Cabbage??

[WolfpackWife]

This is going to sound incredibly weird, but I tried cabbage for the first time last night. Yes, I am that freakily picky eater.

We've decided on doing a salad night each week, and last night started with an Asian salad, for which the primary green is cabbage. I had purchased a head of cabbage the week prior for two reasons: a) I like the smell of cabbage. I really do. I figured I'd try to fix it in a way that was delicious b) I found a recipe for garlic-rubbed roasted cabbage "steaks" (basically just 1/2-in wide slices of cabbage drizzled with EVOO and rubbed with garlic and then roasted). It looked delicious.

Well, we decided on the asian salad and used the cabbage for that instead. The recipe we adapted from said napa cabbage, but I just bought regular, whatever cabbage. I wasn't prepared for it to be so tough and crispy. Is that normal? It didn't particularly taste like much but the texture was very off putting.

Any cabbage substitutes for salads? Is napa cabbage different, texturally? What about bok choy (that's a thing, right?). The chicken marinade, dressing, and other salad components are delicious (also included cilantro which was such a great, fresh flavor), but that cabbage...so dense and crunchy.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Cabbage - think good, fresh cole slaw. Crunchy for sure. Not lettuce-y in texture (not leaf lettuce). Looks like iceberg, texture is nothing like it I love cabbage in all forms!

[WolfpackWife]

Cabbage - think good, fresh cole slaw. Crunchy for sure. Not lettuce-y in texture (not leaf lettuce). Looks like iceberg, texture is nothing like it I love cabbage in all forms!

I've never had coleslaw, so I wasn't ready for the crunchiness. I knew I liked the smell of the cabbage, but thought it would be, I don't know, leafier? More tender?

[diggitydot]

Napa cabbage is more tender and lettuce-like than regular cabbage. Try the same recipe again with napa cabbage. It makes a difference.

[spotty_dog]

Yes, Napa cabbage is completely different. If you use regular green or red cabbage, you pretty much need to shred it finely. I made it to my 20s without ever tasting cabbage either. But once I got on a health food kick and learned about its healthful properties, I found that a nice young head of green cabbage, shredded and tossed with a nice tart vinaigrette and a bit of translucently thin-shaved onion, is pretty much the most addicting thing ever. It's also pretty amazing in haluski, which is butter and bacon and cabbage and egg noodles cooked together into pretty much one giant pile of incredibly fatty comfort food. OMG. Not health food. But gooooooodd.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I've never intentionally had Napa cabbage, but I'll have to investigate. Bok choy is super yummy, but again very different (think romaine with thicker center). I grew up on cabbage - cole slaw, cabbage rolls, corned beef and cabbage...

[diggitydot]

I actually use bok choy instead of cabbage in several recipes. I like the flavor. Texture holds up better for things like soups, too.

[medpedspouse]

Speaking of Martha Stewart, she had a great red cabbage recipe with apple cider vinegar. I need to go look that up. Love cabbage - all kinds. My fav is to do the Asian slaw (love the rice wine vinegar) under a seared tuna steak, Yumm!