One of the best things about a cabbage salad is that it gets better with time!
Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots and snow peas hold up well even after being tossed with dressing. Most salads will become soggy and wilt, but not this one! That’s why this salad is great to make at the beginning of the week to put in lunches or take with you on trips or picnics. Not only is that salad easy to make and simple to preserve, it is also packed with nutrition.
This Chinese cabbage belongs to a large class of leafy/flower head vegetables which includes kale, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.
For one, napa cabbage is low in calories but high in vitamin K, vitamin C, and folates. In fact, in a 100g serving, napa has 38% of your RDI levels of vitamin K, 45% vitamin C and 20% of your folates. As you know, vitamin K plays a vital role in bone metabolism by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bone cells.
In addition, it is a very natural source of electrolytes – like calcium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, iron and magnesium.
With all these vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (yes, there’s antioxidants in Napa too!) stowed away in each serving of napa cabbage, it’s one vegetable that should be on regular rotation in any household.
Finally, by finishing off this recipe with some fresh herbs such as cilantro and basil – it provides this salad with a nice lightness and contrast as well as some more vitamins and minerals such as manganese and vitamin C. [1]
So the next time you are preparing meals for the week or planning a picnic or backyard BBQ – whip out this recipe and wow your guests!
Cabbage Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 head napa cabbage organic, thinly shredded
- 1/2 small head red cabbage organic, thinly shredded
- 1 carrot, organic, peeled and julienned
- 1 cup snow peas organic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup basil leaves organic
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves organic
- 1 avocado organic, pitted and cubed
- 1/4 cup cashews chopped, organic, roasted
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp peanut butter smooth, organic
- 2 tbsp rice-wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp raw organic honey
- 1/2 tsp sriracha (hot sauce)
- 1 clove garlic organic, finely minced
- 1 tsp ginger freshly grated organic
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Combine the napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, snow peas, avocado and half the herbs in a large bowl.
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a separate bowl, adding more water to thin if necessary.
- Toss the salad with the dressing and top with the rest of the herbs, cashews and sesame seeds.
Bob Barker
August 11, 2014 , 11:12 amThank you that is Awesome!