I absolutely love soup— sometimes even eating leftovers at breakfast. This Pork & Cabbage Noodle Soup is inspired by Asian flavors with warming garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground pork or turkey
- Kosher salt, ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (2 tablespoons)
- 1 pound cabbage, core removed, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, sliced into half circles
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro leaves and stems, divided
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken bone broth or homemade chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari, coconut aminos, or low-sodium soy sauce, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 4 ounces dried rice noodles
- 1-2 limes, cut into wedges or halved (optional for serving)
Preparation
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, once hot add onions and cook until softened about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20-30 seconds.
Add the ground pork and break up into smaller pieces with a wooden spatula. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until browned. Add red chili flakes and ginger cooking for about a minute. Add bone broth, 4 cups of water, tamari, vinegar, and 1 cup of cilantro. Bring broth to simmer for about 7-10 minutes.
Stir in cabbage and carrots. Simmer partially covered for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables have softened.
Remove from heat and carefully taste soup, adjust seasonings as needed.
Cook rice noodles according to the package directions. I boiled the noodles for 3-4 minutes and then drained. To serve, divide rice noodles among the bowls and ladle soup over. Garnish with the remainder of the cilantro, red pepper flakes, and fresh lime for squeezing over.
Notes
Jalapeños sliced into rings, Thai basil, and sambal oelek would also be nice as toppings.
Other options for protein could include ground chicken or turkey. When using leaner proteins, you will likely need to increase the amount of oil to help with browning. Lightly pan-fried tofu could also be used and added near the end of cooking.
Napa cabbage or Bok choy could be substituted for the cabbage.