This cabbage stir-fry recipe with carrots and bean sprouts is a healthy and delicious Asian-style side dish. Ready in less than 15 minutes, this healthy vegetarian stir-fry is the perfect quick and easy weeknight meal.
Why Make This Cabbage Stir-Fry Recipe
I first had this type of cabbage stir-fry at one of our favourite Japanese restaurants. The main course was a teriyaki hot plate, and the cabbage stir fry recipe was the base for the teriyaki. I loved the cabbage stir-fry even more than the chicken teriyaki. It even inspired me to create this cabbage stir-fry recipe, which I now make regularly.
This cabbage stir-fry recipes makes a delicious substitute for noodles if you are cutting down on carbs or are gluten sensitive. When cooked, cabbage is mild tasting and a little sweet. Because cabbage is mild tasting, it doesn’t overpower the delicate stir-fry seasonings in this dish. Its sweetness eliminates the need for sugar or other sweeteners that are often added to stir-fry recipes, too.
Here's What You Need to Make It
- Cabbage: I used green cabbage in this cabbage stir-fry recipe, and it worked great and was delicious! I also often use Napa cabbage (also called Chinese cabbage). You can make this recipe with red cabbage or savoy cabbage, as well. Usually, all the different cabbage varieties can be used interchangeably in recipes.
- Produce: You'll need to use onion, carrots, garlic, ginger, and mung bean sprouts for this cabbage stir-fry recipe. Add your other favorites, as well.
- Liquids: I used soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. It's also a good idea to have sriracha or samba hot sauce on hand.
How to Make This Cabbage Stir-Fry, Step By Step
Step 1: Heat Oil in Wok
First, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Cook Veggies
Next for your cabbage stir-fry recipe, add the onion, garlic, ginger, and carrot and cook, stirring, until the onions are softened (for about 1 minute). Then, add the cabbage and cook, stirring, until the cabbage starts to wilt (for about 2 more minutes).
Step 3: Stir in Liquids
Now, stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Continue to cook the until the cabbage is wilted (for about 3 minutes).
Step 4: Add Bean Sprouts and Serve
Finally, remove your cabbage stir-fry from heat and add the bean sprouts, tossing to combine. Now it's time to serve your cabbage stir-fry recipe with hot sauce, or Honey Teriyaki Sauce on the side!
Expert Tips
- Use chili flakes. If you prefer, you can add red chili flakes to this cabbage stir-fry recipe during the cooking process, and skip the hot sauce.
- Great with leftovers. Add previously cooked tofu, shrimp, chicken, or beef to your cabbage stir-fry recipe after stirring in the soy sauce to give it time to heat through.
- Add a protein. Adding a protein to this recipe takes it from a side dish to a complete meal. Sauté tofu, shrimp, chicken, or beef before continuing with the recipe.
- Choose the right cabbage. Choose a cabbage that feels heavy for its size and has no spots or blemishes for this cabbage stir-fry recipe. It should be bright green, with crisp looking, tightly packed leaves. Some cabbages are huge, so you may need to plan for more than one meal using cabbage.
Cabbage Stir-Fry Recipe FAQs
This cabbage stir fry recipe is pretty good for you, simply because it includes cabbage, which is a very nutritious vegetable. This cruciferous vegetable is part of the Brassica family, which includes broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Why is cabbage so nutritious? First, cabbage is high in fibre, both soluble fibre, and insoluble fibre, both of which help to keep your digestive system happy. Second, it contains powerful antioxidants to help fight chronic inflammation. Finally, cabbage is very high in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and many important minerals. Here’s more in-depth information about why you should eat more cabbage: The Health Benefits of Cabbage.
Store your uncut cabbage in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Partial heads should be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Your cabbage will keep for up to 2 weeks. Uncooked shredded or sliced cabbage can be stored in a ziplock bag for up to a week.
Yes, you can! To freeze, cut the cabbage into wedges, then blanch the wedges by plunging them into boiling water for two minutes and immediately plunging them into ice water. When the wedges are cool, remove them from the water and shake off excess water, patting dry with paper towels. After that, flash freeze the wedges on a baking pan, then transfer the frozen wedges to freezer bags and seal. Finally, return to the freezer for up to 4 months.
Make this cabbage stir-fry recipe gluten-free by substituting gluten-free soy sauce, or tamari.
Looking for more cabbage recipes?
- Beet Soup Recipe - Ukranian Borscht
- Purple Cabbage Soup
- Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls
- Fennel Cabbage Slaw
- Slow Cooker Red Cabbage Apple Braise
- Quick Pickled Red Cabbage
Cabbage Stir-Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 carrot cut into match sticks
- ½ small head of cabbage thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- sriracha or sambal hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wok, or a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and carrot and cook, stirring, until onions are softened, about 1 minute.
- Add the cabbage, and cook, stirring, until cabbage starts to wilt about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
- Cook until cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the bean sprouts, tossing to combine.
- Serve with hot sauce on the side.
Notes
- Use chili flakes. If you prefer, you can add red chili flakes to this cabbage stir-fry recipe during the cooking process, and skip the hot sauce.
- Great with leftovers. Add previously cooked tofu, shrimp, chicken, or beef after stirring in the soy sauce to give it time to heat through.
- Add a protein. Adding a protein to this recipe takes it from a side dish to a complete meal. Sauté tofu, shrimp, chicken or beef before continuing with the recipe.
- Choose the right cabbage. Choose a cabbage that feels heavy for its size and has no spots or blemishes for this cabbage stir-fry recipe and other cabbage-based recipes. It should be bright green, with crisp looking, tightly packed leaves. Some cabbages are huge, so you may need to plan for more than one meal using cabbage.
- Make it gluten free. This recipe is gluten-free if you use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.
Veena Azmanov
Cabbage is not my all time favorite, but your recipe sounds very interesting and definitely crunchy and yum with all the flavors infused.
Colleen
Maybe this stir-fry will change your mind about cabbage, Veena. 😉
Beth
This is the perfect way to cook up cabbage! Love the sauces on this!
Colleen
Thanks Beth. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Alison
My family and I loved this stir-fry! It's chock full of healthy veggies and the seasoning is spot on! Will make again!
Colleen
So happy to hear this, Alison! thank you, & Enjoy!
Krissy Allori
So good! I made this to go with my pork loin and it was a hit!
Colleen
So happy it was a hit, Krissy!
Andrea Metlika
We are cabbage lovers and this stir fry is perfect for us. Yummy!
Colleen
Enjoy, Andrea. Cabbage is really is an awesome ingredient.
Alwyn
Why are the bean sprouts only added at the end? Can they be added earlier so that they cook little?
Colleen
Hi Alwyn, Thanks for your question. I like to add the bean sprouts at the end so that they retain their crunch. They cook very quickly and the heat of the rest of the dish is usually sufficient. However, you can of course add them earlier to cook them more if you prefer!