Soy mushrooms Napa cabbage is a warm salad, perfect for the upcoming colder months. A combination of the Asian and rustical world. Cabbage and soy, bacon and mushrooms, almonds and mint. I love this combination. This dish has an intense, earthy and salty flavour. Your taste buds will have a wild dance.
Warm comfort food is just a perfect meal for the autumn and winter season. And there are plenty of recipes, which are easy and quick to make but they still taste rich and delicious. And so is this soy mushrooms Napa cabbage salad. A warm salad packed with flavours and textures.
I like mushrooms. I’ve already written quite a lot about them. Especially about the button mushrooms, Enokitake mushrooms and Penny bun mushrooms. You can read more in these simple mushroom recipes: honey figs cheese stuffed mushrooms, a lovely egg stuffed portobello mushroom, a delicious coconut shrimp curry with Enokitake mushrooms or this Penny bun barley.
Well, this time I bought brown button mushrooms, also known as cremini mushrooms. I was so happy to find such small and cute cremini mushrooms. I cooked most of them whole, just because they were too cute to cut. Wink.
Mushrooms and bacon pair wonderfully with cabbage. I picked the Napa cabbage, because of its mild flavour. Napa cabbage is also known as Chinese cabbage and it is widely used in East Asian cuisine but also in the rest of the world.
Napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage
The difference between classic green cabbage and Chinese cabbage is in the shape, texture and flavour. More, the Napa cabbage is a large-headed cabbage with an oval shape. It has tender and pale green leaves and it feels quite heavy for its size. Also, Napa cabbage is packed with way more vitamins and minerals than his round cousin.
It is very versatile, too. In fact, you can enjoy it raw, cooked or pickled. The Napa cabbage loves to absorb the flavours of the food around it. The lightly sweet cabbage will add sweetness to your dish as well. Put it in soups, salads, stir-fry it with meat or other vegetables or use it as a dumpling filling. You are going to love it. I promise. Wink.
Last but not least, you’ve noticed I use nuts almost in every recipe. Well, I love the crunchy part of my meals. This time, I sprinkled my warm cabbage salad with shaved almonds. And to add a slight freshness, I garnished it with fresh mint, too. Oh, a delight.
Ingredients for 1-2 portions of soy mushrooms Napa cabbage:
- 70 g bacon (diced)
- 3 sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
- 250-300 g Napa cabbage
- 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
- olive oil
- 7-10 small brown champignons (quarterd, halved)
- shaved almonds (for garnish)
- fresh mint (for garnish)
To begin, brush the dirt of the mushrooms and cut them into quarters or halves. Keep the really small ones whole. Then, wash, drain and slice the Napa cabbage. Chop the dried tomatoes and dice the bacon.
Add the bacon to a larger frying pan and cook until crisp. At this point, add the dried tomatoes and cabbage. Cook for a couple of minutes until the liquid evaporates. Then, stir in the soy sauce, cover, reduce the heat to a medium and cook for a couple more minutes until a bit tender.
At the same time, drizzle some olive oil in a smaller pan. Once hot, add the mushrooms and saute them for a couple of minutes until a bit darker but still firm. Add a couple of drops of soy sauce, toss and remove from the heat.
Add the mushrooms to the cabbage and bacon. Toss to combine.
Finally, divide the soy mushrooms Napa cabbage between the plates and sprinkle with shaved almonds. Top with fresh mint leaves.
Enjoy.
