When you're cooking with napa cabbage, you're making a culinary connection that reaches back to 15th century China.
The leafy vegetable's mild, sweet taste and crunchy texture earned it a permanent place in home pantries.
Across time and continents, the oblong cabbage evolved from a mainstay in Asian cuisine to a veggie appreciated around the world.
It's high on our list of favorite members of the Brassicaceae family, with an impressive nutritional value that keeps it there.
In this blog post, we’re sharing our top napa cabbage recipes.
9 Napa Cabbage Recipes That Inspire
Very Satisfying Salads
1. Chicken and Napa Cabbage Toss
This napa cabbage salad recipe can easily serve as a healthy side salad or a quick dinner idea. The nutritious salad combines shredded chicken breast with a colorful toss of green and purple napa.
A ginger and sesame vinaigrette gives the salad a delicate Asian accent.
Recipe Inspiration: Transform the vinaigrette into a creamy dressing by blending in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.
2. Grilled Radicchio and Napa
Grilled napa cabbage makes a wonderful side dish, but it also stands out as a unique salad ingredient. The cabbage tames the spicy chicory's flavor and compliments its deep color. This healthy salad is ready to serve in just 20 minutes.
Recipe Inspiration: Offset the sharp taste of chicory by adding grilled romaine lettuce to the mix, or simply use it as a slightly sweet substitute for the radicchio.
3. Crunchy Napa Cabbage Slaw
Put extra crunch in traditional coleslaw by combining the crispness of chopped napa cabbage and julienned jicama. With its honey and lemon dressing, this sensational summer salad is destined to become a year-round favorite.
Recipe Inspiration: Impress guests at your next backyard cookout by topping burgers with crisp napa cabbage slaw.
Breakthrough Brunch Ideas
4. Perfect Brunch Frittata
This flavorful napa frittata brings all the warmth of a comfort-food breakfast to your brunch menu. It's an unexpected take on the original Italian crustless quiche, but the refreshing taste profile will have everyone asking for seconds.
Recipe Inspiration: Hash browns and sausage or bacon and cheese muffins are just a few examples of guilty-pleasure sides that pair well with low-call napa cabbage frittata.
5. Napa Shakshouka Skillet
We give this brunch recipe extra points for outstanding presentation. The Mediterranean favorite blends fresh vegetable flavors and textures into a yummy napa cabbage shakshouka.
It's a beautiful brunch skillet you'll be proud to bring to the table.
Recipe Inspiration: Side hearty napa shakshouka with equally satisfying bread for scooping, such as tender challah, garlic-buttered pita or soft brioche.
6. Napa Cabbage Pancakes
Why not enjoy a guilt-free brunch that delivers generous servings of essential nutrients?
Napa cabbage pancakes check both boxes, and they do it with your choice of herbal flavors. The pancakes are easy on busy kitchen schedules too, moving from prep to plate in 20 minutes.
Recipe Inspiration: The recipe calls for fresh dill, but you can substitute tarragon, thyme, basil or parsley.
Delicious Napa Cabbage Dinner Entrees
7. Vegetarian Napa Cabbage Rolls
We recommend elevating these napa cabbage rolls from appetizer status to bona fide entrees. They put healthy eating at your fingertips, and they're sure to satisfy vegetarians, flexitarians and omnivores.
Recipe Inspiration: Fragrant basmati, fluffy indica or sweet jasmine rice are all delicious stuffings for your napa rolls.
8. Sheet Pan Napa Hearts and Sausage
The mildly sweet flavor of napa hearts pair perfectly with Italian sausage and apples. Just add a drizzle of olive oil, spread on a sheet pan, and quick-roast in a hot oven.
This simple recipe puts a bountiful napa cabbage dinner on the table in half an hour
Recipe Inspiration: Resize the meal for a hungry crowd by adding Brussels sprouts, carrots, baby potatoes and cauliflower and baking on an extra large sheet pan.
9. Pork and Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry
Thin slices of fresh napa cabbage are essential in crafting this classic Asian stir-fry.
The crispy veggie provides a crunchy contrast to the tender pork and rice noodles that complete the entree. Soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and chili garlic sauce add a final frying-pan finish.
Recipe Inspiration: Try rice sticks or rice threads for a new twist on your next rice noodle stir-fry
Meal Planning With Napa Cabbage
It's great to have dinner planned in advance. It's even better when you can quickly change those plans.
Napa cabbage gives you that kind of culinary flexibility. You can rework recipes with a few substitutions or pivot to a meal that's ready in just minutes.
Tender napa cabbage hearts are ideal for crafting edible serving cups and bowls.
Add deep color and wonderful crunch to salads and entrees with purple napa cabbage.
Generous toppings of freshly julienned napa give tacos and burgers a special crunch.
Freeze portions of your next kimchi, and you're ready for a quick meal for the next three months.
From wonton soups to dumplings, food pairings for Asian favorites are better with napa cabbage.
How to Select & Store Napa Cabbage
You don't have to wait for spring or fall to shop for fresh napa cabbage. The large heads are available year-round. You can also enjoy napa cabbage hearts regardless of the season.
Use these simple tips to select and store napa cabbage for your next healthy meal.
Bright green leaves and white ribs are sure signs of fresh, premium napa cabbage.
The heavy head should sound solid when you give it a thump with your fingers.
Keep unwashed napa cabbage in a plastic bag in the crisper until you're ready to use it.
Don't store the cabbage next to other vegetables or fruits that produce ethylene.
Stock up on soup and stew ingredients by bagging and freezing sliced napa cabbage.
Prepping Napa Cabbage Is Easy
Regardless of how you plan on using it, preparing napa cabbage is quick and easy.
You only need a clean cutting board and a sharp knife. The cutting techniques aren't complicated, but it's best to prep the cabbage just before combining it with other ingredients.
Start by cutting the head in half lengthwise and then into quarters.
Rinse well under cold water before drying between layers of paper towels.
Trim the quarters into bite-sized pieces, or slice thin for stir-fries.
Now you're ready to toss a nutritious napa salad, stir-fry an Asian classic or grill a new cabbage tradition. There are so many great cooking methods for napa cabbage, and each one is another reason we love the versatile veggie.
Inspiration From Our Fields to Your Tables
We always enjoy sharing healthy recipes and fresh ideas that inspire your creativity in the kitchen.
You can depend on Hitchcock Farms for a steady supply of insider tips, foodservice insights and great recipes for home cooking and restaurant menu planning.
We're proud to make it all happen every day by growing and shipping the finest premium produce from our fields here in the Salinas Valley to your tables.
FAQs
Is napa cabbage as healthy as regular cabbage?
Both cruciferous vegetables are excellent sources of minerals and vitamins. Napa cabbage does deliver more iron and copper, and it also contains higher levels of vitamins A and B3.
How is napa cabbage different from regular cabbage?
Napa cabbage heads are oblong, while regular cabbage heads are round. The flavor of napa cabbage is milder than regular cabbage, and its texture is more tender.
Can napa cabbage be eaten raw?
Yes, napa cabbage is often enjoyed raw, especially in salads and wraps. The raw cabbage also works well as a substitute for lettuce on burgers and sandwiches, and it adds extra crunch to coleslaw recipes.
