This is a straightforward Vietnamese pork and cabbage soup — ground pork, shredded cabbage, chicken stock, and a short list of pantry seasonings, done in 45 minutes. It makes a genuinely filling weeknight dinner that doesn’t leave you with a pile of dishes. The broth is clear and savory, not heavy, which means it works as a main with rice or as a lighter meal on its own.
What makes this version work
Two things actually matter here. First, browning the ground pork properly before adding the stock — don’t rush it. Give it the full 5–7 minutes over medium-high heat so it develops some color rather than just steaming through. That browning is where most of the broth’s depth comes from, since there’s no long simmer to fall back on. Second, fish sauce does the heavy lifting on seasoning, but the small amount of sugar is what keeps it from tasting flat or one-dimensional. Don’t skip it — you won’t taste sweetness, you’ll just taste a more rounded broth. Add the fish sauce at the end as instructed, taste, and adjust from there rather than seasoning blind.
If something goes sideways
- Broth tastes thin or bland: Add fish sauce a teaspoon at a time and taste between additions. If it still falls flat, a small pinch of extra sugar often fixes it faster than more salt.
- Cabbage turned to mush: It simmered too long. Fifteen minutes is the ceiling — pull it off heat as soon as the cabbage is just tender. If you’re making a double batch, the extra volume holds heat longer, so check it a few minutes early.
- Pork clumped into large chunks: Break it up constantly for the first two minutes of cooking. Once it starts to set, it’s harder to separate. A wooden spoon or a potato masher both work well for this.
- Soup looks greasy on top: Lean ground pork helps, but if fat pools on the surface, skim it with a spoon before serving or tilt the pot and blot with a paper towel laid flat on the surface for a few seconds.
- Scallions and cilantro wilted before serving: They go in right before the bowl hits the table, not while the pot is still on the burner. Skip the cilantro entirely if you’re packing leftovers for lunch — it turns slimy overnight and isn’t worth the extra dish of garnish prep.
Keeping and reheating
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cabbage softens further as it sits, so the texture on day two is noticeably different — still good, just less crisp. To reheat, warm it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just steaming; the microwave works fine too, about 2 minutes on high for a single bowl, stirring halfway. This soup freezes reasonably well for up to 2 months — freeze it without the scallions and cilantro and add fresh ones after reheating. Thaw overnight in the fridge rather than on the counter, since the pork is already cooked and you want to keep it safe.
Vietnamese Pork and Cabbage Soup (Canh Bắp Cải)
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven (5-quart / 4.7L minimum)
- Wooden spoon or spatula for breaking up pork
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Ladle
- Instant-read thermometer (optional, for reheating leftovers safely)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil such as canola or sunflower
- 10.5 oz ground pork preferably lean, about 300g
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken stock unsalted, 1.5 liters
- 1 small green cabbage cored and shredded, about 1 lb / 450g
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 stalks scallions chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped, about 10g
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until it shimmers.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent and fragrant. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground pork, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5–7 minutes without stirring too frequently, letting the pork develop golden-brown colour on the bottom — this browning is where most of the broth’s depth comes from.10.5 oz ground pork
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the shredded cabbage, and simmer for 15 minutes until the cabbage is tender but still has a slight bite.6 cups chicken stock, 1 small green cabbage
- Season the soup with fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper. Taste and adjust with additional fish sauce or seasoning if needed.2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the chopped scallions and cilantro just before serving to preserve their freshness and colour.2 stalks scallions, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I use regular salted chicken stock instead of unsalted?
You can, but hold back on the fish sauce until the very end and taste carefully. Salted stock plus fish sauce can push the sodium to an unpleasant level quickly, so add the fish sauce in small increments rather than all at once.
What cut of pork works if I don’t have ground pork?
A pork shoulder or pork loin cut into small cubes works well — aim for pieces no larger than half an inch so they cook through in the same timeframe. Thinly sliced pork belly is another option, though it will add more fat to the broth.
Do I need to core and prep the cabbage any particular way?
Remove the outer leaves and the tough core, then shred the rest into strips roughly a quarter-inch wide. Thicker strips take longer to soften and may still be tough at the 15-minute mark, so keep them fairly thin and consistent.
Is there a substitute for fish sauce if someone in the family won’t eat it?
Soy sauce is the most practical swap — use the same amount and add a small pinch of extra salt if needed. The flavor won’t be identical, but the soup will still be well-seasoned and savory.
Can I make this ahead and reheat it for dinner?
Yes — cook it fully, cool it quickly, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop and add fresh scallions and cilantro right before serving so they don’t go limp.
The recipe calls for 1 small cabbage — how much is that roughly in weight?
A small cabbage is typically around 1 to 1.25 pounds, which shreds down to roughly 6 to 7 cups. If your cabbage is on the larger side, use about two-thirds of it — too much cabbage will crowd the pot and the broth-to-vegetable ratio will feel off.
If you liked this one
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- Quick and Delicious Homemade Chinese Fried Rice
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- Authentic Japanese Chicken Teriyaki
