Sautéed Napa Cabbage

Craving something simple yet loaded with umami? This napa cabbage recipe sautéed with soy and garlic sauce is your go-to for an effortless side or veggie-forward main!

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT10M

Total time: PT15M

Rating

4.8 stars (10 reviews)

Keywords

Cabbage Recipes, Chinese cabbage, napa cabbage recipes, sauteed napa cabbage, Wombok cabbage, Asian side dishes

Ingredients

1 medium Napa cabbage (quartered lengthwise, aka Wombok)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin (or substitute with rice vinegar + a pinch of sugar)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sesame seeds
Chives or spring onions

Cuisine

Chinese
Asian

Steps

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Add the cabbage quarters and pan-fry for 2 minutes on each side, covering the pan with a lid to speed up cooking.
Flip each piece inner-side up and drizzle with the sauce. Cook for 30 seconds.
Flip again to let the sauce caramelize underneath the cabbage.
Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 104 kcal
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Protein: 4 g
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 463 mg
Sugar: 5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g

Reviews

Eva on 2026-04-25 (5 stars):
My husband and I and our 5 year old loved this. My other daughter said it's like old gloves. But hey.... kids.
Monika on 2026-03-24 (4 stars):
Very good recipe and easy to make. However it wasn’t quite clear to me when to put in the garlic so that it gets cooked a bit. I took zhe cabbage out of the panboiled it a bit in the sauce and then put in the cabbage again but I burned my pan. I got everything off and then the cabbage to my surprise had a really nice „al dente“ texture and was very tasty. I will make this again..
Kathi in NM on 2026-03-10 (5 stars):
Yum! So easy!
Alisa moore on 2026-02-05 (5 stars):
This was delicious and I look forward to making it again and again now that I've started cooking more regularly with napa cabbage. All my favorite flavors and textures in one dish. I did add green onions to the "marinade" and a little chili crisp for a bit of heat. Thank you!
Scott on 2026-01-30 (5 stars):
I grew cabbages this fall/winter. I had the best luck with the Napa styles. I ended up with some huge cabbages but I've never really used it before except for maybe adding to a soup for some texture. This was just the kind of new recipe I was hoping for. Thanks for the substitution ideas - I didn't have mirin. I didn't have lemons but I don't feel like the result was lacking. But I will try it with them next time.
Jennifer on 2026-01-26 (5 stars):
Very good and eaten up by my family! I did not have too much cabbage, so I sliced it instead - still delicious. I doubled the sauce and used a batch on sliced cucumbers with shallots as dressing - delicious. I think this is a great flavor combination that you could use on meat and a variety of cooked or raw (salad) vegetables. Bookmarking for sure.
May on 2025-10-26 (5 stars):
Just tried this tonight and the family loved it! So simple but full of flavor!
H. on 2025-03-31 (5 stars):
My family loved this, I think I cooked a little longer and we had the grill hot, so we did it on the grill, the sauce is the magic though. So Easy, So Fast!
Grace F on 2025-02-03 (5 stars):
I’ve already made this recipe twice and it’s quickly becoming a family favourite. I served it as a side dish with some salmon and rice and then another time with tofu and veggies. So delish!