A Complete Guide to Cold Dishes: 12 Homemade Recipes

Cold salad is a dish where food is mixed with seasonings and served cold. It is made from ingredients that have been preliminarily processed and blanched, then mixed with seasonings such as red chili oil, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Based on the classification of red chili oil, it is generally divided into three main categories: fragrant spicy, numbing spicy, and five-spice.

Cold salad is a dish made from ingredients that have been preliminarily processed and blanched, then mixed with seasonings such as red chili oil, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Based on the classification of red chili oil, it is generally divided into three main categories: fragrant spicy, numbing spicy, and five-spice. Sichuan-style cold salad is the most popular nationwide, mostly featuring fragrant spicy and numbing spicy flavors, and is also quite tasty. Some representative Sichuan cold salads include: Liao Ji Bang Bang Chicken, Liao Paigu, and Xiang Ya Fang.

Raw Purple Cabbage Salad

The history and culture of cold salad, however, are much more profound, dating back to the Zhou Dynasty and the pre-Qin period. With every cold salad, it's not just the food itself that is being eaten, but the seasonings are the soul. The varying amounts of seasonings like sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, salt, and chili oil give each cold salad its unique flavor. Before eating, mix all the ingredients evenly with the sauce, and the sour, spicy, sweet, and numbing aromas spread in the mouth, whetting the appetite and promoting health.

I. Cabbage Salad

Method: Peel the outer leaves of the cabbage, wash it, and cut it into one-inch long, half-inch wide pieces. Blanch in boiling water for two to three minutes, then lift out. Do not overcook. Drain the water and place in a bowl. Mix in soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt and stir well. In addition, you can also add dried shrimp, dried tofu, and shredded green and red chili peppers, and season with vinegar to make a sweet and sour cabbage salad.

Characteristics: Sweet, salty, fragrant, and crisp; a good side dish for wine.

II. Mung Bean Sprout Salad

Method: Pick out any impurities from the mung bean sprouts and wash them. Blanch in boiling water until cooked (be careful not to overcook until they are soft), then drain the water. Wash the cucumber, cut it into slices, then into thin shreds. Sprinkle with a little salt, mix with shredded scallions and ginger, and finally drizzle with vinegar and sesame oil before serving on a plate. If you add soaked dried tofu shreds and vermicelli, it becomes a three-shred mung bean sprout salad.

Characteristics: Fresh, delicious, and nutritious.

III. Cucumber and Shrimp Salad

Method: Peel the shrimp and cook them in boiling water. Take them out and let them cool. Wash the cucumber and cut it into semi-circular slices. Wash the garlic greens and vegetable leaves, and cut them into sections. Place them all on the cutting board. Now, slice the cooled shrimp. Proceed to arrange on a plate and season. The order of arrangement is: first, line the plate with vegetable leaves, then arrange the shrimp slices into a pattern (of your choice), place the cucumber slices and garlic greens on top, sprinkle with wood ear mushrooms, and pour in soy sauce, sesame oil, and aged vinegar.

Characteristics: Colorful and beautiful, fresh and refreshing.

IV. Chive Yellow and Tofu Salad

Method: Wash the chive yellow, blanch it briefly in boiling water, turn it over quickly, blanch for another three seconds, then lift it out and place in a bamboo basket. Shake off the water vigorously, then cut into one-inch long sections and place in a dish. While hot, mix in salt and monosodium glutamate. Cut the dried tofu into shreds and sprinkle over the chive yellow. Drizzle with sesame oil and mix well.

Characteristics: The chive yellow is slightly crisp and fragrant after a quick blanch; the dried tofu is tender and refreshing.

Sesame Sauce Bean Salad

V. Sesame Sauce Bean Salad

Method: String the beans, break them into smaller pieces, and wash them. Blanch in boiling water, then soak in cold water. Drain and place in a mixing bowl. Dilute the sesame paste with cold water to a paste-like consistency. Heat the pepper oil, add salt, monosodium glutamate, and minced ginger, and pour over the beans. Mix well and serve.

Characteristics: Vibrant green color and fragrant taste.

Seaweed and Vermicelli Salad

VI. Shred Pork and Vermicelli Salad

Method: First, wash the pork, slice it, then cut into thin shreds. Soak the vermicelli until soft, then cut into shreds as well. Blanch in boiling water, then place in cold water. Drain, place in a plate, and separate with chopsticks. Heat a wok over high heat, add oil, then stir-fry the pork shreds. Add a little soy sauce, and once the color changes, place on top of the vermicelli. Pour over the sauce made from vinegar, sesame oil, mustard, salt water, and monosodium glutamate. For an extra touch, drizzle with sesame paste.

Characteristics: Aromatic and refreshing, an excellent dish to go with wine.

VII. Seaweed and Vermicelli Salad

Method: Wash the seaweed to remove sand, and cut into thin shreds. Blanch in boiling water and lift out. Cut the vermicelli into five-inch sections. Wash the vegetable leaves and cut into thin shreds. Combine the three ingredients in a mixing bowl. Then, season with soy sauce, vinegar, salt, monosodium glutamate, minced ginger, chopped scallions, minced garlic, and sesame oil in sequence. Mix well and serve.

Characteristics: Long shreds and fragrant flavor, with a pleasing color.

VIII. Chive Salad

Method: Pick and wash the chives, cut into one-inch sections, mix with salt and Sichuan peppercorns, place in a basin, cover, and marinate for two to three days before eating.

Characteristics: Economical and practical, best served with rice.

Tomato Sauce and Vermicelli Salad

IX. Spiced Soybean Salad

Method: Pick out any insect-damaged or spoiled soybeans, wash them, and place in a pot. Add water to cover the beans. Add five-spice powder (you can also add a little Lingyun fragrance). Cook over high heat for about 15 minutes, then reduce to low heat and simmer. At this point, add seasonings like salt, soy sauce, and yellow wine. Cover the pot tightly and simmer until the skins are puffed and the sauce is thick. Remove from heat, let it cool, and serve. You can sprinkle some chopped scallions and a few drops of sesame oil before eating for a more fragrant flavor.

Characteristics: Fresh, fragrant, and crisp; a good side dish for wine.

X. Numbing and Spicy Vermicelli Salad

Method: Soak the vermicelli in boiling water until soft, then cut into two-inch sections and place in a plate. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, monosodium glutamate, and five cents worth of cold water to make a sauce. Pour over the vermicelli, sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorn powder, and drizzle with chili oil. Mix well and serve.

Characteristics: This dish is Sichuan-style, with a strong numbing and spicy flavor, perfect with wine.

XI. Vermicelli Salad

Method: Mix bean flour with water to form a thick paste. Cook over a flame until it becomes a paste. Spread the paste evenly on a wooden board, let it cool, then roll it up and cut into wide strips. Place on a plate, sprinkle with cucumber shreds, season with sesame paste, mustard, and chili oil, pour over the mixed sauce, and drizzle with sesame oil.

Characteristics: Refreshing and delicious, an ideal dish for summer.

XII. Celery Salad

Method: Pick the leaves from the celery, trim the roots, and wash. Cut into five-centimeter sections, blanch in boiling water, then sprinkle with salt. When eating, pour over soy sauce, special vinegar, and sesame oil. You can also add pepper oil for a longer-lasting flavor. Do not add vinegar too early, otherwise the celery will turn yellow.

Characteristics: Crisp, green, fragrant, and tender; nutritious.