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Delicious and simple Napa Cabbage Salad with Asian-Caribbean fusion dressing that takes all of about 5 minutes to have a sophisticated and brag-worthy dish on the table.
This is a recipe that I adapted from a recipe from Marcus Samuelson's book exploring cuisine from across Africa. The dressing combines Scotch bonnet chilis with peanuts, ginger, and soy for deeply flavored enhancer.
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INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR NAPA SALAD
- Dry-roasted peanuts
- Limes
- Garlic clove
- Ginger
- Scotch bonnet chili pepper
- Tamari
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Green onions
- Napa Cabbage
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Aleppo pepper (optional)
NAPA SALAD ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
Toast the peanuts (1-2 minutes) quickly in a pan.
Transfer peanuts to blender or food processor. Add ginger, lime juice, garlic, chili pepper, and oil. Puree ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Place cabbage in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. Mix in the cilantro, green onions, and avocados. Serve with Aleppo pepper.
COOKING CONSIDERATIONS
Napa cabbage doesn't actually hail from the California wine country but is actually a Chinese cabbage. It is yellow to bright green and eye-catching with thick white ribs and crinkly green leaves. It has a more delicate flavor and texture than Western cabbages, making it perfect for using raw in salads and slaws.
Peanuts and chiles are staples in African cooking depending on the region. This sauce blends two common African ingredients with ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil for an African-Asian fusion that works really well.
The grated ginger adds some zest and warmth to the sauce as well as gives it an aromatic character that is enhanced with the lime juice.
Don't fear the habanero, as the de-seeding and de-veining should remove all the heat.
MORE CABBAGE RECIPES
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Napa Cabbage Salad w/ Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry-roasted peanuts
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 inch piece ginger grated
- 1 Scotch bonnet chili pepper seeds and veins removed
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 green onions trimmed and chopped (whites only)
- ½ head Napa Cabbage shredded
- 1 avocado peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped roughly
- ½ tablespoon Aleppo pepper optional
Method
- Toast the peanuts (1-2 minutes) quickly in a pan.
- Transfer peanuts to blender or food processor. Add ginger, lime juice, garlic, chili pepper, and oil. Puree ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Place cabbage in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. Mix in the cilantro, green onions, avocados, and Aleppo pepper.
Thanks! It's become a favorite in our house.