Does The Woks of Life Ever Eat at Panda Express?
This is not at all a sponsored post. It is a confession though… On a recent run of domestic flights this past year, walking with glazed eyes through airport terminals, I find that only a few things can shake me out of my stupor. A water bottle fill station, a man driving a cart full of people saying a high-pitched and decidedly analog “beep beep” as he rolls by (Newark peeps, you know), and a glimmering panda set against red, beckoning in the distance. Whenever I find myself in an airport wanting to eat a somewhat balanced meal, I turn to…Panda Express. The truth of the matter is that if we’re traveling, chances are we haven’t been eating much Chinese food. By the time I see those trays under the heat lamps, I’m practically itching for some veggies and rice. On our book tour in February, in one hunt for quality airport eats, I stumbled upon Panda Express Super Greens. I ordered a bowl of Super Greens, fried rice, and Kung Pao Chicken. The fried rice was a bit too salty, but THE SUPER GREENS. It was the veggie-filled yet not sad fast food I’d always wanted. They actually started testing it back in 2019, and it’s no surprise that it was a hit, because it’s so much more pleasant and satisfying than your standard “mixed vegetable.”
But it’s Panda Express…
I know this post is going to ruffle some feathers. But after looking into it, the truth of the matter is that Panda Express is a business founded and still privately run by a Chinese family in Pasadena, CA. After looking into it more, they also don’t do a bad job of talking about their dishes in respectful terms. For example, this description on Kung Pao Chicken: Kung Pao Chicken is a specialty of the Sichuan capital Chengdu. It’s a savory tumble of succulent chicken in a glossy sauce flavored with scorched chili, ginger, garlic and green onion, with the pleasant crispness of roasted peanuts that provides a textural contrast to the juicy meat. We add crunchy vegetables for freshness. Where they really got me is the mention of “scorched chili.” That is what I would consider to be a fair description of Kung Pao Chicken! So you can call us out for taking part in Chinese American food culture, but ultimately, I’ve found that Panda Express is a pretty decent spot for a variety of vegetables when fast food is the only option. That said, in my experience, some Panda Express locations are better than others. Why not learn to recreate your favorite flavors at home? (Not to mention save some money by cooking a bigger batch).
The Right Mix of Veggies for Panda Express Super Greens
I found that the ideal ratio of vegetables here is 5 cups cabbage, 4 cups kale, and 3 cups broccoli. Most of the dish is tender cabbage, followed by millennial-favorite, kale, with an occasional hit of more fibrous broccoli. If you don’t have those exact items, you can still make this recipe work. I would say the constant is the cabbage, but my mom whips up a wok full of mixed stir-fried greens with whatever we’ve got. (As food bloggers, we often have stray bok choy and cabbage wedges from previous recipes, staging, and experimenting.) The special ingredient that we’ve added here is vegetarian oyster sauce. It gives the dish a much needed flavor kick that takes it beyond just garlic and salt! If you’re not vegetarian, you can also use regular oyster sauce.
Panda Express Super Greens Recipe Instructions
Wash and prep your cabbage, kale, and broccoli. We usually soak our vegetables in a large stainless steel mixing bowl of cold water, changing out the water 1-3x and letting the vegetables drain in a colander while we prepare the other ingredients. Start with my mom’s kung pao chicken recipe. To the prep, add 1 cup each of ½-inch diced zucchini and red bell peppers. To make it easy, you can just use pre-roasted peanuts (we like the ones from Costco). Add an extra ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce on top of what her recipe calls for. After step 5, add the zucchini and bell peppers. Then you add the chicken and the sauce. Stir-fry until the sauce is clinging to everything, and finally, stir in the peanuts. If you want it a little saltier (i.e., like Panda Express—you can use light soy sauce to season to taste. You shouldn’t need more than ½ to 1 teaspoon). Heat your wok or large/deep skillet over high heat. When it starts to lightly smoke, add the oil, followed by the broccoli. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic… …followed by both the cabbage and kale. Stir to combine, and sprinkle with salt. Stir-fry, using your wok spatula to mix the vegetables so they get contact with the hot sides of the wok. As the liquid starts to dry out, pile the vegetables in the center of the wok, add a ¼-½ cup of water. If your pan has trouble maintaining high heat, stick to the low end of the range. Cover and let steam for 2 minutes. Add the vegetarian oyster sauce, if using. Stir to combine and salt to taste once again if needed. If you like your vegetables more well-done, cook for another minute or so. Transfer to a plate and serve with your favorite Chinese dishes!
