Best Chinese Spicy Celtuce Stem Salad Recipe 酸辣涼拌萵筍

酸辣涼拌萵筍 Chinese Spicy Celtuce Salad is an appetizing and delicious vegetable cold appetizer. This Chinese lettuce is the perfect side dish to cool down during warm spring and late summer heat. This refreshing salad comes together in 15 minutes with just a few fresh ingredients.

Thinly sliced Celtuce stems tossed with garlic and chili oil seasoning sauce is one of my favorite ways to enjoy asparagus lettuce. I can clear the entire thing in just one sitting. Plus, this veggie is packed with nutrients and is versatile in cooking applications. 

> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Chinese Celtuce Stem Salad

Move over, kale. A new underrated delicious super green vegetable is gaining popularity outside of China. Celtuce's vibrantly green flesh is tender and can be eaten raw (in salads) or cooked, pickled, grilled, roasted, or stir-fried. How awesome is that?

Check out this quick story summary of our recipe!

What Is Celtuce?

Have you heard of Celtuce? 

Celtuce (/ˈsɛlt.əs/) (Lactuca sativa var. augustana, angustata, or asparagina), also called stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce or Chinese lettuce. 

This vegetable is mild but nutty, with a slightly smoky aftertaste. It is high in vitamins. Celtuce is a variety of lettuce with a leafy top and long stem originating from the Afghans and the Mediterranean region and was brought to China during the Tang Dynasty. 

This type of lettuce has a thick light green outer skin and a vibrantly bright green color flesh with a nutty, cucumber like flavor.

Celtuce in China is referred to as 萵筍 (wōsǔn), 萵苣 (wōjù) or 千金菜 (qiānjīn cài). In Taiwan, it is called 萵菜心/A菜心 (A càixīn). 

This member of the lettuce family is easy to make and takes just a few fresh ingredients available at your local farmer's market or Asian market.

If you love this Spicy Celtuce Cold Appetizer Salad and Spicy dishes? Here are some of my favorite delicious and easy recipes I know you will love!

• Sichuan Smashed Cucumber Salad
• Mala Mouth Water Chicken 四川麻辣口水雞
• Vegan Sichuan String Beans Without Pork 干煸四季豆
• Ants Climbing Up A Tree 螞蟻上樹

Celtuce Nutrition Facts

Celtuce is low in calories but packed full of nutrients and benefits. These super greens are rich in Vitamins C and B and minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. 

This cultivar of lettuce, grown primarily for its thick stem or leaves, is an excellent source of dietary fibre because it is an excellent source of manganese. Manganese is essential for the human body. Its health benefits include metabolism, calcium absorption, and regulating blood sugars and bowel movements.

One cup of Celtuce only contains 18 calories!

How To Cook Celtuce Chinese Lettuce

This popular and common vegetable in Chinese cuisine is versatile and forgiving in terms of preparation methods. Don't be frightened if this is your first time working with this vegetable. Just follow these simple general guidelines.

Unlike romaine lettuce which uses its leafy green parts for salad greens, the main attraction of Celtuce is its stem. 

The vibrantly green flesh is tender and can be eaten raw (in salads) or cooked, pickled, grilled, roasted, or stir-fried. Celtuce maintains its nutty flavor and crunchy and crispy texture thru heat and marinades.

If you are cooking it, try mixing thin strips or ribbons in stir fry Celtuce with wood ear mushrooms, bean sprouts, spring onions or even marinated soya marinated tofu or julienne shredded pork strips. You will be surprised by the different results pairing Celtuce with ingredients.

Substitutes for Celtuce

Woju is quite unique in texture and flavor. If you are eating it raw, to keep it simple, cucumbers, celery or radishes romaine lettuce are acceptable alternatives.

How To Pick and Buy A Good Celtuce

• Choose a smooth Celtuce on the outside with no mushy or indented sections. 
• Thick stem Celtuce is best.
• The Celtuce stem must be firm.
• Look at the cross-section and avoid the ones with hollow holes.

How To Cut a Celtuce

Prepare a Celtuce by cutting the top and bottom parts of the stems off. Although edible, the top leafy section is usually wilted when it reaches grocery stores. The leaves also do not taste good either.

Next, shred off the tough outer layer of skin with a vegetable peeler or a pairing knife. Don't be reluctant to peel the skin off! The skin is rigid and does not taste good. Peel until the tender jade green flesh is revealed, leaving no traces of long shiny fibres or white roots similar to corn silk.

Opt to thinly slice or julienne Celtuce flesh for your recipe.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Only a few actual ingredients are required for umami-packed, flavourful Wosun Salad! 

• Celtuce - The main star of the show.

• Kosher Salt - used to marinate and to remove excess water in Celtuce.

Spicy Chili Oil Seasoning

• Garlic Cloves 
• Red Chili Peppers
• Sesame Oil
• Dash of Salt 
• Sugar or Monk Fruit Sugar
• Chicken Powder or MSG Powder
• White Vinegar or Rice Vinegar
• Light Soy Sauce
• Chili Oil or Sichuan Peppercorn Oil
• Sichuan Peppercorn Powder

Garnish

• Fresh Cilantro
• Spring Onions

Most dry goods ingredients, tools and supplies can be purchased at your local Asian grocery stores or online at my Amazon Store. I have linked the products for your convenience!

Instructions

Wash and pat dry Celtuce with kitchen paper towels. 

Cut and remove both ends with a sharp knife. 

Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler and remove all outer layers until you see the bright, tender green flesh. 

Thinly slice or julienne Celtuce into small pieces. 

Marinate and Remove Excess Water

Add Celtuce to a large bowl. Add salt and mix well. Let rest for 10 minutes to remove excess water. 

Prepare Spicy Chili Oil Seasoning while the Celtuce is marinating. 

Drain excess water. Gently squeeze the Celtuce strips to remove as much liquid as possible.

Rinse marinated Celtuce with cold drinking water to remove the bitterness and leftover salt.

Drain well with a colander.  

I also highly recommend investing in a quality salad spinner. Drying your veggies thoroughly is so important after they are washed. It helps prevent wilted herbs and vegetables and stays fresher and longer!

Assembly

Add minced garlic and red chilli to Celtuce. 

Top with Spicy Chili Oil sauce.  

Mix well. 

Let marinate and chill for 5-10 mins in the refrigerator. 

Garnish with fresh cilantro or finely chopped green onions!

Serve and enjoy!

Spicy Chili Oil Seasoning

Add all ingredients to a small mixing bowl and mix well until combined. Reserve. 

How To Meal Prep

You can efficiently work this Spicy Celtuce Salad recipe into your family meal prep ideas for the week. Add this Chinese cold appetizer as a side dish to cooked rice, ramen bowls, or serve it as a late-night snack with beer!

Celtuce stem slices can be portioned airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

What is Military Dependents' Village Food? 

Have you heard of the term Military Cuisine? 

Military Dependents' Village Food (眷村菜, juàncūn cài in Chinese characters) is considered a regional cuisine similar to, say, provincial Sichuan cuisine. This Chinese cooking style has been developing since 1949 in military-dependent villages and surrounding areas. Its primary focus is everyday home cooking, improvising readily available ingredients with a zero-waste concept.

What To Serve With The Best Chinese Spicy Celtuce Stem Salad Recipe  

I love loading my Celtuce Stem Salad with Sichuan peppercorns, red chilis and garlic. If there are any leftover stem slices, I turn them into easy stir-fried celtuce dish for the family! 

This is one of the most popular dishes in Chinese cuisine. It is perfect as a make-ahead-of-time weekly meal prep for two. Enjoy this bold and flavourful vegetable rich in iron as part of an easy appetizer or palet cleanser after a heavy meal. Complete the meal with the following delicious dishes.

• Papaya Soup with Black Eyed Peas 木瓜花生眉豆雪耳雞腳湯 
• Tomato Egg Stir-fry 番茄炒蛋 
• Steamed Pork Ribs with Kabocha Squash 豉汁南瓜蒸排骨
• Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts and Chives 爆炒豆芽菜韭菜

I'd love to see how you went with my recipes! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS.

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