Featured Recipe: Napa Cabbage Salad with Crunchy Baked Ramen Noodles
More Ideas for Napa Cabbage

Napa Cabbage Salad with Crunchy Baked Ramen Noodles

With the added chicken, this can be served as a main dish.  Omit the chicken for a vegan main dish or just serve it as a side.

Makes 6 Servings
 
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts (depending on the amount of chicken you like) (optional)
1 large head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced across to shred
2-3 bunches thinly sliced scallions (to taste)
4 carrots, shredded
1 cup sliced almonds
2-3 packages Ramen noodles (just the noodles, discard any accompanying seasoning packets)
3 tablespoons oil
 
Dressing
3/4 cup vegetable oil or 3/4 cup canola oil
4½ tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
4½ tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
 
Directions:
Prepare dressing and set aside.
 
Break up the ramen noodles and spread in an ungreased sheet pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes until golden to toast them. Cool.
 
Toast the sliced almonds in an oversized sauté pan in 1½ tablespoons of the oil until lightly golden brown, adding more oil if needed. Watch them carefully because once they start to brown they can color very quickly. Stir frequently! Drain on paper towels and cool.
 
Combine cabbage, carrots, green onions and the optional chicken in a large bowl.   Add the toasted ramen noodles and almonds and stir well.   Add dressing and stir to coat. Season to taste.
 
Serve immediately after dressing. You can hold everything for serving later in the day as long as it hasn’t been dressed.
 

More Ideas for Napa Cabbage

When the weather is hot, like it is this week, using napa cabbage in a salad or slaw is a natural.  There are so many possibilities!

•  Start with a simple napa cabbage salad with almonds or red onions or an assortment of crunchy vegetables or miso dressing.
• Do you like peanuts?  Try napa cabbage salad with peanuts or a peanut-ginger dressing or a lime and peanut coleslaw with a Mexican flavor profile. 
• If you'd like a creamier dressing, try napa cabbage salad with a buttermilk dressing or a ginger citrus mayonnaise.
• You can use up the rest of your peas with this salad.  
• Make a meal-worthy chopped salad with tofu: with a miso dressing or a sesame dressing.
• Here are two more napa cabbage slaws.
• And a crunchy cabbage salad with Thai peanut dressing (recommended by CSA shareholder Cassandra Goldwater)!
• These potato and pork confit cakes might be too hearty for the summer, but the accompanying wilted napa cabbage slaw isn't.  You could substitute arugula for the watercress.

You can add napa cabbage to a stir-fry, as a main-course with pork or as a side.
 
Try making your own kimchi.
 
Braise it.
 
Saute to use as the base for some chicken sausage.
 
Stuff it.
 
Make dumplings.
 
Too hot in the kitchen?  Grill it!
 
Finally, here are a few more ideas that aren't salad.