Napa Cabbage Salad-Summer’s Here
The dog days of summer are here, the perfect time for salads to be the star of any meal. Ok, maybe not breakfast, but any other meal. I don’t like making salads, but the convergence of hot weather and gorgeous produce at our local farmer’s market trumps the drudgery of making one.
Define Salad
Back in the day when I was dating a poor medical resident (now the hubster) we went out for dinner at the famed Angeli Caffe on Melrose Ave in LA. If memory serves me, this quite possibly was our first solo date (without our mutual matchmaker friends-LONG STORY). This was back in the day of a burgeoning dining scene in LA. Think Spago, Mauro’s, and Michael’s. I was a fledgling foodie, and friends with benefits for me meant they had an expense account for dining, LOL.
We ordered a Caprese Salad and a pizza with olives, onions, and sausage. The salad arrived and my now hubster looked at it, then at me, and asked quizzically, where’s the lettuce? I’ll save the pizza story for another post…
Winner, Winner, Salad Dinner
Tasked with making a salad for dinner at my kid’s place (I’ll do anything for smoked brisket), I took stock of what was available in the fridge, Napa Cabbage, red cabbage, scallions, carrots, and my laptop (not in the fridge). I mashed together a couple of recipes found online and on Tik Tok (haha) and badabing-badaboom…my quick and easy version of an Asian Napa Cabbage Slaw was born. Stir sesame oil, a touch of soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar together for the dressing and you’re done. It’s very adaptable so add whatever veggies and or herbs that float your boat. I like bell peppers, cilantro, mandarin oranges and nuts, peanuts, or almonds. This is vegetarian BUT if you would like to add protein, shredded chicken is the bomb in this.
Why Napa Cabbage? I usually cook Napa cabbage but rather recently discovered it is delicious raw. Used as a wrap for Korean bbq or Bosaam, it’s delicious. It’s milder and sweeter than regular cabbage and is pretty nutritious, think fiber, and anti-oxidants. It is crunchy, refreshing, and versatile. You might see little black specks on the leaves, NOT to worry, not bugs, but rather a reaction with light that causes spots, it doesn’t affect the taste.
The dressing is a simple soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil blend. Whisk all the ingredients together. I add a bit of regular vegetable oil to give the dressing a nicer mouthfeel. You can omit it if you want. Garnish with additional sesame seeds, don’t forget a couple of grinds of black pepper when serving.
Asian Napa Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups napa cabbage thinly sliced crosswise
- 1/2 red bell pepper julienned
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded
- 2 stalks green onions thinly sliced on the diagonal
Options
- 1 cup Red cabbage shredded, replace 1 cup of the napa cabbage with this
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, optional
- 1/2 cup Mandarin oranges or oranges segmented
- 1/4 cup almonds or peanuts chopped
Dressing
- 3 T rice vinegar
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1/2 T honey can substitute sugar
- 1/2-1 tbsp toasted sesame oil to taste, I love sesame oil, I use 1 tbsp
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil you can leave this out but it gives the dressing a little more body
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds + extra for garnish
Instructions
- Cut Napa cabbage in half lengthwise. Slice leaves crosswise into thin strips. Rinse and dry cabbage and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients, julienned bell peppers, shredded carrots, red cabbage, and half of the green onions.
- Place dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend. Pour into the bowl of cabbage and other ingredients. Toss, and garnish with remaining green onions, cilantro, and chopped nuts/sesame seeds