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Copycat Panda Express Supergreens are a delicious, proven way to do your greens. You can do it in a minimum amount of time and with only a few ingredients.
This is a dish you can use as a side dish, starter, you can add protein to make it a main course or just have it as is, for your daily greens.
This was obviously inspired by the super greens vegetables from Panda Express's Menu , and pairs well with any of our amazing entree recipes. When you make it at home you can have the piece of mind of knowing you control all the variables for cleansliness and safety.
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Ingredients
The ingredients are suprisingly simple. I just asked when I was at Panda Express and they politely told me. Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, salt, soup base and starch. They didn't specify amounts or exact types. Chain restaurants get prepackaged ingredients that often just say, "starch".
I used corn, starch, regular iodized table salt, and a prepackaged soup base, chicken stock powder I bought at a mexican market. You could use, a boulion cube, crushed or, a teaspoon of powdered soup base like vegetable broth.
- Kale 🥬
- Broccoli 🥦
- Cabbage 🥬
- Soup base 🍜
- Starch
- Salt 🧂
- Oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Using a pot full of water and a strainer/ collander, or with a steamer, steam the vegetables about 10 minutes until soft. Not going so long as to turn them to mush. We did that when a dinner guest arrived an hour later than he said he would, it was like a third smaller than it should have been, and significantly less attractive.
Remove the vegetables from the steamer and allow any excess water to drain off them. In a large Skillet or wok, on medium-high heat, heat a tablespoon or 2 of oil and stir-fry the steamed veggies with the salt, starch and soup base until the starch has coated the veggies allowing them to be slightly crisp around the edges.
Hint: The reason Asian cooking has used starch with stir-fried vegetables for so long is that it gives the veggies a more crisp, rather than, soggy texture. If you're curious, as I was, to why they were using them, check out this article on the use of starch from thewoksoflife.com
Substitutions
You can substitute the following for health or flavor reasons.
- Veggies, Brussels Sprouts, Lettuce, Green Beans or other greens, depending on availability- instead what they use, experiment. Darker, more richely colored greens tend to have more vitamins and minerals.
- Starch - You can use whatever is available. Tapioca starch is more readiliy available in the eastern portion of the world. Corn starch in the west.
- Vegetarian - We used a chicken soup base, you can use whatever you have or like. If you have a vegan powder, great!
- Salt- If you are trying to get your sodium down for blood pressure reasons like me. A salt substitute like no salt may be more appropriate for you. Use your imagination.
Variations
You can add some spice or protein, to make this more interesting, or to make it a stand alone dish.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or chopped Thai peppers, if you love heat.
- Main course- add chicken breast, tofu, beef, seafood per your needs.
- Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips or fried onions.
Equipment
If you have a wok and good gas grill, you may have better results, getting the crispy finish with the greens. We used a skillet because for our electric range, we get nice even heat.
Storage
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a couple days. These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Play with the starch amounts and when you add it. You can add a starch slurry, if you want, by adding a bit of water to the starch. It was the thing that made this recipe, for lack of better words, savory, for me.
7-ingredient-copycat-panda-express-super-greens
Equipment
- 1 Wok or skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups Kale
- 2 cups Broccoli
- 2 cups Cabbage shredded
- 1 tablespoon Corn Starch
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ tablespoon bouillon Vegetable if vegan
Instructions
- Steam the veggies.
- Stir-fry in oil for a minute or two.
- Add in the salt, soup base and starch and mix in well.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
If you dig this, stir-fried vegetable dish, try one of these. Let us know what you think in the comments section and share, by all means. Please share. :0)
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