Big Family Stews & Salads
Two big family dishes that feature unique and tasty Chinese ingredients
Our favorite parts of Chinese stews & salads are that they can combine a bunch of iconic Chinese ingredients (quail eggs, Napa cabbage, ginseng, bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, etc.) into one big dish. Plus, because they provide plenty of opportunities for creative experimentation, many families have their own unique recipes.
Here are two of our beloved family recipes: one for stew 🍲 and one for salad 🥗 - enjoy!
Big Family Salad
Many cultures play fast and loose with the definition of salad, and China is no different. In Sichuan, Sichuan peppercorns and hot oil are used as the dressing, making the salad numbing hot & spicy. In Taiyuan and Xi’an, where the best grain-based vinegars come from, salads have a sour tang. In northeastern China, cold salads feature a tasty soybean jam, the signature condiment of the region, and in southern coastal regions, seafood is the key protein in salads.
This is our family’s version of The Salad™, featuring soy-sauce braised beef (or pork) and fried egg strips - ingredients Lily’s grandma loved using. The crispy freshness of the bean sprouts and the savory + sour tang of the dressing give it an extra kick.
Food Lore
As far as we know, there’s not a ton of food lore around salads - whoever discovered adding dressing to veggies in China shall remain a nameless hero of the people. But, we do have a few fun facts about salads!
Fun fact #1: Cold salads are must-have dishes in banquets and celebrations in China. A formal banquet usually features 16-20 courses, with 8-10 cold dishes and 8-10 hot dishes. The cold dishes are usually about half veggie and half protein-based; they’re served first and are more appetizer-sized.
Fun fact #2: The most lavish banquet type is called the Manchurian-Han Feast 满汉全席 (mǎn hàn quán xí). It includes a 108-course menu with both Manchurian and Han dishes 😮 and was invented by the imperial chefs of the Qing Dynasty.
Fun fact #3: Garlic and vinegar are common ingredients in most Chinese salad dishes because they are anti-bacterials that can help remove germs from the raw ingredients used.
Notes
If you like baked nuts, peanuts, almonds, or sesame seeds, sprinkle some in for extra flavor. The second best part of this salad (after its yummy taste) is its flexibility; feel free to experiment with any of your other favorite salad ingredients (we honestly have no idea what this would taste like with avocado, pls let us know if you try).
Running the ingredients through boiling water briefly helps remove germs without removing the crispiness and nutrients of the veggies. Also, it makes the salad warm 😊 if that’s what you’re looking for.
Shiitake Mushroom, Quail Egg, and Napa Cabbage Stew
Chinese stew, or 烩菜 (huì cài), originated in northern China, where it’s cool/cold all year long (think SF weather + Boston winters 🥶). The steamy soup and hearty ingredients can warm anyone up with just a few bites, and it’s often made after the Autumnal Equinox (around September 20) when fall is in full swing.
Our family’s stew recipe is from Lisa’s grandma and aunt. Lisa’s grandma makes this dish in Chinese hot-pot style for family reunions during the Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year, calling this a “reunion stew.” The original recipe actually had more ingredients, including fried crispy chicken strips, sea cucumber slices, bamboo shoots, etc. We made the stew a bit simpler and replaced regular eggs with quail eggs since their smaller size allows them to absorb more of the tasty sauce.
Food Lore
李鸿章 (Lǐ Hóng Zhāng), the governor of the imperial region during the late Qing dynasty was a strong advocate for bringing technological advances from western countries to China. For this cause, he traveled to Europe & the U.S to learn, and on his travels, he missed Chinese foods very much.
After returning home, he mentioned this to his chef, who decided to invent a special dish for him. He mixed together Napa cabbage, tender tofu, sea cucumbers, deer tendons, Shiitake mushrooms, and a bunch of other classic Chinese ingredients into a big stew. Each bite contained a unique taste of home, and Li loved the dish. Today, it’s named after him and called Li Hongzhang Stew, or 李鸿章烩菜 (Lǐ Hóng Zhāng huì cài), and it’s a signature dish around Beijing.
Notes
We added optional guidance on adding ginseng to this stew for an extra energy boost (American ginseng is particularly good for this). We buy our ginseng here, but you can also find it on Amazon!
Also if you have trouble finding quail eggs, feel free to use regular eggs! You may want to poke more holes in them so they break apart into smaller pieces once mixed in 🥚.