Rx Recipes: Cabbage Crunch

Faculty member Ouita Gatton, RPh, shares this refreshing Cabbage Crunch recipe just in time for summer

Recipe provided by Ouita Gatton | Published June 17, 2025

Our Rx Recipes series explores recipes provided by faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. In this edition, Ouita Gatton, RPh, shares this refreshing Cabbage Crunch recipe, perfect as a side dish for your summer picnic or barbecue.

Cabbage Crunch:
1 head cabbage chopped fine Salt and pepper to taste
2 packages Ramen noodles, chicken flavored, uncooked, broken 1 package dry onion soup mix
1 cup grated carrots 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 
1 cup slivered almonds 

Mix thoroughly in a large bowls and set to the side. 

Dressing:
1 cup oil
6 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 package chicken flavor from Ramen noodles 

Two hours prior to serving, pour dressing over the cabbage mixture and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until serving.   

Now that the days are heating up, we are officially in picnic and BBQ season! This Rx Recipe comes just in time to offer our readers a refreshing and healthy side dish that will be a perfect addition to any picnic or BBQ you have planned this summer. 

This Cabbage Crunch recipe was provided to us by Outia Gatton, RPh. Ouita serves as a Professor of the Practice in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education, and an Assistant Director of the (PGY1) Community-based Pharmacy Residency Program and Community-based Psychiatry Fellowship Program.  

Ouita’s father owned a pharmacy in Raleigh, NC for 30 years, so she has pharmacy in her DNA. Through her role at the School, Ouita aims to be a mentor, coach, and safe space for students, residents, and fellows. In her role at the School, Ouita teaches in the classroom, travels across the state to visit community-based pharmacy sites, serves on the Recruitment and Admissions Committee, and much more. Her dedication and commitment to the School and profession is felt well beyond campus and across the state. 

Ouita grew up watching her grandmother, mother, and three aunts all create delectable dishes in the kitchen. Many of the recipes Ouita uses today, like Cabbage Crunch, are from these legacy women. Anytime they needed a colorful, healthy side dish, Ouita’s mom would make Cabbage Crunch for the family to enjoy. Now, she can continue to honor these women and treat herself and her family to these delicious recipes.  

Beyond the classroom, Ouita enjoys reading, singing, and spending time with her husband and family. 

Thanks for the recipe, Ouita!