Soul-soothing and comforting, this Chinese napa cabbage soup makes a great easy weeknight dinner! Ready in 30 minutes and only a handful of ingredients needed. A quick side dish that your family will love!
I might be bias, but Chinese soups are some of the best soups to ever exist! Especially this particular napa cabbage soup. Just like my Chinese spinach soup, this soup is warm, flavorsome and comforting without being overly heavy.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Super comforting and packed with Asian flavors - Featuring tender veggies cooked in a flavorful broth, you will definitely be impress by how good this Chinese cabbage soup taste!
- Only 7 ingredients needed - We are keeping seasonings simple here, allowing the flavor and texture of napa cabbage to shine.
- Wholesome and nourishing - Packed full of nutritious and fiber-rich veggies, this soup is a delicious way to get your 5 a day.
- Naturally meat-free and vegan - Hence, this amazing Chinese cabbage soup can be enjoyed by both vegans and meat-eaters alike.
🥬What is napa cabbage
Napa cabbage is also known as Chinese cabbage, Beijing cabbage, wombok or siu choy (绍菜) in Cantonese. It is widely used in Asian cooking and are usually added to soups, stews and stir-fries. It can also be chopped up and used as a filling for dumplings and spring rolls.
Taste
Like most Chinese vegetables, napa cabbage don't have much flavor on its own. Anyhow, it will absorb flavors and seasonings readily like a sponge.
When cooked, napa cabbage has a mild sweetness, making it a great base ingredient for soups.
When cooked under high heat for a short period of time, like in stir-fries, they will be crisp and crunchy. However, in this recipe, we will be simmering it until soft and tender!
Where to buy
Chinese cabbage is one of the most common Chinese vegetables of all times, and can be easily found in most well stocked grocery stores. You can also find them in most Asian markets. Choose one with fresh-looking green leaves and a plump, firm core. Avoid those that look wilted or are eaten by bugs.
How to prepare
As we will only be using a few leaves in this Chinese cabbage soup, I usually just peel off the leaves individually. Then, rinse them well before slicing them into bite size pieces (about 2-3 inches long).
🧄What you will need
📃Notes/substitutions
- Soy sauce - Use gluten-free ones if needed, can also be substituted with tamari.
- Shaoxing wine - Also known as Chinese cooking wine. You can use mirin or sake in place.
- Oil-free - Use ¼ cup of broth or water to saute your garlic, and omit sesame oil.
🔪How to make
Heat up a tablespoon or so of neutral oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Once heated, place in garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Next, add in napa cabbage, carrot and broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while, until veggies have softened.
Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce, shaoxing wine and sesame oil. Give it a taste and add more soy sauce, if needed. Serve Chinese cabbage soup while warm!
✔Helpful tips
- You can use bouillon cubes or stock powder in place of vegetable broth. Heat up 4 cups of water, then add in cubes or powder. Stir until it has dissolved before adding in veggies.
- Use a large enough Dutch oven or soup pot to prevent soup from boiling over while cooking. I am using a 5.5qt Dutch oven.
- If you prefer your napa cabbage crunchy, reduce cooking time by 5-8 minutes. Separate it immediately from soup until ready to serve to prevent cabbage from cooking further.
✨Variations
Miso broth - Replace broth with equal amount of water. After vegetables are done cooking, turn the heat off and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of miso paste. You can also stir in a handful of wakame seaweed.
For protein - Cube up some silken or firm tofu and stir them in in the last few minutes of cooking.
To make it heartier - Cook up some noodles and stir them into the soup to make Chinese noodle soup. Udon, soba and rice noodles are some amazing choices.
Corn - Toss in chunks of corn on cobs along with the rest of the veggies to add extra flavor and sweetness to this Chinese cabbage soup.
Spicy - You can stir in 1-2 teaspoons of chili flakes.
🍚How to serve
- Rice - The best way to serve your Chinese cabbage soup is with a bowl of freshly steamed rice, be it brown or white rice. For a lower carb version, you can use cauliflower or broccoli rice instead.
- Noodles - Noodle dishes like a simple rice vermicelli stir fry or teriyaki soba stir fry will pair beautifully with this soup.
- Other Chinese dishes - If you are serving a crowd, go all out by making some vegan orange chicken, tofu chop suey, or some sweet and sour chickpeas!
- Bread - Lastly, you can pair napa cabbage soup with your favorite breads or flatbreads.
❔Commonly asked questions
Leftover napa cabbage soup can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. As the veggies will turn softer and mushier upon reheating, I recommend slightly undercooking them if you are planning to make this soup ahead of time.
I would highly recommend sticking to napa cabbage to make this Chinese cabbage soup if you can get your hands on it. However, if you can't find any, you can substitute it with other Chinese greens like bok choy and choy sum.
Yes, the stalk, aka the white parts, can be consumed raw or cooked. It is crunchy and crisp when raw, and will soften and turn tender upon cooking.
🍽More cozy vegan recipes
If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉
📖 Recipe
Chinese Napa Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 3 large leaves napa cabbage Slice into 2 inches pieces (about 0.5lb/250g)
- 1 medium carrot sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Heat up a tablespoon or so of neutral oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Once heated, place in garlic and saute 1 minute until fragrant.3 cloves garlic
- Next, add in napa cabbage, carrot and broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while, until veggies have softened.4 cups vegetable stock
- Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce, shaoxing wine and sesame oil. Give it a taste and add more soy sauce, if needed. Serve Chinese cabbage soup while warm!3 large leaves napa cabbage, 1 medium carrot, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Notes
- You can use bouillon cubes or stock powder in place of vegetable broth. Heat up 4 cups of water, then add in cubes or powder. Stir until it has dissolved before adding in veggies.
- Use a large enough Dutch oven or soup pot to prevent soup from boiling over while cooking. I am using a 5.5qt Dutch oven.
- If you prefer your napa cabbage crunchy, reduce cooking time by 5-8 minutes. Separate it immediately from soup until ready to serve to prevent cabbage from cooking further.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Bett B
Did you shred or tear the cabbage before adding? It seems so in the images, but you don't mention it in the instructions.
Meesha
Sorry, I had forgotten to add that in! You will need to roughly slice it into 2 inches pieces. 😁
Beth
Three leave of cabbage doesn't seem like much.
Meesha
This recipe is incredibly versatile, so feel free to add more if you like.😁