Easy Minced Pork Noodle Soup with Napa Cabbage
Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 2
I love making this minced pork noodle soup on busy days. It’s easy, it’s comforting and everything is cooked in one pot, so dinner is on the table in about 20 minutes. There’s a little prep, marinating the minced pork and cutting the napa cabbage, but nothing tricky, and you’ll end up with a warm bowl of noodles that’s perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
The soup is light and clear, with a gentle sweetness coming from the napa cabbage and a savoury depth coming from the minced pork, garlic and ginger. A quick marinade of light soy sauce and cornstarch keeps the minced pork tender, and an egg cooked right in the soup makes it a complete meal.
Watch How to Make It
What Is Minced Pork Noodle Soup?
Minced pork noodle soup is a simple Chinese homestyle noodle soup: minced pork and napa cabbage cooked in a light broth, then poured over a bowl of noodles. In this version, everything is cooked in one pot. The minced pork is sautéed with garlic and ginger, the napa cabbage is tossed in until it wilts, then water goes in and it simmers into a clear, lightly sweet soup, with eggs cooked right in the pot. Serve it with meehoon/glass noodles or any noodles of your choice. If you enjoy soupy noodles, try my Easy Fish Ball Noodle Soup too.
Ingredients for Minced Pork Noodle Soup
Serves 2
Minced Pork Marinade (猪肉碎腌料):
- 300 grams minced pork (300克猪肉碎)
- 1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce (1.5汤匙生抽)
- 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch (1.5茶匙玉米淀粉)
- 1 tablespoon oil (1汤匙油)
Ingredients (材料):
- 400 grams napa cabbage (400克大白菜)
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (3瓣蒜头，粗切)
- 6 grams ginger, minced (6克姜，切末)
- 2 eggs (2个鸡蛋)
- 2 portions meehoon/glass noodles or any noodles of your choice (2份米粉/粉丝或任何面条)
- 800 ml water (800毫升水)
- 2 tablespoons oil, for frying (2汤匙油，炒用)
Seasoning (调味):
- Salt to taste (盐适量)
Dipping Sauce, Optional (蘸酱，可选):
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (1汤匙生抽)
- 3 chili padi, sliced (3条指天椒，切片)
How to Make Minced Pork Noodle Soup
1. Marinate the Minced Pork
- First, add the light soy sauce and cornstarch to the minced pork. Mix well in one circular direction, which gives the pork a springy texture.
- Once everything is mixed well, add 1 tablespoon of oil and mix in a random motion. The oil stops the minced pork from clumping up while cooking.
2. Prep the Garlic, Ginger and Napa Cabbage
- Roughly chop the garlic and mince the ginger.
- Wash the napa cabbage well, as dirt can hide between the leaves. Trim off the ends, cut it in half, then cut it into smaller pieces.
3. Sauté the Garlic and Ginger
- Heat the wok. Once it’s hot, add 2 tablespoons of oil, then the garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant.
4. Cook the Minced Pork
- Add the minced pork and immediately mix it with the garlic and ginger so they don’t burn.
- Then increase the heat and keep cooking, breaking up any large clumps, until the pork turns pale brown and is no longer pink.
5. Add the Napa Cabbage
- Next, toss the napa cabbage with the minced pork on high heat until it starts to wilt.
6. Simmer the Soup
- Add 800 ml of water and bring to a boil, then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
7. Add the Eggs and Season
- Crack in the eggs and let them cook in the soup, or cook them separately if you prefer. Season with salt to taste.
8. Cook the Noodles
- While the soup simmers, cook the noodles following the packet instructions. You can also cook them in the pot with the soup.
9. Assemble and Serve
- Place the noodles in a bowl, then pour the soup, minced pork and napa cabbage over the noodles and top with an egg.
- Finally, serve with a dipping sauce of light soy sauce and sliced chili padi, if you like.
Easy Minced Pork Noodle Soup with Napa Cabbage
Ingredients
Minced Pork Marinade (猪肉碎腌料)
- 300 grams minced pork (300克猪肉碎)
- 1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce (1.5汤匙生抽)
- 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch (1.5茶匙玉米淀粉)
- 1 tablespoon oil (1汤匙油)
Ingredients (材料)
- 400 grams napa cabbage (400克大白菜)
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (3瓣蒜头，粗切)
- 6 grams ginger, minced (6克姜，切末)
- 2 eggs (2个鸡蛋)
- 2 portions meehoon/glass noodles or any noodles of your choice (2份米粉/粉丝或任何面条)
- 800 ml water (800毫升水)
- 2 tablespoons oil, for frying (2汤匙油，炒用)
Seasoning (调味)
- Salt to taste (盐适量)
Dipping Sauce, Optional (蘸酱，可选)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (1汤匙生抽)
- 3 chili padi, sliced (3条指天椒，切片)
Instructions
1. Marinate the Minced Pork
- First, add the light soy sauce and cornstarch to the minced pork. Mix well in one circular direction, which gives the pork a springy texture.
- Once everything is mixed well, add 1 tablespoon of oil and mix in a random motion. The oil stops the minced pork from clumping up while cooking.
2. Prep the Garlic, Ginger and Napa Cabbage
- Roughly chop the garlic and mince the ginger.
- Wash the napa cabbage well, as dirt can hide between the leaves. Trim off the ends, cut it in half, then cut it into smaller pieces.
3. Sauté the Garlic and Ginger
- Heat the wok. Once it’s hot, add 2 tablespoons of oil, then the garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant.
4. Cook the Minced Pork
- Add the minced pork and immediately mix it with the garlic and ginger so they don’t burn.
- Then increase the heat and keep cooking, breaking up any large clumps, until the pork turns pale brown and is no longer pink.
5. Add the Napa Cabbage
- Next, toss the napa cabbage with the minced pork on high heat until it starts to wilt.
6. Simmer the Soup
- Add 800 ml of water and bring to a boil, then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
7. Add the Eggs and Season
- Crack in the eggs and let them cook in the soup, or cook them separately if you prefer. Season with salt to taste.
8. Cook the Noodles
- While the soup simmers, cook the noodles following the packet instructions. You can also cook them in the pot with the soup.
9. Assemble and Serve
- Place the noodles in a bowl, then pour the soup, minced pork and napa cabbage over the noodles and top with an egg.
- Finally, serve with a dipping sauce of light soy sauce and sliced chili padi, if you like.
Video
Notes
- Mix the marinade in one direction first. Stirring the minced pork in one circular direction gives it a springy texture.
- Add the oil last. Once the soy sauce and cornstarch are mixed in, add the oil and mix in a random motion. The oil stops the minced pork from clumping up while cooking.
- Don’t let the garlic burn. Add the minced pork as soon as the garlic and ginger are fragrant, and mix straight away.
- Break up the clumps. Cook the minced pork on high heat and break up any large clumps, until it’s pale brown and no longer pink.
- Let the napa cabbage wilt before adding water. Tossing it with the minced pork on high heat first softens it and brings out its sweetness in the soup.
- Use any noodles you like. Meehoon/glass noodles or any noodles of your choice work well.
Tips for the Best Minced Pork Noodle Soup
- Mix the marinade in one direction first. Stirring the minced pork in one circular direction gives it a springy texture.
- Add the oil last. Once the soy sauce and cornstarch are mixed in, add the oil and mix in a random motion. The oil stops the minced pork from clumping up while cooking.
- Don’t let the garlic burn. Add the minced pork as soon as the garlic and ginger are fragrant, and mix straight away.
- Break up the clumps. Cook the minced pork on high heat and break up any large clumps, until it’s pale brown and no longer pink.
- Let the napa cabbage wilt before adding water. Tossing it with the minced pork on high heat first softens it and brings out its sweetness in the soup.
- Use any noodles you like. Meehoon/glass noodles or any noodles of your choice work well.
What to Serve with Minced Pork Noodle Soup
With minced pork, napa cabbage, eggs and noodles all in one bowl, this minced pork noodle soup is a meal on its own. If you’d like something on the side, a cool dish like Cold Silken Tofu with Chili Oil and Soy Sauce goes well with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What noodles can I use for minced pork noodle soup?
You can use meehoon/glass noodles or any noodles of your choice. Just cook them following the packet instructions before pouring the soup over them.
Should I cook the noodles in the soup or separately?
Either works. You can add the noodles to the pot, or cook them in a separate pot like I do in the video.
Why do you add cornstarch and oil to the minced pork?
The light soy sauce seasons the minced pork and the cornstarch keeps it tender. Mixing in one direction first gives it a springy texture. The oil goes in last and stops the minced pork from clumping up while it cooks.
How do I know when the minced pork is cooked?
Keep cooking and breaking up any clumps until the minced pork turns pale brown and is no longer pink. It then continues to cook in the soup while it simmers.
Can I make minced pork noodle soup ahead of time?
Yes. Keep the soup without the noodles in an airtight container in the fridge and eat it within a day or two. Reheat it until piping hot and cook the noodles fresh just before serving, so they don’t go soft.
You Might Also Like:
- Easy Fish Ball Noodle Soup (Comforting Homestyle Chinese Soup)
- Chinese Seaweed Soup with Minced Pork
- Easy Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe, Healthy One-Pot Meals
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out! Don’t forget to tag @ruyiasianrecipes if you share it on social media.
