Indulge in warm Chinese Cabbage Side Salad with a mouthwatering Umami-ful Asian sauce and a hint of chilli oil. Transform this humble napa cabbage into a fancy Chinese restaurant dish in just 30 minutes. You will be pleasantly surprised by the complex blends of salty, sweet, slightly tangy, and umami flavours.
Why you will love this Chinese cabbage recipe
This recipe is super easy. The most challenging part is steaming the Chinese cabbage. Many people only think of stir-frying Chinese cabbage, but steaming is another excellent way to prepare it. Enjoying warm steamed cabbage with a flavourful sauce will surely satisfy your appetite.
Key Ingredients to Make Spicy Chinese Cabbage Side
☑️Chinese Cabbage (Napa Cabbage)
This type of cabbage is a very popular food ingredient in Asian countries East Asia such as Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China. It has a lot more water content than typical cabbage, and the texture and flavour are different too.
To prepare, you can simply steam the cabbage over boiling water or microwave it with a little bit of water in a bowl for 10 minutes or so until it is lightly steamed with a hint of crunch.
☑️Umami-rich Secret Sauce
The secret sauce is the key to transforming ordinary cabbage into a dish bursting with delicious and intricate flavours – think tangy, salty, sweet, and umami all at once. It consists of a blend of quality oils (extra virgin olive oil and sesame oil), soy sauce, sugar or mirin, and vinegar, along with garnished vegetables. For a better presentation, it’s best to use clear-coloured vinegar. Rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar is the most suitable type. I used homemade apple cider vinegar with the vinegar mother in it.
☑️Chilli Oil
I’ve already shared a blog post about how to make chilli oil, so make sure to check out the recipe below. Adding this chili oil will make the dish stand out. It’s super easy and only takes about 10 minutes. For the best vibrant colour, use coarsely ground Korean Chili Powder (‘Gochugaru’). I highly recommend using it to enhance your dish!
Check out other recipes
☑️Vibrant Chilli Oil
Ingredients
- 1/2 red or white onion finely diced
- Ginger grated 1/2 ts
- Red Capsicum 1/2 diced
- 2-3 Shallots (spring onion) green part thinly sliced
- 1-2 Big Chilli (Big Green or Red Chilli) finely chopped
Half cabbage cut in quarters lengthwise with the core attached: Clean and washed
Sauce Ingredients
- Soy sauce 4 tbs
- Rice wine Vinegar or apple cider vinegar 3 tbs
- Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tbs
- Sesame Oil 1 ts
- Salt 1/2 ts
- Sugar 1 tbs or Mirin 3 tbs
- Chili Oil 1 or 2 tbs
Instructions
Step 1 - Making Chili Oil
Check the recipe.
Step 2 - Steaming Chinese Cabbage
Clean and wash the Chinese cabbage. Cut it into quarters lengthwise, making sure to leave the core on to hold the leaves together.
Microwave Method:
Clean and wash the Chinese cabbage. Cut it into quarters lengthwise, making sure to leave the core intact to hold the leaves together.
Boiling Method:
In a steamer, add a few inches of water and bring it to a boil. Then add the cut cabbage and steam it until it is tender but still has a slight crunch and retains its green colour. The cooking time may vary, but it usually takes 5-7 minutes.
Step 3 - Preparing Garnish and Aromatics
Prepare all aromatics in similar shapes and sizes for consistent appearance. Dice the onion and capsicum, grate the ginger, and finely chop the garlic and the green part of the spring onion. Also, dice or finely chop a big green or red chilli for a spicier flavour.
Step 4 - Making Sauce
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix in the prepared garnish vegetables and aromatics.
Step 5 - Plating
Cut the Chinese cabbage crosswise from the leaves toward the core, utilising the core to hold the cabbage firmly while cutting. Place the desired amount of cabbage nicely on a plate and then pour the sauce, mixed with aromatics and garnish vegetables, over the steamed cabbage on the plate. Eat with rice and other sides.
