This Napa Cabbage Salad is contemporary, crunchy, a bit of candy and spicy, and filled with nutty, garlicky, sesame-soy goodness. Scrumptious proof that salads don’t should be unhappy and bland!
Crisp napa cabbage, juicy cucumbers, and crunchy peanuts are paired with a scorching sesame-garlic dressing that’s so good you’ll wish to drizzle it on all the pieces.
Add in edamame or tofu for a bit of additional protein, and also you’ve received a salad that’s contemporary, mild, satisfying, and prepared in half-hour.
Desk of Contents:
1. Why you’ll love this salad
2. Ingredient notes
3. Step-by-step directions
4. Suggestions for making this recipe
5. Steadily Requested Questions
6. Recipe card with notes
Why you’ll love this salad
The proper steadiness of flavors
One chunk of this salad, and also you’ll instantly know that it hits all the correct notes—savory from the soy sauce, nutty from the sesame, vibrant and zingy from the vinegar, and only a contact of warmth to maintain issues attention-grabbing.
A texture lover’s dream
Crisp and light-weight napa cabbage, juicy cucumbers, and crunchy peanuts? Each chunk is a mixture of crisp, tender, and crunchy goodness so your palate by no means will get bored.
Simple to make, laborious to cease consuming
The toughest half is chopping the veggies (which isn’t that laborious). The dressing comes collectively in minutes, and when you toss all the pieces collectively, it’s not possible not to return for extra.
Whether or not you serve it as a aspect, a light-weight lunch, or a enjoyable meal prep possibility, this salad is one you’ll wish to carry on repeat.
Ingredient notes
Napa cabbage
A kind of Chinese language cabbage, it’s extensively used throughout East Asian cooking. In comparison with your customary inexperienced cabbage, napa cabbage has a extra delicate and tender texture and milder, sweeter taste.
Shapewise, it’s rectangular, relatively than spherical, and fewer dense/heavy. And its thinner, much less compact leaves make it very best in salads like this one (and naturally, in kimchi!).
It’s a cool season vegetable, however you’ll seemingly discover it 12 months spherical in American grocery shops.
Suggestions for getting: May additionally be offered as “Chinese language cabbage.” Offered at well-stocked grocers and Asian markets. In Europe, it might be referred to as Chinese language leaf, Chinese language cabbage, or winter cabbage.
Substitutes: In case you can’t discover napa cabbage, you should utilize common inexperienced cabbage. You’ll wish to slice it as thinly as you’ll be able to with a pointy knife, or use a mandoline for the perfect outcomes. Or, in case you have entry to savoy cabbage, which is a little more tender and fewer dense than inexperienced cabbage, use that. In Europe, in case you have entry to pointed or hispi cabbage, you may as well attempt that.
Recent, Crunchy Veggies
Along with napa cabbage, this salad options scallions, cucumbers, carrots, and optionally, crimson bell peppers. The mixture makes for a satisfying number of contemporary textures.
That mentioned, this salad can also be versatile. Be happy to customise it with the contemporary crunchy veggies of your selection. See the Suggestions part for extra concepts.
Roasted Peanuts
Roasted, salted peanuts add each texture and taste to this salad, bringing wealthy, nutty, salty vibes to the desk. And with 7g protein per 1-oz serving, additionally they make this salad extra satiating!
Tip: For a much less peanut-heavy salad, halve the quantity of peanuts referred to as for within the recipe.
Substitutes: For peanut-specific allergy symptoms, use roasted cashews (or slivered almonds). If allergic to all nuts, you’ll be able to omit totally or complement with ¼ cup (32g) roasted sesame seeds and/or ¼ cup (35g) roasted sunflower seeds. Or, in case you have entry to roasted soybeans or soy nuts, these can be a enjoyable addition right here.
Sesame-Garlic Dressing
With quite a lot of crisp veggies and crunchy peanuts, this salad is already straightforward to like, however the pièce de résistance is the scorching sesame-garlic dressing.
We’re speaking sizzling oil poured over garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, and chili flakes to deliver out the deep, toasty flavors, then paired with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and agave. Sure, it’s as magical because it sounds.
Step-by-step directions
Slice the napa cabbage in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
Put together the opposite greens: Julienne the cucumbers (i.e., slice into skinny strips); or slice into half moons. Grate the carrots. Slice the scallions thinly on a bias. If utilizing, slice the crimson bell pepper into strips.
Add the cabbage and different greens to a big serving bowl.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss together with your arms.
In a small bowl, layer these components on this order: sesame seeds, chili flakes, grated ginger, and eventually grated garlic on prime.
Warmth the neutral-flavored oil in a small saucepan for a couple of minutes till sizzling and shimmering, then instantly pour over the garlic combination. Permit to sizzle, then stir.
After 1 minute, stir within the soy sauce, rice vinegar, agave, and if utilizing, toasted sesame oil.
If utilizing the edamame, prepare dinner in accordance with the bag or defrost in a bowl of sizzling water. Drain and season with salt, then add to the salad.
Pour the Sesame-Garlic Dressing on the salad.
Toss the dressing into the salad, then stir within the roasted peanuts. Toss once more. Style for seasonings and modify, then serve.
Suggestions for making this recipe
Customise to your liking
Be happy to make this salad your individual.
You should use totally different crunchy greens. For example, attempt thinly sliced celery as a substitute of the bell peppers or carrots. Or, in case you have some crimson cabbage readily available, shred a handful and toss that in.
You probably have entry to bean sprouts, a handful or two of these can be beautiful right here.
Have contemporary mint or cilantro readily available? Chop them up or tear them together with your arms, and add them into the salad. Thai basil leaves can be even lovelier!
Need extra warmth? Add a thinly sliced contemporary crimson chili pepper together with the opposite veggies.
Need extra crunch? Add some fried shallots on the finish. Take a look at web page 224 of my cookbook, Large Vegan Taste, for do-it-yourself fried shallots, or purchase them in a jar on-line (affiliate hyperlink) or at your native Asian grocery retailer.
Meal prep to get forward
This salad already comes collectively fairly rapidly, however you may get forward of issues by meal prepping it too.
Sliced cabbage: Retailer in a reusable bag or ziploc bag in your crisper for as much as 5 days.
Sliced bell peppers: Retailer in an hermetic container in your crisper for 3 to five days.
Grated carrots: Retailer in a reusable bag or hermetic container for two to three days.
Scallions: As soon as washed, dry them effectively and slice them; retailer loosely wrapped in a paper towel, then place in an hermetic container or reusable bag; retailer for two to three days.
Observe: Cucumbers are finest when sliced contemporary.
When it’s time to serve, simply whip up the Sesame-Garlic Dressing, slice the cucumbers, and chop the peanuts, and also you’re able to serve!
Observe: You can too make the Sesame-Garlic Dressing a pair days forward of time and retailer it in a sealed jar within the fridge.
Steadily Requested Questions
At well-stocked grocery shops, in addition to Asian grocers. It’s even offered at some Walmarts.
Take a look at the Substitutes listed within the Ingredient Notes part.
The one supply of gluten is from the Chinese language mild soy sauce, so to make this salad gluten-free, merely use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
My first suggestion can be roasted, salted cashews. Subsequent can be slivered almonds.
If allergic to all nuts, you’ll be able to omit totally or complement with ¼ cup (32g) roasted sesame seeds and/or ¼ cup (35g) roasted sunflower seeds. Or, in case you have entry to roasted soybeans or soy nuts, these can be a enjoyable addition right here.
You possibly can serve this salad as a light-weight lunch, as a aspect dish, and even for dinner.
To make it an entire meal, make sure you add the elective edamame for protein, or fold in your most well-liked protein. You probably have a bit extra time, baked tofu, marinated tofu, or fried tofu can be nice right here.
You can too bulk up this salad by folding in some sliced or diced ripe avocado.
If you wish to serve this salad as a aspect dish, it might pair properly with any East Asian essential course. Strive my Gochujang Noodles (which additionally makes use of napa cabbage!), Sesame Noodles, Tofu Stir Fry, or Chinese language Braised Tofu.
Whereas the salad will lose a few of its preliminary crunch, it’s nonetheless scrumptious two or three days later, as cabbage salads can rise up within the fridge for just a few days. Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge.
You possibly can serve leftovers chilly, or at room temperature. I notably love stirring some cooked rice into leftovers for one thing a bit heartier.
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Large Vegan Taste
Strategies and 150 recipes to grasp vegan cooking.
Napa Cabbage Salad with Sesame Dressing
This Napa Cabbage Salad is contemporary, crunchy, and filled with daring, nutty, garlicky goodness—all in simply half-hour! A mixture of crisp napa cabbage, juicy cucumbers, and crunchy peanuts retains each chunk thrilling, whereas the scorching sesame-garlic dressing ties all of it collectively. Whether or not you want a fast aspect dish, a light-weight lunch, or a meal prep-friendly salad that stays crisp for days, this one’s a must-make!
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Scallions: Trim the roots and any bruised tops. Slice the scallions thinly on a bias. Add to a bowl of ice water and soak for ~10 minutes (this mellows out the pungency). Drain the scallions and pat dry.
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Napa cabbage: Take away any wilted outer leaves. Slice in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise, eradicating any backside cores which might be very powerful. It is best to find yourself with ~ 16 oz / 450g sliced cabbage. Add the sliced leaves to a salad spinner bowl to rinse, then dry (or rinse in a bowl and dry effectively with towels).
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Other veggies: For the cucumbers, both julienne or slice into half moons. For the carrots, use the big holes on a field grater to grate them (or a julienne peeler / meals processor shredding disc). If utilizing the bell pepper, slice thinly into strips.
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In a serving bowl, mix the cabbage, cucumber, carrots, crimson pepper if utilizing, and drained scallions. Toss to mix.
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If utilizing the elective edamame: If frozen, add to a bowl of sizzling water (or prepare dinner in accordance with the bag directions). Drain and pat dry, then toss edamame with just a few pinches of salt.
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Prep the Sesame-Garlic Dressing: In a small bowl, layer the next components on this order: sesame seeds first, then chili flakes, ginger, and eventually garlic on prime.
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Add the impartial oil to your smallest saucepan. Warmth for 3 minutes on excessive or till shimmering (in case you have a thermometer, wait till it registers 350ºF/175ºC).Instantly pour the recent oil over the garlic-ginger combination. Permit to sizzle, then stir and relaxation for 1 minute. Stir the soy sauce, vinegar, agave, and sesame oil (if utilizing) into the infused oil.
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Assemble: Sprinkle a pinch or two of salt into the cabbage salad and use your arms to toss. Fold within the seasoned edamame, if utilizing. Pour the Sesame-Garlic Dressing on prime and toss effectively till the veggies are effectively coated. Fold within the chopped peanuts. Style and modify the seasonings (I prefer to stir in ½ teaspoon soy sauce for savory saltiness and ½ teaspoon rice vinegar for tang).
- For a much less peanut-forward salad, use ½ cup (70g) peanuts. If allergic, omit totally, or you’ll be able to attempt including ~ ¼ cup (32g) roasted sesame seeds and/or ¼ cup (35g) roasted sunflower seeds.
- Don’t have this? Use 1 beneficiant tablespoon of normal grocery retailer soy sauce. To maintain this salad gluten free, use tamari or GF soy sauce.
