Napa cabbage combines nicely with darker leafy greens, adding a lighter texture and flavor as well as visual interest. This dish comes very close to being downright addictive. It's an amped-up variation of Stir-Fried Chard with Napa Cabbage from Wild About Greens,* with tofu added, and the flexibility of using whichever kinds of greens are most abundant in your garden or at the farm market. Serve with (or over) a simple noodle or grain dish and a bright, colorful salad.
Serves: 4 to 6
- 14-to 16-ounce tub extra-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil (or use ¼ cup broth
if you don't like to use oil) - 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 10 to 12 ounces chard, kale, collard greens, or any combination of
dark leafy greens, stemmed and cut into ribbons - ½ medium head napa cabbage, cut into ribbons
- 3 to 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium leek, white part only, chopped and well washed, optional
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Dried hot red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Cut the tofu into ½-inch-thick slices. Blot well between clean tea-towels or several layers of paper towel (or use a tofu press), and cut into ½-inch thick strips.
Slowly heat half of the oil and soy sauce together in a stir-fry pan or wide skillet, stirring together as they heat. Add the tofu and stir quickly to coat with the liquid. Sauté over medium-high heat until golden-brown and crisp on most sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan to a plate.
Meanwhile, prepare the greens as directed.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan. Add the shallots, garlic, and optional leek and sauté over medium-low heat until all are golden.
Stir the chard in quickly to coat with the oil, then turn the heat up to high. Stir-fry a minutes or so, then add the napa cabbage. Continue to stir-fry until both are tender-crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, and dried hot red pepper flakes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve at once.
- Here are more recipes for easy vegetable stir-fries.
- Here are lots more easy tofu recipes.
- Here are more recipes for hardy greens.
- Explore more of VegKitchen’s recipes for Cabbages and Lettuces – Beyond Salads!
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Ann Franklin says
lovely recipes, but is it possible to suggest a way to prepare them without oil?...
Nava says
Anne, you can always use a bit of broth or water, but the truth is that many of the important vitamins in greens, like Vitamin K, are fat-soluble, so I think the two have a vital synergy. That said, I respect people's desire to avoid oil.