers

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this tasty wonton cup appetier:

• Olive Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Rice Vinegar
• Soy Sauce
• Sugar
• Salt, Pepper, Cayenne
• Romaine Lettuce
• Purple Cabbage
• Green Onions
• Carrots
• Cilantro
• Almonds
• Water Chestnuts
• Sesame Seeds
• Wonton Skins

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Recipe Substitutions and Adaptations

If you need to make any recipe substitutions or adaptations for this Asian Salad Wonton Appetizer, here are my recommendations. Have another question? Feel free to leave it in the comments section:

If you’d like to add some protein to this dish, I recommend adding tiny salad sized shrimp or some chopped chicken breast. You may want to prepare a little extra sauce to coat the meat with before adding to the salad recipe.

Alternatives to soy sauce are liquid aminos or coconut aminos. Typically they are considered “health food” items, so you’ll probably find them in that department of your grocery store.

Don’t have black sesame seeds? No problem! White sesame seeds work just fine. I just happen to like the contrast of the black seeds.

Green Cabbage can be substituted for purple if the purple is not available. The taste doesn’t change, just the colors.

Need a sugar alternative? Agave, Honey, or Monkfruit Sweetener could be substituted for granulated sugar if desired.

Alternatives to rice vinegar would be apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. You need a light colored, mild tasting vinegar. Regular white vinegar would be too strong and Balsamic would not be appropriate in this recipe.

How to Make this Asian Wonton Appetizer

This appetizer recipe is really simple to prepare. No complicated skills necessary!

1. First you are going to preheat the oven and bake the wonton skins in a muffin tin. This will create the little wonton cups that will hold the salad.
2. After baking, cool the wonton cups completely before you add the salad to them. You don’t want the salad to get warm and wilted.
3. While the cups are cooling, prepare the dressing.
4. Then, prepare the salad ingredients. Combine them together, add the dressing, and stir until coated.
5. Once the wonton cups are cooled, divide the salad between them. Garnish with sesame seeds before serving.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Make Ahead Tips for this Recipe

Are you someone who likes to meal prep, batch cook, or is just super organized? Here are a few simple ways you can get a jump start on preparing this recipe:

To prepare ahead of time, bake the wonton cups ahead of time and store them in a dry place.

Prepare the vegetables up to a few hours ahead of time but do not toss with the sauce or place in the wonton cups until just prior to serving.

The sauce can be made a day or two in advance and stored in a small jar in the refrigerator. Then, simply shake to mix before adding it to the vegetables.

If you’re adding chicken, you can prepare the chicken in advance and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two. You can also cook, chop it, and store it in the freezer until you are ready to add it to the recipe. I recommend adding a little of the sauce to the chicken when freezing it. This helps flavor it and protects from freezer burn.

Reader Reviews for this Asian Wonton Appetizer

“I made these for an event! Easy, delicious and beautiful!” -Paula

“These were absolutely amazing! Loved it so much and craving it that I am making it again…only two days later, but in a big salad version to have for dinner. Can’t wait to have a family get together and make these appetizers for the whole family! So cute, easy and full of flavor.” -Margaret

More Asian Appetizers

Looking for more Asian Appetizer recipes? Check out my Favorite Asian Appetizers for even more ideas!

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? Head over to the Recipe Index where you can browse all the appetizer recipes or my archives for Asian recipes. You can also check out the Ingredient Index if you want to browse recipes by specific ingredients.

What do you like to eat when the temperatures outside are rising?

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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Rachael from Set the Table.