Late fall through early winter is the season for Napa cabbage, and the heads plump up with thick white stems that are sweet and surprisingly tender. It's the best season to make kimchi, but this Asian cabbage is also delicious cooked or even served raw.
This easy salad falls somewhere between a quick pickle and fresh salad, with the leaves lightly salted to extract excess water while leaving them crisp and tender. The "dressing" is toasted sesame oil seasoned with shio konbu (salted kelp), which imparts a rich, nutty flavor and intense umami that makes the cabbage taste even sweeter.
If you want to brighten it up, try adding some citrus zest. I used a Microplane to zest a sudachi, but any fragrant citrus like yuzu or Meyer lemon will work. You could also squeeze in some of the juice to make this even more light and refreshing.
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Kathy Stroup says
I love your knife work on this. I never know what to do with Napa. It always comes out wrong somehow. Too long and stringy, or too thick and crunchy. This looks like the perfect way to solve my problem! I'll be on the lookout for some Napa to try this out!