This Chinese carrot cabbage stir-fry is savory, umami, and is packed with flavors! An easy vegetable side dish that is quick to prepare and ready in 15 minutes. You can even customize this versatile dish to your liking!
Looking for something quick and effortless yet still tastes amazing? You are in luck because this cabbage carrot stir-fry ticks all the boxes! You will be in and out of the kitchen in no time.
For more fantastic stir-fry recipes, I recommend checking out this Thai Pad Pak Thai or Japanese yasai itame.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Bold, flavorful, and bursting with flavors - This carrot cabbage stir-fry is seasoned with a Chinese-inspired stir-fry sauce that has the perfect balance between sweet, savory, and umami. Even the pickiest of eaters will love this dish!
- Fuss-free, easy, and effortless - You can make this dish in 10 minutes, and only simple, easily-accessible ingredients are called for here.
- Versatile - You can serve this as a side dish to accompany almost any Asian main dishes.
- Highly customizable - So, feel free to add in any seasonings or ingredients you like to this stir-fry. A list of add-in ideas will be provided in this post, so read on!
🥕What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Coconut sugar - You can substitute it with other sweeteners, like maple syrup, brown sugar, coconut nectar, or cane sugar.
- Shaoxing wine - a popular variety of Chinese cooking wine frequently used in stir-fries. Substitute it with rice vinegar to make this recipe alcohol-free.
🔪How to make
Here is a quick rundown of the steps of making carrot cabbage stir-fry. As usual, the full detailed instructions will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Heat a non-stick wok/pan. Start by frying garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add carrot in next and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Then, stir in cabbage and fry for a few minutes, or until veggies are tender yet crunchy. Pour in the stir-fry sauce, and toss until everything is well-coated. It is ready to be served!
✔Helpful tips
- I highly recommend using a non-stick wok to make this recipe. You could also use a pan, but make sure that it is large enough to ensure that the ingredients do not leap out of the pan while cooking.
- Prep all ingredients ahead of time, and keep them close to you. Stir-frying is a quick process, and everything moves rapidly.
- Be careful not to overcook your veggies. You want them to be tender and slightly crispy, not mushy.
- Leftover carrot cabbage stir-fry can be refrigerated in a sealed container for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing it as this will alter the texture of the veggies.
✨Variations and add-ins
Make it spicy - Toss in some chili flakes, sriracha, or sambal oelek into your stir-fry sauce. Or, you could chop up some regular or Thai chilies and add them in along with your garlic and ginger.
Toppings - Get creative with it! Some of my personal favorites include chopped green onion, cashews, almonds, or a generous sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
Protein - To make this stir-fry more filling, you can add in a source of protein like tofu, tempeh, seitan, or even animal proteins like chicken or beef if you are not vegan.
Seasonings - Play around with the seasonings used, and feel free to add whatever sounds good! Oyster sauce, Hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and Chinkiang vinegar are some condiments that work in this carrot cabbage stir-fry.
Noodles - Make this a meal by adding in cooked noodles of choice, be it soba, ramen, wheat noodles, or rice noodles. You might need to double the ingredients for stir-fry sauce and add it to taste.
🍚How to serve
Rice - Serve it with a side of steamed rice for an easy dinner. You could also make some fried rice like this vegan egg fried rice or nasi goreng.
Noodles - Noodles go well with stir-fries! I love making bami goreng and vegetable chow mei fun to serve with this dish.
Chinese mains - You could go all out and make other Chinese main dishes to accompany this carrot cabbage stir-fry like Szechuan tofu, bok choy tofu stir-fry, or kung pao chickpeas.
Side dishes and appetizers - I highly recommend making these tofu egg rolls or vegan lumpia, or soups like Chinese spinach soup and napa cabbage soup.
❔Commonly asked questions
Any kind of cabbage will work in this cabbage stir-fry! I prefer using regular cabbage, but other varieties like red cabbage and napa cabbage will also work.
Place cabbage on a sturdy chopping board, with its stem facing down. Hold it firmly, and slice it down through the stem, from top to bottom.
Place each half cut side down, and slice it in half again. Lastly, slice them lengthwise into thin strips, and they are ready to be used!
It is not recommended that you freeze this carrot cabbage stir-fry as the texture of veggies will alter and turn mushy upon freezing and thawing.
🍽More vegan Asian stir-fries
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📖 Recipe
Chinese Carrot Cabbage Stir-fry
Equipment
Ingredients
For stir-fry sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
- 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine or rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or any other sweetener
vegetables
- 6 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 medium carrot julienned
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients needed for the sauce. Stir to mix and set aside for later use.1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- In a non-stick wok/pan, heat ½ tablespoon of neutral tasting oil over medium-high heat. Once pan is heated, add garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- Add carrot in and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it has softened slightly.1 medium carrot
- Now, add cabbage into the pan and fry for another few minutes, or until veggies are tender yet crunchy.6 cups shredded cabbage
- Add in stir-fry sauce and toss until it is well incorporated. Give it a taste, adding more seasonings if needed. It is ready to be served.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend using a non-stick wok to make this recipe. You could also use a pan, but make sure that it is large enough to ensure that the ingredients do not leap out of the pan while cooking.
- Prep all ingredients ahead of time, and keep them close to you. Stir-frying is a quick process, and everything moves rapidly.
- Be careful not to overcook your veggies. You want them to be tender and slightly crispy, not mushy.
- Leftover carrot cabbage stir-fry can be refrigerated in a sealed container for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing it as this will alter the texture of the veggies.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Sjaantje
Yummie. Made it with Rice and Tofu. No need to add more stir-fry sauce, in my opinion, it’s really packed with flavour. Thank you!!
Meesha
I am happy to hear that!😁