Russian housewives relatively recently were able to assess the benefits and taste of Beijing cabbage. If in the 90s an exotic product caused concern and was not affordable for everyone, today this vegetable is available to anyone. The ways to use it in cooking various dishes is great. Green leaves of Beijing cabbage can be added to salads or soups, stewed with meat or used to decorate dishes. Savvy housewives cook borsch with Beijing cabbage, form cabbage rolls from it. Besides the fact that Chinese cabbage is a decoration of any dish, it is also a treasury of vitamins and minerals.
The benefits of Beijing cabbage
The healing properties of the miracle vegetable have been known for a long time. The healers of ancient China, where the cabbage came from, used it to treat many diseases. Chinese sages claim that thanks to Beijing cabbage, the people of the Middle Kingdom rarely turn to doctors. Modern scientists have confirmed the usefulness of this vegetable by studying in detail the composition and properties of the plant.
What are the beneficial properties of Beijing cabbage?
- It contains vitamin C. There is more of it in Beijing cabbage than in white cabbage. But ascorbic acid is a very important element for human health. Vitamin C is involved in the formation of the immune response during an attack of infections. He also participates in blood formation processes. Thanks to this vitamin, collagen can form in the body, which is responsible for the youthfulness of the skin and joints. Moreover, more ascorbic acid is concentrated in the green part of Beijing cabbage.
- It contains vitamin A. In 100 grams of the product - its daily rate. A lack of vitamin A in the body leads to night blindness. By eating just a few cabbage leaves per day, you can maintain visual acuity. It should be noted that most of the vitamin is found in the white part of the leaf.
- Contains indigestible fiber. Eating cabbage leaves for food, you contribute to the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract. After all, fiber is not only an absorbent of harmful substances in the body, but also nutrition for beneficial bacteria that live in the human intestines.
- Low calorie product. 100 grams of Beijing cabbage - 16 Kcal. Therefore, this vegetable from the point of view of nutrition is a treasure.
Disadvantages of beijing cabbage
Despite the mass of useful properties, Beijing cabbage has some disadvantages:
- A high fiber content is harmful for people with digestive upsets.
- Citric acid, which is part of cabbage, can irritate the gastric mucosa with gastritis and an ulcer.
- In rare cases, this product may cause food allergies.
Borscht with Peking Cabbage Recipe
Beijing cabbage is an amazing product. It can be eaten in any form: raw, and boiled, and fried. Each method is beautiful in its own way. Among the hostesses, the recipe for borsch with Beijing cabbage is popular. There are many cooking options for this first course.
The recipe for borsch with Beijing cabbage with a photo posted in this material greatly simplifies the process of perceiving information by readers who want to please their loved ones with a delicious dinner.
The recipe itself is no different from the classic beetroot soup. The only caveat is the sequence of laying the ingredients in the broth.
Cooking process
To prepare borsch with Beijing cabbage you will need:
- half a chicken;
- 1 kg of Beijing cabbage;
- 1 medium carrot;
- 2 medium beets;
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 2 medium onions;
- any greens (parsley, dill, onions);
- seasonings;
- salt;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- Bay leaf;
- tomato paste.
Cooking. To get started, take a pan and pour 4 liters of water into it, put half the chicken. When the broth boils for the first time, drain the water and add a new one. After boiling again, be sure to remove the foam. Cut the potatoes into cubes, carrots - into strips, onions - in half rings. It is better to boil beets in advance until half-cooked (about 20-25 minutes). After the vegetable has cooled, cut into strips.
When the chicken is ready, you need to get it out of the broth and cut it into pieces. Add potatoes to the meat broth, bring to a boil. Simultaneously fry onion and carrots with vegetable oil in tomato oil with the addition of tomato paste. After the potatoes have boiled, put the roast in the soup. The next ingredient added to the broth is beets. Boil all the ingredients for about 5 minutes. The last thing you need to add to the borsch is Beijing cabbage, which must be chopped first. On low heat, leave the soup for 5-10 minutes. At the end, put bay leaf and finely chopped greens, also pepper and salt. The advantage of borsch with Chinese cabbage is that it does not need to be infused. Eat a meal right away.