# Pork Meatballs and Napa Cabbage Soup

Inspired by the hearty cabbage soups common in Northern China, this soothing dish is exactly what you want on a cold winter night.

- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 45 min
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## 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

## Instructions

1. Combine 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.
2. Stir with a spatula until liquid is fully incorporated into the pork.
3. Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch and stir until the mixture becomes pasty and sticky; set aside to marinate.
4. Place 2 ounces mung bean vermicelli in a second bowl and cover with warm water.
5. Let soak until pliable, about 5 minutes.
6. Drain and set aside.
7. Discard any outer leaves from ½ head napa cabbage that are bruised or torn.
8. Peel remaining cabbage leaves away from the core; discard the core.
9. Stack three similar-size leaves and, using a sharp knife, cut away the white portion from the center.
10. Keeping pieces stacked, cut cabbage whites into 1-inch pieces and cabbage greens into 2-inch pieces.
11. Repeat with remaining leaves.
12. Bring 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.
13. Add cabbage whites and cook, covered, until just starting to turn tender, about 3 minutes.
14. Add cabbage greens and continue to cook until greens are wilted, about 2 minutes longer.
15. Push cabbage to one side of the pot.
16. Using a spoon, scoop 1½-tablespoon portions of pork mixture and carefully add to the soup.
17. Repeat until all of the pork mixture is used, then stir in the drained vermicelli noodles.
18. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the meatballs are just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
19. Stir in 1 thinly sliced scallion and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil.
20. Serve.

## Equipment

- medium bowl
- spatula
- second bowl
- sharp knife
- large pot
- spoon

## 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.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/17460-pork-meatballs-and-napa-cabbage-soup?queryID=c05a4a5bd7b6311918dd25032fe3b323&indexName=cortado_production_autocomplete
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/54327e7a-5fd9-473c-beb9-0b36c70a2ed3
- Extracted: 2026-04-29

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt