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–+ servings
A bowl of vegan fish ball soup on a white marble countertop.

No-Fish Ball Noodle Soup

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Course: Soup, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2 large bowls
Calories: 106kcal
Author: Kelly
Cost: $0.90 per bowl
A savoury plant-based take on Asian fish ball noodles. Quick and easy with five ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. Perfect for a vegan lunch or side dish.
Print Recipe
US Imperial (Cups) - Metric (Grams)

Equipment

  • Stockpot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Napa cabbage, roughly chopped (approx. 1/4 head of small Napa cabbage; see Note 1)
  • 2 oz dry glass noodles (see Note 2)
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 oz veggie balls (around 8 to 14 balls)
  • 4 tsp dashi granules (see Note 3)
  • ¼ tsp ground white pepper (*can sub with black pepper)
  • Cilantro, scallions, sesame oil, chili oil (to serve)

Instructions

  • Add Napa cabbage, noodles, veggie balls, and water to a stockpot on high heat.
  • Cover and bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low. Simmer gently until glass noodles are soft, around 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the white pepper and salt.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle toppings over each bowl (cilantro, scallions, sesame oil, and chili oil) or serve on the side for each person to help themselves.

Notes

  1. Napa Cabbage: Can be substituted with other Asian leafy greens, such as bok choy or yu choy.
  2. Glass Noodles: Also known as sweet potato noodles, as they are made from sweet potato starch. They’re stretchy, springy, a bit sticky, and have lots of great chew. I prefer to use a medium-width noodle for this soup. But don’t worry if you can’t find this ingredient, because really, any type of thick Asian noodle will work here. Udon noodles, wheat noodles, rice noodles (the type used for pho), all work pretty well. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
  3. Dashi: You can sprinkle dashi granules (also known as dashi powder or instant dashi) right into the soup, just like you would salt. It adds an extra hit of fishy umami flavour. Make sure to get one labelled vegan or vegetarian, because many dashi powders contain seafood. You can also use salt for a more neutral taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg