Napa Cabbage Stir Fry with Vinegar Sauce (醋溜白菜)
This easy napa cabbage stir fry recipe makes crunchy crispy napa cabbage served in a rich hot and sour sauce that’s lightly sweet. Serve it as a side that completes your meal while piquing your appetite. {Vegan}
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (2-3 lb / 1-1.2 kg) small head napa cabbage
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 4 chili peppers , dried
- 1 inch ginger , minced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 2 green onions , sliced (some greens reserved for garnish)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons chinkiang vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Separate the leaves from the head of cabbage. Cut off the leafy green parts and save them in a ziplock bag for future use (*Footnote 1). Tilt your knife to slice the cabbage at a 45° angle into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces. (See blog post above for detailed pictures)
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix well.
- In a large carbon steel skillet or a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the dried chili peppers. Once the chilis start to brown, add the ginger, garlic, and green onions. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the sliced cabbage and turn to high heat. Cook without moving for 30 seconds. Then saute for 2 minutes, or until the cabbage begins to soften but is still crunchy. Do not overcook the cabbage, which will cause it to release liquid and make the sauce watery.
- Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch and pour it over the cabbage. Cook and stir until the cabbage is coated and the sauce thickens.
- Immediately transfer everything to a big serving plate and serve it hot as a side dish.
Notes
- Using the white part of the cabbage creates a crunchier texture. You can save the cut-off green part in a ziplock bag in the fridge for future use. The green part is perfect for making soup or stew, such as the Napa Cabbage Soup with Meatballs and Braised Napa Cabbage with Glass Noodles.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 97kcal, Carbohydrates: 10.2g, Protein: 2.2g, Fat: 5.4g, Saturated Fat: 0.9g, Sodium: 464mg, Potassium: 339mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4.2g, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 1mg