Asian Pickled Cabbage Restaurant Appetizer
User Reviews
4.9
Asian Pickled Cabbage Restaurant Appetizer
Description
The recipe starts with tearing cabbage into large pieces and combining them with chopped carrots and salt. Pressing the salted vegetables under a heavy weight in the refrigerator for one hour draws out excess moisture and helps achieve crispness while seasoning. Meanwhile, a pickling liquid is prepared by boiling water and sugar and then stirring in white vinegar and salt once cooled. This sweet and sour brine is carefully balanced and can be adjusted to taste.
After the vegetables have been drained, they are submerged in the pickling liquid along with smashed garlic cloves and optional fresh chili peppers. The mixture is then refrigerated to develop flavor and crunch. This method results in a bright, pleasantly sour, and slightly sweet pickle with fresh vegetable texture maintained by the initial salting and pressing process.
This pickled cabbage works well as a palate cleanser, side for rich dishes, or light appetizer offering both acidity and crunch.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cabbage (900g, hand-pulled into large pieces)
- 2 carrot 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 chili peppers optional, fresh
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.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 98 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 98kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 24g | 8% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 907mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 246mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 19g | 38% |
| Vitamin A | 2690IU | 54% |
| Vitamin C | 42.7mg | 47% |
| Calcium | 54mg | 5% |
| Iron | 0.6mg | 3% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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