I’m not going to sit here and say that cabbage may be magic in vegetable form, but it very well could be! The oldest cultivated vegetable in the world with more than 400 varieties, cabbage is not only full of essential vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, thiamine, vitamin B6, calcium and iron, which help keep the digestive tract and colon in a healthy condition, it is thought to relieve headaches, help with acne, protect skin from damaging UV light and prevent and cure male baldness, according to ancient Chinese legend! Now if that doesn’t sound like magic, I don’t know what does.  

So, for National Cabbage Day, here’s one of my favorite guilt-free plant-based cabbage recipes: air-fried spring rolls. In addition to giving you an excuse to bust out your air fryer, they are heathy, easy and fast to make and will have all your guests grabbing for more.  

Air-fried Spring Rolls 

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Fry time: 9 minutes (per batch) 

Servings: 16 rolls 

Ingredients 

• 1 medium-sized head of green cabbage 
• 1 cup shredded carrots 
• 2 cups bella or shitake mushrooms, diced 
• 4 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional) 
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• 1 tablespoon hot sesame oil (optional if you like spicy)  
• 2 tablespoons granulated garlic 
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger 
• 16 rice paper wraps 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Cooking spray oil (preferably a high-heat oil—my go-to is avocado oil) 
• Your favorite Asian dipping sauce (optional) 

Instructions 

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sesame oils, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5-8 minutes until the cabbage is wilted. Remove from heat.  
2. Add hot water to plate. Submerge rice paper in hot water, ensuring it is completely covered. Once the pattern starts to dissolve, remove from water and place on dry plate.  
3. Add a heaping spoonful of cabbage mixture to the middle of the wet rice paper. Roll like a burrito—first folding both sides, then the bottom, squishing the filling as you tightly roll.  
4. Do this until your filling is gone or you have the desired amount of spring rolls. (Tip: This filling will keep in the fridge for about a week. So, the next time you have a spring roll craving, your filling will be ready to go!) 
5. Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees.  
6. Spray air fryer with oil. Space your spring rolls in fryer so that they are not touching each other. Spray spring rolls with oil. 
7. Air fry at 390 degrees for 9 minutes, flipping halfway through.  
8. Serve immediately, plain or with your dipping sauce of choice. Enjoy!