Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad with Ginger and Peanuts Recipe
A crunchy napa cabbage salad with an aromatic ginger-soy dressing and toasted peanuts. In China, such light, tangy-salty sides often sit on the table next to the main dish, a bit like a small bowl of cucumber salad or slaw in Poland.
This salad combines the light crunch of napa cabbage with a bold, aromatic ginger-soy dressing and toasted peanuts, giving you a refreshing side that feels both simple and restaurant-worthy. It brings a classic Chinese-style balance of salty, sour, and lightly sweet flavors to everyday meals.
Chef's tips
Slice the cabbage as thinly as you can so it absorbs the dressing better and stays pleasantly crunchy. Don’t skip toasting the peanuts – it deepens their flavor and makes a big difference in the final dish. Taste the dressing and adjust the balance of soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar to your liking before pouring it over the vegetables.
How to serve
Serve as a side dish with stir-fries, fried rice, or grilled chicken, pork, or tofu. It also works well as part of a larger table of small dishes, alongside dumplings, spring rolls, or simple steamed rice.
Ingredients
- napa cabbage about half a medium head - 400 g
- carrot - 1 piece
- unsalted peanuts they can be pre-roasted - 3 tablespoons
- fresh ginger piece about 1.5 cm - 10 g
- garlic - 1 clove
- soy sauce - 2 tablespoons
- rice vinegar can be replaced with apple cider vinegar - 1.5 tablespoons
- sesame oil - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- oil for toasting the peanuts - 1 tablespoon
- chives chopped, optional - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Wash and dry the napa cabbage, then slice it into thin strips. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Peel the carrot and grate it on the coarse side of a grater or cut into very thin matchsticks. Add to the cabbage.
- Toast the peanuts in a dry pan or with a little oil over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until lightly golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Peel the ginger and finely grate it. Peel the garlic and chop it very finely or grate it.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, grated ginger and garlic until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the cabbage and carrot. Mix thoroughly with your hands or large spoons, gently squeezing so the vegetables soften slightly but stay crunchy.
- Sprinkle the toasted peanuts and, if using, the chopped chives on top. Gently toss.
- Let the salad sit for 10 minutes at room temperature so the flavors meld, then serve.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w lodówce w zamkniętym pojemniku. Orzeszki z czasem zmiękną, więc jeśli chcesz zachować chrupkość, dodawaj je tuż przed podaniem.
