When I published my Chinese Pickled Cucumber recipe, some of you asked for a pickled cabbage recipe. For those of you who may be unfamiliar, this is the dish that many Chinese restaurants will serve as a complimentary appetizer.
Luckily, this isn’t one of those recipe requests that requires copious amounts of research and trial and error, so here it is! This Asian Pickled Cabbage is sweet and sour, crunchy and refreshing, and it really is an ideal meal starter to help cleanse your palate.
A Quick Pickle
For anyone intimidated by the word “pickle,” don’t you worry. This recipe is very simple! This kind of simple, quick pickled vegetable can last a week or two in the refrigerator, so you can make whatever size batch you like.
Before I jump into the details, a couple of pickling basics:
- All containers, utensils and your hands need to be clean and free of oil or grease. Don’t cross-contaminate–always use clean utensils when handling, so the pickled vegetables last longer.
- The secret to crunchy pickled vegetables is to extract the liquid/water from the vegetables before pickling. A salting process is used here to extract liquid from the cabbage.
- Because the salt and vinegar are corrosive, it’s best to use glassware or ceramic containers for pickling, not metal containers.
This recipe is for the basic, classic version of Asian pickled cabbage served by restaurants, but I could see it being served as a side dish.
If you’d like to “dress it up,” you could add some heat with a few chopped fresh Thai chilies, chop the garlic instead of smashing it for a stronger garlicky flavor, or add 3 bay leaves and 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns.
But here’s the basic recipe to start from!
Asian Pickled Cabbage: Recipe Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, hand-rip the cabbage into large pieces (about 3” x 3” pieces)––they will shrink after pickling. Add in the cut carrots and ¼ cup salt.
Use your hands to thoroughly and evenly distribute the salt with the vegetables.
Top the vegetables with a heavy object (I used a baking dish with a large, heavy mortar and pestle on top, but you could use foil-wrapped bricks or any other heavy objects), and marinate for an hour in the refrigerator. This process removes excess liquid and makes the vegetables crunchy, but don’t marinate for too long or the cabbage will be too salty.
Next, add the water and sugar (here is where you would add the optional bay leaves and Sichuan peppercorns I mentioned) in a small pot. Bring to boil, and turn off the heat. Stir in the white vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt. Let the liquid cool completely. It’s a good time to taste the liquid with a clean spoon to make sure you like the levels of sweet and sour, and adjust accordingly.
Once the cabbage and carrots are marinated, you’ll see liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Wash the veggies 2 to 3 times to get rid of the salt.
Drain and squeeze out any extra liquid by hand or with a clean dish towel before putting the cabbage and carrots in a clean glass or ceramic container.
Mix in the smashed (or chopped) garlic and whole (or chopped) fresh chili peppers.
Pour the cooled vinegar/sugar water over the vegetables and ensure the vegetables are completely submerged.
Cover and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving chilled or at room temperature. If you have any leftovers, keep Asian Pickled Cabbage stored in the pickling liquid and use clean utensil each time.
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Recipe
Asian Pickled Cabbage Restaurant Appetizer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cabbage (900g, hand-pulled into large pieces)
- 2 carrots (about 6 ounces/170g, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- ¼ cup salt (plus ½ teaspoon, divided)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 2-3 fresh chili peppers (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, hand-rip the cabbage into large pieces (about 3” x 3” pieces)––they will shrink after pickling. Add in the cut carrots and ¼ cup salt. Use your hands to thoroughly and evenly distribute the salt with the vegetables. Top the vegetables with a heavy object (I used a baking dish with a large, heavy mortar and pestle on top, but you could use foil-wrapped bricks or any other heavy objects), and marinate for an hour in the refrigerator. This process removes excess liquid and makes the vegetables crunchy, but don’t marinate for too long or the cabbage will be too salty.
- Next, add the water and sugar (here is where you would add the optional bay leaves and Sichuan peppercorns I mentioned) in a small pot. Bring to boil, and turn off the heat. Stir in the vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt. Let the liquid cool completely. It’s a good time to taste the liquid with a clean spoon to make sure you like the levels of sweet and sour, and adjust accordingly. Please use a clean spoon every time you dip into the brine.
- Once the cabbage and carrots are marinated, wash them 2 to 3 times to get rid of the salt. Drain and squeeze out any extra liquid by hand or with a clean dish towel before putting the cabbage and carrots in a clean glass or ceramic container.
- Mix in the smashed (or chopped) garlic and whole (or chopped) fresh chili peppers. Pour the cooled vinegar/sugar brine over the vegetables and ensure the vegetables are completely submerged. Cover and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving chilled or at room temperature. If you have any leftovers, leave them stored in the pickling liquid and use clean utensil each time.
