Wilted Napa Cabbage Salad

Once in a while it’s good to switch up the old salad routine and try eating a simple wilted salad. We think wilted means weak or less-than, but this is really a more-than option. It starts with sea salt. By sprinkling robust greens (think cabbage, Napa or savoy cabbage, romaine, radicchio) with a decent pinch of sea salt (a pinch depending on the serving - 1/8 teaspoon per salad serving is about right), and gently squeezing the greens with the salt, you start breaking down the cellular walls of the greens. They get all juicy and soft and - well, wilted. (If you’ve ever made homemade sauerkraut, you’ll recognize the process of salting and pounding the cabbage.)

With sea salt-wilted greens in your bowl, you’ve just created a fresh, bright base for a nice little salad, without getting all heavy with oil. Just add a spritz of lemon or lime (or a bright vinegar like apple cider or white wine), some fresh herbs if you have them (cilantro, parsley, chives or tarragon would all be good), and then top with sprouts (broccoli sprouts shown here) and maybe a little avocado. It’s easy to eat - and love - a fresh salad like this, and it’s perfect for spring when we can benefit from a little more sparkle in our diets as we’re coming out of the heavier eating months of winter. As we get further into spring, you can easily change this up by adding raw asparagus, fresh pea shoots or microgreens, spring peas or sliced pea pods. Try toasting sliced almonds and adding, or sunflower seeds. And if you get your hands on some really nice chèvre, that would be delicious as well. So many options for a great little wilted salad!

Cut the leaves from the core before slicing.

This nice big pile of cabbage!

….it wilts down to a well-behaved little pile of salad, ready to be topped.

Wilted Napa Cabbage Salad

Serves 2

6 leaves Napa cabbage
2 large pinches (about 1/4 teaspoon) Himalayan or pure sea salt (Kosher salt isn’t salty enough here)
Juice from two generous wedges of lemon or lime (about an inch at the fat point)
1/2 cup fresh sprouts
1 avocado, halved and flesh cubed

Cut the core of the Napa cabbage from the leaves. Slice the leaf in half lengthwise and cut thinly crosswise into strips. Slice the core crosswise into thin strips. Place the shredded cabbage into a bowl, sprinkle the salt on top and (with super clean hands!) massage the salt into the leaves, squeezing and turning the leaves as you go until they are soft and you can feel the juice releasing. While your hands are still full of cabbage, divide the salad between two plates or bowls. With clean hands, assemble the rest of the salad: top each salad with half of the sprouts and the cubed avocado, and squeeze an entire wedge of citrus juice on each salad. So fresh! So delicious! Take a picture of yours and send it to me!