A crisp and refreshing Chinese Napa cabbage salad tossed with a bold, tangy dressing and crunchy toppings. Simple, quick, and seriously tasty!
Recipe highlights
✔️ Crisp, Refreshing, and Full of Flavor: Every bite offers a satisfying crunch and a bold, tangy dressing that brings the whole dish to life.
✔️ Quick and Easy: No cooking needed. Just chop, mix, and toss.
✔️ The Ideal Side: Light yet flavorful, it complements any protein-rich main dish with ease.
About Napa cabbage
Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage or Chinese leaf, is called Dà Bái Cài (大白菜) in Chinese, meaning “big white vegetable.” A staple in Chinese cooking, it’s valued for its mild flavor and versatility.
Its oblong head has tightly packed leaves that are crisp and juicy at the base, becoming tender and leafy toward the top. The leafy part ranges from pale yellow to bright green, depending on the variety and growing conditions. This natural mix of texture and color makes it perfect for dishes that balance crunch and softness.
In Chinese cuisine, Napa cabbage features in everything from stir-fries like Hot & Sour Napa Cabbage, to dumpling fillings such as in Pork & Cabbage Dumplings, and braised dishes like Lion’s Head Meatballs. It absorbs flavors well and holds up beautifully, whether cooked or served raw.
Other veggies & nuts
To accompany the Napa cabbage, you’ll need a few more ingredients to contribute flavor and texture:
- Fresh chili pepper – for vibrant color and uplifting heat. Choose any variety that suits your spice tolerance.
- Red onion– for its refreshing aroma and crisp texture. I’m usually not a fan of raw onion, but I absolutely love it in this salad (and in the classic Xinjiang Tiger Salad), thanks to the tangy dressing that balances out the sharpness.
- Cilantro (coriander) – for its unique fragrance. Feel free to skip it if it’s not your cup of tea.
- Roasted peanuts & sesame seeds – they add another dimension to the dish: a deep nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch.
🛎 Note: If you only have raw peanuts or sesame seeds, simply toast them in a dry skillet (without any oil) over low heat. Don’t skip this step if you want the best possible flavor!
The star dressing
For any salad recipe, a tasty and well-balanced dressing is always the key to success. For this particular dish, I experimented with several combinations and eventually found the perfect formula, which I’m very proud to share.
Classic Chinese salad dressings typically call for light soy sauce—for its salty, umami taste; black rice vinegar—for its complex tang; and sesame oil—for an extra-rich, nutty kick.
On top of these essential condiments, a few other elements make this dressing special:
- Lime juice: Although not widely used in most of China, lime plays an important role in the cuisine of Yunnan, a southwestern province that borders several Southeast Asian countries. Its highly citrusy and fragrant juice adds another dimension of tangy flavor that I find especially pleasing.
- Sugar: This is key to balancing the savory and sour notes. Think of the popular “sweet and sour” flavor profile, and you’ll understand why it’s needed here. You can use honey or other sweeteners as alternatives if you prefer.
- Garlic: You can hardly go wrong with a bit of minced garlic in a salad dressing—it adds a mild, aromatic heat.
Tips to help you succeed
DOs
- To make it extra crunchy, use only the white part of the Napa cabbage and save the leafy part for other dishes (they’re great in soups!).
- Replace sesame oil with Chinese chili oil if you enjoy spicy food.
- For optimal flavor absorption, use your hands (wearing kitchen gloves to avoid chili burn) to rub and mix the salad.
DON’Ts
- Don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to serve. The salty seasoning will draw out excess moisture from the vegetables over time, making the dish overly wet.
Pairing ideas
This Napa cabbage salad gives any meal a light and refreshing lift. Here are some protein-rich dishes I often serve with this salad on the side:
📋 Recipe card
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Napa Cabbage Salad (凉拌大白菜)
Ingredients
- ½ medium Napa cabbage - about 1 lb (450g)
- 2 fresh chili peppers - or to taste
- ½ medium red onion - about 3.5 oz (100g)
- 1 small bunch cilantro
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts - about 1 oz (30g)
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
for the dressing
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon black rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice - from half of a lime
- 1 tablespoon sugar - or honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil - or Chinese chili oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
Instructions
- Separate the Napa cabbage leaves and rinse them under running water. Shake off excess water, or better yet, pat each leaf dry with paper towels. Stack several leaves at a time and lay them flat on a cutting board. Starting from the root end, slice them crosswise into thin strips.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chili peppers, then slice them to match the size and length of the cabbage strips. Similarly prepare the onion. Cut the cilantro into sections.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix well until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Put all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl, top with peanuts and sesame seeds, then pour the dressing over them (see note 2). Toss everything vigorously to help the flavors absorb. Transfer the salad to a serving plate and enjoy.
Video
NOTES
NUTRITION
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
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