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}
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
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))
- 2 tbsp chinkiang vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- 1
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)
- 2
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix well.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
Immediately transfer everything to a big serving plate and serve it hot as a side dish.