This Chinese Cabbage Soup is so easy to make. It is healthy, nutritious and so comforting. You can also turn this into a balanced one-pot meal, perfect for weekday meals.
This Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe has subtle sweetness from the Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage) and dried shrimps. Flavours are light yet comforting, with a gentle umami from the dried shrimp and a hint of garlic. It’s the kind of soup that warms you up without feeling heavy—perfect for everyday meals. If you love quick soup recipes, you can also check out my Daikon Radish and Meatball Soup – One-Pot Meal
Ingredients for Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe
Dried Shrimps: The dried shrimps are going to give natural sweet umami flavour to the dish. You can also swap with any meat such as minced pork or ground beef.
Garlic: When sautéed, garlic releases a savoury fragrant aroma that enhances the overall fragrance of the soup.
Chinese Cabbage/Napa Cabbage: This is the main ingredient for this recipe. The Chinese Cabbage adds natural mild sweetness to the dish.
What other ingredients can I add to the Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe to turn this into a one-pot meal?
You can add minced meat, meatball, wantons, tofu, fishcakes, seaweed more vegetables, mushrooms and noodles or rice.
Cooking Tips
Saute and dried shrimp and garlic until fragrant – Remember to saute the dried shrimps and the garlic until you smell a savoury lovely fragrance. When sautéed, the garlic and dried shrimps release a rich aroma that enhances the overall fragrance of the soup.
Saute the Chinese cabbage/Napa cabbage until fragrant and soften – When you saute the Chinese cabbage/Napa cabbage with the dried shrimps and garlic, it will release a sweet aroma that enhances the overall taste of the soup.
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Recipe Print here:
Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe, Healthy One-Pot Meals
Ingredients
- 500 grams Chinese cabbage 500克大白菜
- 25 grams dried shrimp 25克虾米
- 3 cloves garlic 3瓣蒜末 minced
- 1500 ml water or chicken stock 1500 毫升水或鸡汤
- 1 packet wantons 1包馄饨
- 1-2 portion noodles 1-2份面条
- 1-2 tablespoon cooking oil 1-2汤匙食用油
- season with some salt and pepper 盐和胡椒调味
Garnish 装饰:
- 1 tablespoon coriander or spring onion 1汤匙香菜或葱
Instructions
Soak dried shrimps:
- Rinse and soak pre-washed dried shrimps in water for 10 minutes.
Prepare vegetables:
- While the shrimps are soaking, cut Chinese cabbage into smaller pieces. You can cut into any shape you prefer.
Drain and pat dry shrimps:
- After soaking, drain and pat dry the shrimps thoroughly to prevent oil from splattering during cooking.
Sauté dried shrimps:
- Heat a pot with oil. Once the oil is hot, add the dried shrimps and sauté until fragrant.
Add garlic:
- Add chopped garlic and continue sautéing until aromatic.
Cook cabbage:
- Add the chopped cabbage and stir-fry until it softens and shrinks in volume.
Add liquid:
- Pour in water or chicken stock. Increase heat and bring it to a boil.
Optional (One-Pot Meal):
- Once boiling, you can add protein (like wantons) and your preferred noodles to turn it into a one-pot meal.
Finish and Garnish:
- Once everything is cooked, garnish with spring onions or coriander. Season with salt and pepper. You can also drizzle some shallot oil or garlic oil for extra aroma.
Notes
- Soak dried shrimps in advance – This softens them and brings out their umami flavour.
- Dry the shrimps well – Moisture on the shrimp can cause hot oil to splatter, so pat them dry thoroughly.
- Cut cabbage evenly – This helps it cook uniformly and avoids overcooked or undercooked bites.
- Saute and dried shrimp and garlic until fragrant – Remember to saute the dried shrimps and the garlic until you smell a savoury lovely fragrance. When sautéed, the garlic and dried shrimps release a rich aroma that enhances the overall fragrance of the soup.
- Saute the Chinese cabbage/Napa cabbage until fragrant and soften – When you saute the Chinese cabbage/Napa cabbage with the dried shrimps and garlic, it will release a sweet aroma that enhances the overall taste of the soup.
- Use stock for more flavour – Chicken stock adds a deeper, more savoury taste to the soup than plain water.
- Elevate the flavour – A drizzle of shallot oil or garlic oil enhances both aroma and depth of flavour.