Cabbage glass noodle stir fry is a quick homestyle side dish that takes 10 minutes to put together. The crisp cabbage and tender mung bean noodles are brought together with a savory sauce, making it satisfying and comforting to eat. {Vegan, Gluten-free adaptable}
Cabbage glass noodle stir fry is not something you see often on a Chinese takeout menu. We call this type of dish 家常菜, jia chang cai, or homestyle cooking. They are simple dishes that use minimal everyday ingredients, so a home cook can throw it together even on a busy weekday evening.
One of the most important components of an everyday Chinese dinner is vegetable dishes. In my family, my mom always cooks at least one, most of the time two, vegetable dishes to serve along with the main dish (usually a protein dish), plus a soup and steamed rice.
This cabbage glass noodle stir fry is one of my favorites. The tender glass noodles soak up the delicious sauce and pair perfectly with the crunchy cabbage. I can always polish a big plate of it in one sitting by myself.
Cabbage glass noodle stir fry ingredients
What type of noodles to use
Glass noodles (粉丝, fen si) also called cellophane noodles, mung bean noodles, bean thread noodles, or Chinese vermicelli. They are different from regular Asian vermicelli noodles made from rice, as glass noodles are made with mung beans and have a more transparent appearance and a different texture.
Glass noodles are usually sold in dried form. You need to soak them in boiling water to reconstitute them so they become tender. Then you can use them in soups, stir fried dishes, or spring rolls. Because glass noodles soak up whatever sauce you cook them in and become very flavorful, they are a great way to add texture and volume to a dish and make it even more delicious.
I highly recommend using mung bean noodles in this dish. But if you don’t have any, it’s OK to use other thin types of vermicelli noodles such as rice vermicelli.
You can find glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli noodles) at Chinese grocery stores or most big Asian grocery stores such as H Mart. You can also purchase it on Amazon.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Sliced cabbage
- Glass noodles (soaked)
- Sauce (light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar)
- Dried chili pepper
- Minced garlic
How to make cabbage glass noodle stir fry
- Saute the dried chili pepper and garlic
- Stir fry the cabbage
- Add the glass noodles and pour in the sauce
- Cook until the sauce is fully absorbed
How to serve cabbage glass noodle stir fry
The cabbage glass noodle stir fry is usually served as a side in a multi-course meal. For example, you can pair it with a main and a simple soup. Chinese Lion’s Head Pork Meatballs, Instant Pot Curry Beef Stew, and Coca-Cola Chicken Wings are some of the main dishes that you can prepare ahead of time and serve with this one. Chinese Corn Soup with Chicken or a simple egg drop soup is also an excellent addition to your dinner.
On the other hand, cabbage glass noodle stir fry is highly versatile and you can easily make it into a more substantial one-pan meal for one person. For example, you can scramble some eggs or brown some ground pork (lightly seasoned with salt) first, and add it back to the cabbage and glass noodles at the end. Serve it with a small bowl of steamed rice (or without), and you’ll have a healthy mix of greens, protein and carbs.
More delicious Northern Chinese Veggie recipes
- Stir Fried Choy Sum with Dried Shrimp
- Tomato and Egg Stir Fry
- Fried Potato, Eggplant, and Pepper in Garlic Sauce (Di San Xian)
- An Easy Asian Green Recipe
- Shredded Potato Stir Fry
Cabbage Glass Noodles Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 bunch mung bean vermicelli (yields 1 cup after soaking)
- 1/4 head (12 oz / 350 g) cabbage , sliced into 1/2” (1 cm) pieces (yields about 4 cups after cutting)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 dried chili peppers , cut into 3 to 4 pieces (keep them whole for a less spicy dish)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the dry glass noodles and cook according to instructions until al-dente. Rinse with tap water to stop cooking and drain. Cut into 3” (8 cm) strands.
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat a large skillet or a wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat the bottom.
- Add the dried pepper and garlic and stir a few times to release fragrance.
- Add the cabbage and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, to coat evenly with oil, until the cabbage just starts to turn tender.
- Add the glass noodles and pour in the sauce. Stir and cook until the sauce is absorbed and the cabbage turns tender. Turn to medium-low heat and carefully taste the cabbage. Sprinkle with a bit more salt to adjust seasoning, if needed. Transfer to a plate and serve hot as a side dish.
This is one dish that my mom whips up very often (sometimes she will add wood ear mushrooms too). You are making me miss home!
Hi Maggie,
I have eaten a similar delicious dish in a restaurant in northern China in Shijiazhuang 石家庄 and again in a hostel in Sanya 三亚. Both times it was made with sweet potato noodles, sour cabbage and ground pork. I have been looking for a recipe for this dish, but I don’t know the Chinese name in Chinese characters for it. I would appreciate it if you could you please tell me the Chinese name for the dish. If I substitute Chinese sour cabbage 酸白菜, do I need to wash or rinse the cabbage first? Does your recipe use napa cabbage 白菜 or the usual western cabbage 洋白菜？Could you give me a weight for the dry noodles please. I plan to use sweet potato noodles 粉条.
Cooking/eating alone tonight and made a half batch of option #2 (garlic) – wonderful flavors, fairly simple, and goes together in a snap. When cooking for another I’ll be sure to prepare and serve this one again. Had Maggies’s Mapo Pork as a side and completed the meal. I’m stuffed and happy.
I’m glad to hear you tried out this dish! It takes a bit time to prepare the noodles, but you’ll get used to the workflow very fast once you get used to it 🙂
Can’t wait to hear what you’ll cook the next. Hope you have a great weekend Rob 🙂
Love this dish.
I cooked this with the Sichuan peppercorns and the chilis but the dish wasn’t spicy. I use a regular deep skillet. I don’t have a wok. But I followed your instructions. Is it supposed to be spicy?
Hi Helen, no, the dish is not supposed to be spicy. The Sichuan peppercorns and the chilis add aroma but don’t really add spiciness. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the dish 🙂
Have a great day!
Such a quick and delicious dish! Definitely going to be making this many times in the future!
This recipe looks so tasty and easy to make. Want to try it. Are mung bean noodles available at most grocery stores? I live in Florida and usually shop at Publix. Love your site and have pinned & tried a few of your recipes. Thanks.
Mung bean noodles are a bit more special and most of the time you need to get it from an Asian grocery store.
However, you can use dried rice noodle (the thin type), which is more common. Many grocery store has it at the Asian aisle.
Maggie,
Oh my, this simple dish was so very good! It was addicting and I wish I had made 5 times as much so I could eat more! I used Taiwanese cabbage and am so glad I did because it was a bit more tender and sweeter than regular cabbage, but also I still have a lot and am going to make more of this :). Thank you for this winner!
So happy to hear you like the recipe! Yes, it’s the best to use Taiwanese cabbage, which is the one I used in the recipe.
It’s tender and sweet, perfect for stir fry dishes like this 🙂
Ohhhh, I did not realize about the Taiwanese cabbage if you mentioned it. When I was at the Asian market looking a kind elderly woman told me it was better and we both bought some. I love when that happens. I will try to use it whenever I can from now on. 🙂