Chinese Lion's Head Soup

Chinese Lion's Head Soup is a meatball soup cooked with napa cabbage. A hearty and wholesome soup dish perfect for a cool Fall or Winter day.

Chinese Lion's Head Soup is a healthy and nutritious meatball soup that is cooked with napa vegetables. Growing up, I have always had this soup at meal times and quite honestly, never knew they were called Lion's Head Soup. I have always just simply called them pork meatballs.

Chinese Lion's Head meatballs or stewed meatballs is a dish of Huaiyang cuisine from eastern China, consisting of large pork meatballs stewed with vegetables. The meatballs are called Lion's Head because of its resemblance to the shape of the head of the Chinese guardian lion. The dish eventually became part of the Shanghai cuisine with the influx of migrants in the 19th and early 20th century.

I have always made these Chinese Lion's Head meatballs for my family and they absolutely love it. The meatballs are made from marinated minced pork molded into balls and cooked in chicken broth. Throw in some vegetables and serve it with rice or noodles, you'll have a well balanced meal.

Chinese Lion's Head Soup
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb Minced Pork
1 Egg
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tbsp Minced Ginger
1 tbsp + 2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Salt
4 tsp Sesame Oil (divided)
1 Head Napa Cabbage (cored & cut)
2 Carrots (cut)
8 cups Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Green Onions (chopped and divided)

Cooking Method
1. Marinate 1 lb of minced pork with 1 egg, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp sesame oil and half of the chopped green onions. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a pot, heat up 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add in 2 tsp minced garlic and stir fry until it is fragrant. Add in cut napa cabbage, carrots and stir fry for a few minutes.
3. Add in 8 cups of chicken stock and bring in to a boil. Once boiling, lower temperature and simmer on medium/low heat. 
4. Mold marinated minced pork into 1 tbsp sized meatballs and drop them into the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper, if neccessary.
6. Dish out into bowls, garnish with chopped green onions, dash of white pepper powder and drizzle some sesame oil.

Makes 4 to 6 servings