Sautéed Cabbage with Garlic, Ginger and Chili Oil

A blue and white platter filled with chopped, sautéed cabbage, bits of ginger and sesame seeds as well as two large silver serving utensils.

5 from 7 votes

Sautéed Cabbage with Garlic, Ginger and Chili Oil

Fragrant, sautéed cabbage makes for a satisfying and healthy side dish. This recipe keeps the vibrance and crunch of the cabbage intact while toasty garlic, ginger and spicy chili oil bring robust flavor!

Prep Time10

Cook Time29

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 273kcal

Author: Leigh Anderson

Ingredients

1 small head cabbage green, savoy or Napa
3 tbsp neutral oil
6 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
2 inch knob ginger peeled and thinly sliced
4 scallions whites cut into 1-inch pieces, greens finely chopped and reserved for garnish
3 tbsp Sichuan chili oil or chili crunch homemade or store-bought
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
3 heaping cups baby spinach

Instructions

First, cut the cabbage down the middle, splitting it into two equal halves. Locate the hard, white core for each half. Carefully cut out and discard the core. Next, place each half flat side down and cut into 2-inch strips then turn the cabbage 90 degrees and slice the strips into squares with a series of vertical cuts perpendicular to the ones you just made. Note: it doesn't have to be perfect. We're going for bite-sized pieces that will cook evenly.
Place a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the neutral oil–as soon as it starts to shimmer add in the sliced garlic, ginger and scallion whites. Sauté, stirring frequently until the garlic starts to turn golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
Next, increase the heat to medium-high and add in the cabbage and a generous pinch of salt. Depending on the size of your skillet (and your cabbage) you may need to do this in batches, adding more cabbage in as the first batch cooks down. Sauté the cabbage until its soft and tender but still has a bit of bite left, about 8-10 minutes, stirring often.
Last, add in the spinach, chili oil, soy sauce and sesame seeds. Toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Transfer the cabbage to a bowl and top with the reserved sliced scallion greens. Serve warm.

Notes

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

Cabbage: You can use any type of green cabbage you like; green, savoy or Napa. Red cabbage is not recommended as it will turn the whole dish purple.
Chili Oil: There are so many amazing chili oil and chili crisp brands at the market right now. Some of my favorites are; Fly By Jing, Lao Gan Ma, and even Trader Joe's has their own version. You can even make your own.
Spinach: Any leafy green can be used instead of spinach; kale, Swiss chard. Even snap peas, frozen peas, bok choy would all be welcome additions to this recipe.

Storing and Re-heating Leftovers:

Sautéed cabbage will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat on the stove top in a sauté pan over medium-low heat or in the microwave. Note: leftovers are fantastic for the next day’s breakfast served over steamed rice and topped a poached egg!

Nutrition