Pork Meatballs and Napa Cabbage Soup
Directions
- 1Combine 1 pound ground pork, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, and ½ teaspoon table salt in a medium bowl.
- 2Stir with a spatula until liquid is fully incorporated into the pork.
- 3Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch and stir until the mixture becomes pasty and sticky; set aside to marinate.
- 4Place 2 ounces mung bean vermicelli in a second bowl and cover with warm water.
- 5Let soak until pliable, about 5 minutes.
- 6Drain and set aside.
- 7Discard any outer leaves from ½ head napa cabbage that are bruised or torn.
- 8Peel remaining cabbage leaves away from the core; discard the core.
- 9Stack three similar-size leaves and, using a sharp knife, cut away the white portion from the center.
- 10Keeping pieces stacked, cut cabbage whites into 1-inch pieces and cabbage greens into 2-inch pieces.
- 11Repeat with remaining leaves.
- 12Bring 6 cups chicken broth, 3 thin slices peeled ginger, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- 13Add cabbage whites and cook, covered, until just starting to turn tender, about 3 minutes.
- 14Add cabbage greens and continue to cook until greens are wilted, about 2 minutes longer.
- 15Push cabbage to one side of the pot.
- 16Using a spoon, scoop 1½-tablespoon portions of pork mixture and carefully add to the soup.
- 17Repeat until all of the pork mixture is used, then stir in the drained vermicelli noodles.
- 18Cover and simmer over medium heat until the meatballs are just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
- 19Stir in 1 thinly sliced scallion and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil.
- 20Serve.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 3 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon table salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 ounces mung bean vermicelli
- 0.5 head napa cabbage
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 scallion, sliced thin
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Equipment
medium bowlspatulasecond bowlsharp knifelarge potspoon
Tips
- Fully cooked ground pork can retain a slightly pink hue.
- Mung bean vermicelli, also called glass noodles or cellophane noodles, are translucent strands made from mung bean starch. If they’re unavailable, rice vermicelli is a good substitute.
- Light soy is the go-to soy sauce in Chinese cooking; you can also substitute regular soy sauce in this recipe.
Related recipes
Chili Garlic Noodles
Chinese · Soup10m
Spicy Wontons
Chinese · Soup
Creamy Dan Dan Noodles
Chinese · Soup
Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
Chinese · Soup
Tomato beef soup (罗宋汤)
Chinese · Soup
15-Minute Steamed Chicken
Chinese · Soup
Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage and Mushrooms
Chinese · Soup
Mapo Tofu
Chinese · Soup
Egg Drop Soup
Chinese · Soup
Ground Beef Mongolian Noodles
Chinese · Soup
Beef and Mushroom in Black Pepper Sauce
Chinese · Soup
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Chinese · Soup