Napa Cabbage Soup with Tofu and Meatballs

Ingredients

Soup base:

  • 2 large slices ginger

  • 3 to 4 green onions, chopped

  • 1/4 cup chopped bacon

  • 1 cup chicken stock (optional; use 2 cups for extra-rich flavor)

Meatballs:

  • 1/2 pound (230 g) ground turkey or pork

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion (green part, optional)

  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry or Japanese sake)

  • 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free

  • 2 tsp potato starch

  • 1 tsp grated ginger

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp sesame oil (or peanut/vegetable oil)

Soup:

  • 6 to 8 large napa cabbage leaves, chopped (≈6–8 cups)

  • 1/2 daikon radish, peeled and chopped (≈2 cups, optional)

  • 1 batch enoki mushrooms, tough ends removed and separated

  • 1/2 block (400 g / 14 oz) soft tofu, chopped

  • Sea salt to taste

Directions

Heat a 3.8-liter (4-quart) pot over medium heat and add the fatty parts of the bacon. When it starts to sizzle, lower to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon turns golden. Add chicken stock and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot, then add water (1 cup if using 2 cups stock, or 3 cups with 1 tablespoon oyster or hoisin sauce if skipping stock), ginger, and green onions, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. While the stock simmers, combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl, stir gently until just combined into a slightly runny mixture, and let sit for 5–10 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse and cut the vegetables. Add the daikon to the pot, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, then add the thick parts of the napa cabbage, cover, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the green parts of the cabbage and the enoki mushrooms, cook 2–3 minutes, then adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Add the soft tofu and push ingredients to one side of the pot to make space for the meatballs. Using a spoon, scoop 1–1.5 tablespoons of the meatball mixture and carefully add to the soup, repeating until about 15 meatballs are formed. Cover and simmer until the meatballs are just cooked through, about 4–5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the pot covered. Serve hot as a main or side; for a full meal, boil noodles (or mung bean/shirataki noodles) separately and add to the soup, adjusting salt or light soy sauce to taste.