Cold Celtuce with Sesame Oil & Vinegar

This recipe is taken from Hanna Che’s book, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, with only small changes.

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs. (about 2 large) celtuce stems.
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste.
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. rice vinegar
  • ⅛ tsp. MSG

Procedure

  1. Cut off the end of the celtuce stems. Use a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the skin and white fibery bits (which are both tough and bitter) from the celtuce.
  2. Cut the stem into 2–3-inch-long segments, and then cut those into ⅛-inch-wide slivers.
  3. Sprinkle the celtuce with the salt, and let sit for 15 minutes.
  4. Squeeze water from the celtuce. I would even go so far as to let them drain a bit longer in a collander, and pat them dry with paper towel, but perhaps this is a bit too fussy.
  5. Mix celtuce with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and MSG. Add more salt to taste.

Last updated 2026-05-23