Name: Sautéed Cabbage with Miso and Scallions
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 small head green cabbage (1 1/4 pounds), cored and sliced thin; 1 tablespoon white miso; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoons rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 onion , halved and sliced thin; 1 carrot , peeled and shredded; Salt; 1 garlic clove , minced to paste; 4 scallions , sliced thin; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds , toasted

Why This Recipe Works

Unlike kale and Brussels sprouts, which have undergone a recent resurgence, cabbage is still considered boring and bland at best and mushy and smelly at worst. In our recipe, we mitigate the pungent flavors and sulfurous odors that can plague many (over)cooked cabbage dishes while bringing out the vegetable’s natural sweetness and maintaining a crisp-tender texture. Instead of boiling or braising, we pan-steam and sauté the cabbage over relatively high heat to cook it quickly and add an extra layer of flavor from browning. A precooking step of soaking the cabbage reduces bitterness while providing extra moisture to help the cabbage steam. Cooked alliums help reinforce sweetness, while an acid provides a shot of brightness.

Before You Begin

Soaking the cabbage gets rid of some of the enzymes that produce sulfurous flavors; do not skip this step.

Instructions

Place cabbage in large bowl and cover with cold water; let stand for 3 minutes. Drain cabbage well and set aside. Meanwhile, whisk miso, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper flakes together in bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrot, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer onion mixture to small bowl.

Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and heat until shimmering. Add cabbage and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, without stirring, until cabbage is wilted and lightly browned on bottom, about 3 minutes.

Stir and continue to cook, uncovered, until cabbage is crisp-tender and lightly browned in places, about 4 minutes longer, stirring once halfway through cooking. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in onion mixture, miso mixture, and scallions. Season with salt to taste, transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.