Stir Fried Savoy Cabbage Salad

Submitted by: Gita Patel, MS, RD, CDE, LD
Yield: 6 -1 1/3 cup servings

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tsp Cumin seeds
  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 cups Sugar snap peas, ends trimmed (1/2 lb trimmed)
  • 2 Tbsp Sesame seeds
  • 2 Sweet red bell peppers cut into 1 ½” pieces (2 cups or ½ lb)
  • 8 cups Shredded Savoy cabbage
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Red chili pepper
  • ½ tsp Turmeric
  • ¼ tsp Lemon zest
  • 1 cup Chopped cilantro (with stems)
  • Juice of ½ lemon

Directions

  1. Wash the cabbage, sugar snap peas, red peppers, cilantro and lemon.
  2. Shred the cabbage into small shreds, trim the sugar snap peas, cut the red peppers, chop the cilantro using the tender stems, and prepare the lemon zest and juice ½ the lemon.
  3. Combine shredded cabbage, salt, red chili pepper, turmeric, and lemon zest.
  4. Add 2 Tbsp sesame seeds to the sugar snap peas.
  5. Heat cumin seeds in a 5-quart pan or skillet on high heat. When the seeds give off an aroma and are toasted (1 minute) add oil, sugar snap peas with sesame seeds.
  6. Stir with wooden spoon and cook on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Add the cut red peppers and stir to mix.
  8. Add the cabbage with spices and stir to mix and cook for 2 minutes.
  9. Turn heat off, keep pot on the burner to allow further slow cooking, and add cilantro and lemon juice. Stir well to mix all the ingredients.
  10. Serve as a salad with a meal. It goes well with rice, beans, millet, or quinoa.

Author’s Note: Variations & Options

  1. Substitute Bok Choy, green, red, or Napa cabbage for the Savoy cabbage in the above recipe.
  2. Substitute soy or bean sprouts for part of the cabbage in the above recipe.
  3. Substitute parsley or dill for the cilantro for a change.
  4. Substitute coconut or any other nut or seeds for sesame seeds.
  5. Add 2-3 sliced garlic cloves for variety in step 5 with the oil, sugar snap peas, and sesame seeds.
  6. Substitute a Yukon gold potato for 4 cups of shredded cabbage to the above recipe.
    1. Wash and cut the potato into small cubes.
    2. In step 5 of the above recipe, after the seeds have toasted, add the oil and cut potato. Stir and cook covered for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, till the potato is almost tender. Now follow the above recipe with rest of the ingredients and steps.
  7. Try the following combinations with Savoy cabbage:
  • Cabbage with grated carrots
  • Cabbage with red, yellow, orange, or green peppers
  • Cabbage with mung bean or lentil sprouts
  • Cabbage with fresh or frozen green peas
  • Cabbage with potato and peas
  • Cabbage with fresh or frozen edamame
  • Cabbage with fresh or frozen corn
  • Cabbage with canned or fresh, cooked chick peas (you get the crunchy from the crisp cabbage and soft from the chick peas) or any other cooked dry beans
  • Cabbage with scallions, colored peppers, and sprouts

Nutritionals: (1 1/3 cup)

Calories: 177; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 131 mg; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vitamin A: 62% DV; Vitamin C: 160% DV; Calcium: 9% DV; Iron: 11% DV