While not boasting the fanciest name, this soup is downright delicious and warming. It features pork stock, napa cabbage, ginger, and tasty little pork meatballs. I have to be honest this was my first (!) time making pork stock, for crazy some reason, and pairing it with Chinese cuisine flavors--tamari, ginger, scallions, sesame oil--is absolutely perfect. For the stock, I only simmered the pork bones 2 hours, and it was still super flavorful, and jelled when cooled (a sign of all that good gelatin!) If you're in a pinch, substitute chicken or beef broth.
*based off of a recipe in the Omnivore's Cookbook
Stock: (total time: 3 hrs)
Ingredients:
3 lbs pork bones (most any bone will do, can be a combo of ribs, marrow bones, and/or pig feet)
Several slices of ginger
2 onions, cut into chunks
Directions:
In a large stock pot, add the bones and enough cold water to just cover. Bring to a boil, and take off the heat. Get a strainer ready in the sink, and pour out all the water in the stock pot. Refill the stock pot with cold filtered water. Bring to a boil again, and reduce heat to low-- you want the stock to be at a simmer while cooking. Remove any foam that rises to the top. Once there's no more foam forming, add the onions and ginger slices. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Remove bones with tongs, and strain stock through a fine wire strainer, or cheesecloth.
Soup: (total time: 1/2 an hour)
Ingredients:
for the meatballs:
1 lb ground pork
1/2 c minced scallion
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 t grated ginger
2 t tamari
1 T sesame oil
1 egg
1 T corn starch
1/2 c panko (or finely chopped breadcrumbs)
4 T "Shaoxing" wine or dry sherry
for the soup:
8 large napa cabbage leaves
1 red onion
1 carrot, grated and cut into strips
optional: mushrooms, daikon radish
2 quarts stock, preferably pork
Directions:
Mix all the meatball ingredients, let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Get stock simmering, add daikon and carrot, cook for 5 minutes. Add tough parts of napa cabbage, simmer 5 minutes. Add the rest of the napa cabbage, and optional mushrooms, and cook for another 5 minutes. Scoop meatballs into simmering soup, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until meatballs are cooked through. Serve as is, or over rice noodles.
*based off of a recipe in the Omnivore's Cookbook
Stock: (total time: 3 hrs)
Ingredients:
3 lbs pork bones (most any bone will do, can be a combo of ribs, marrow bones, and/or pig feet)
Several slices of ginger
2 onions, cut into chunks
Directions:
In a large stock pot, add the bones and enough cold water to just cover. Bring to a boil, and take off the heat. Get a strainer ready in the sink, and pour out all the water in the stock pot. Refill the stock pot with cold filtered water. Bring to a boil again, and reduce heat to low-- you want the stock to be at a simmer while cooking. Remove any foam that rises to the top. Once there's no more foam forming, add the onions and ginger slices. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Remove bones with tongs, and strain stock through a fine wire strainer, or cheesecloth.
Soup: (total time: 1/2 an hour)
Ingredients:
for the meatballs:
1 lb ground pork
1/2 c minced scallion
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 t grated ginger
2 t tamari
1 T sesame oil
1 egg
1 T corn starch
1/2 c panko (or finely chopped breadcrumbs)
4 T "Shaoxing" wine or dry sherry
for the soup:
8 large napa cabbage leaves
1 red onion
1 carrot, grated and cut into strips
optional: mushrooms, daikon radish
2 quarts stock, preferably pork
Directions:
Mix all the meatball ingredients, let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Get stock simmering, add daikon and carrot, cook for 5 minutes. Add tough parts of napa cabbage, simmer 5 minutes. Add the rest of the napa cabbage, and optional mushrooms, and cook for another 5 minutes. Scoop meatballs into simmering soup, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until meatballs are cooked through. Serve as is, or over rice noodles.