Friday, September 5, 2008

Napa Cabbage Salad

I first time had this salad at The Good Aunt's house. One bite and I fell in love. The salad was like nothing I had ever had before. The ramen noodles added a nice buttery crunch to the cool crisp cabbage. I had to get the recipe. Ingredients:
1 head napa cabbage
1 bunch minced green onions (I omitted the green onions)
1/3 cup butter
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I omitted sesame seeds but added 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil)
1 cup slivered almonds (I used sunflower seeds instead)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
~Shred the head of cabbage. Combine the green onions and cabbage in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

~Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Mix the ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds into the pot with the melted butter. (I used just the noodles and sunflower seeds). DO NOT USE THE RAMEN SEASONING PACKET. Toast the noodles and seeds until the are golden brown, careful to not burn them. Stir frequently.

~In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, oil, sugar, and soy sauce (and sesame oil if using). Bring the mixture to a boil, let boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and let cool.

~Sprinkle the top of the salad with the noodle mixture and then pour the dressing over. Allow to sit for 15-30 minutes before serving. If you are not serving right away, then do not top the dressed salad with the noodle mixture or it will get soggy.

This is a nice light summer supper or a good side dish to Sweet and Sour Chicken or other Asian dish. I need to work on my shredding. The cabbage shreds were a little thick and I think I used too much of the white, ends of the Napa. But this salad hit the spot.

2 comments:

Kira said...

I love this salad! My aunt introduced me to it, and now it's a favorite in our family.

Elizabeth said...

I love this salad, too! My mom makes it, but it's the one thing she makes that everyone goes nuts over, so she won't give up the recipe. Thanks!