Cooking a soup using traditional homemade stock takes several hours. A pressure cooker can shorten the time, and use less cooking fuel, but Chinese home cooks use a faster method, by allowing the ingredients themselves to flavor the broth. Using simple ingredients and a few simple steps, with salt and white pepper for seasoning, you can quickly make a nutritious, economical soup that the whole family can enjoy. We use cabbage, pork, and tofu. The pork is browned in a little oil, then the cabbage is added, lending its flavor to the oil. When the water is added, it picks up the flavors in the oil, and this is enhanced with salt and pepper to taste. To extend the soup for more people, add more water and increase the salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare the ingredients. Wash the pork and cabbage.
Chop the cabbage, separating the white stem part from the green leaves.
Slice the pork and cut the tofu into 1.5-2cm (½-¾ inch) thick slices.
Heat the pan until it smokes slightly, pour in 25ml (5 tsps) of oil, hold the pan handle and rotate it to cover the pan with hot oil. When the oil is heated to 90-100°C (194-212℉), add the tofu. Fry until both sides are golden brown, remove from the pan and drain the oil.
300 g tofu, 40 ml cooking oil
Add 15ml (1 tbsp) of oil to the pan, use medium-low heat, add the pork and stir-fry until it changes color and you smell the aroma.
40 ml cooking oil, 200 g lean pork
Over medium heat, add the white part of the cabbage and sauté for 20 seconds before adding the remaining cabbage.
500 g Napa cabbage
After the cabbage is fried until soft, add 500ml (2 cups) of water.
500 ml water
Bring to a boil over high heat, add salt and white pepper and stir well.
5 ml salt, 3 ml white pepper
Transfer the ingredients and broth from the wok to your serving bowls.
Place the fried tofu on top and serve.
Notes
The white stem parts of the cabbage is thicker and takes longer to cook than the green leafy parts, so I cook the white part first.
If you do not want to fry the tofu, you can add it to the broth and cook it with the other ingredients, or leave it out altogether.