Chinese Chicken and Napa Cabbage Soup for a Quick Dinner Recipe
A delicate yet filling soup with chicken and Napa cabbage is the Chinese answer to our “quick broth”. In many Chinese homes, simple soups like this are cooked almost every day – they’re light, warming, and go perfectly with a bowl of rice.
Podobne szybkie zupy z cienko krojonym mięsem i kapustą to codzienny domowy standard w wielu chińskich regionach, szczególnie zimą. Często traktuje się je jako bazę, do której każdy przy stole dodaje sobie ryż lub makaron.
This soup combines the lightness of a clear broth with the comfort of a one-pot meal. Thanks to quick marinating, the chicken stays tender, and Napa cabbage gives the dish a delicate sweetness and pleasant texture. It’s fast, simple, and feels like homemade comfort food with a subtle Asian twist.
Dlaczego ta wersja działa
- Cienko krojony kurczak ze skrobią gotuje się szybko i pozostaje wyjątkowo miękki.
- Kapusta dodana w dwóch etapach zachowuje strukturę i nie rozpada się w bulionie.
- Zagęszczenie skrobią daje wrażenie bogatego wywaru bez ciężkiej śmietany.
Chef's tips
Cut the chicken into really thin strips so it cooks quickly and stays juicy. Don’t brown the ginger, garlic and spring onion – they should only soften and release their aroma, otherwise the soup can become bitter. If you like a clearer broth, add the starch gradually and stop when the soup reaches the thickness you prefer.
How to serve
Serve the soup in deep bowls, with extra soy sauce and chili oil on the side so everyone can adjust the flavor to their taste. It pairs well with jasmine rice, rice noodles or even simple steamed vegetables. For a more complete meal, add a side of quick stir-fried vegetables or a light cucumber salad.
Na co uważać
- Nie gotuj kurczaka na dużym ogniu – gwałtowne wrzenie szybko zrobi z niego suche, twarde włókna.
- Kapustę dodawaj pod koniec, bo zbyt długa obróbka sprawi, że rozpadnie się i zupa będzie płaska w smaku.
- Skrobię zawsze rozrabiaj w zimnej wodzie; wsypana prosto do garnka utworzy grudki.
Ingredients
- skinless chicken breast you can use boneless thighs, they will be juicier - 350 g
- Napa cabbage about 1/2 medium head - 300 g
- carrot cut into thin half-slices - 1 piece
- chicken or vegetable stock can be made from a cube, but homemade will be tastier - 1.2 l
- soy sauce - 2 tablespoon
- fresh ginger cut into thin slices - 2 cm
- garlic clove lightly crushed with a knife - 1 piece
- oil e.g. rapeseed - 1 tablespoon
- white part of spring onion or leek cut into thin slices - 30 g
- potato or corn starch optional, for light thickening - 1 tablespoon
- water for mixing the starch - 3 tablespoon
- salt to taste, carefully, because soy sauce is salty
- pepper to taste
- green part of spring onion for sprinkling before serving - 2 tablespoon
Preparation
- Cut the chicken breast into thin strips. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with 1 teaspoon of starch (taken from the measured tablespoon) and 1 tablespoon of water, add the chicken, mix and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Cut the Napa cabbage lengthwise and remove the hard core. Cut the white parts into thin strips and the green leaves into larger pieces.
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the white part of the spring onion or leek, the ginger and the crushed garlic. Fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften and become fragrant but do not brown.
- Pour in the stock and add the carrot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes, until the carrot softens slightly.
- Add the marinated chicken, separating the strips with a fork or chopsticks so they don’t stick together. Simmer over low heat for 5–7 minutes, until the meat is completely white inside.
- Add the white parts of the Napa cabbage and cook for 2 minutes, then add the green leaves and cook for another 2 minutes, until they soften but are still slightly firm.
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining starch with 2 tablespoons of water. Pour into the soup in a thin stream, stirring constantly, and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the soup slightly thickens.
- Season the soup with the remaining soy sauce, salt (if needed) and pepper. Remove the ginger slices and garlic if you don’t like them in the soup.
- Serve the hot soup sprinkled with the green part of the spring onion. You can add some cooked rice to the bowl to make the dish more filling.
Storage
Zupę przechowuj w lodówce do 2 dni; kapusta zmięknie i będzie mniej chrupiąca, a skrobia delikatnie zagęści bulion. Podgrzewaj na małym ogniu tylko do lekkiego wrzenia i dodawaj świeżo ugotowany ryż bezpośrednio do porcji.
This is one of those soups that feels like a warm hug on a busy day. It’s simple enough for a weekday dinner, but still fragrant and interesting thanks to ginger, garlic and soy sauce. I like to treat it as a base and add whatever vegetables I have in the fridge – it almost always turns out great.
