Thai-style pork and shrimp stuffed cabbage rolls simmered in bone broth flavored with lemongrass, garlic, ginger, chilies and freshly squeezed lime juice.
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Thai Cabbage Rolls Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6
Author Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

  • 400 grams ground pork with at least 20% fat
  • 100 grams shrimps shelled, deveined and finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 12 large cabbage leaves
  • 12 whole scallions
  • 6 cups bone broth
  • 2 stalks lemongrass (white and light green portion of the stalks only), finely sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and lightly pounded
  • 1 one-inch knob ginger peeled and sliced
  • 2 bird's eye chilies finely sliced
  • juice from one to 2 limes (I used kaffir limes)
  • patis (fish sauce) to taste
  • cilantro to garnish
  • lime wedges to garnish

Instructions

Make the filling

  • In a bowl, mix together the ground pork, shrimps, chopped carrot, scallions and shiitake mushrooms with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the cabbage and scallions

  • For the cabbage, follow the instructions in the other cabbage rolls recipe.
  • Plunge the whole scallions in boiling water for a minute then hang on the edge of the strainer where you're draining the cabbage.

Assemble the cabbage rolls

  • Lay a trimmed cabbage leaf on your work surface. Position it so that the thicker side is pointing towards you. 
  • Place a heaping tablespoon of filling near the center. 
  • Fold the thick side of the cabbage leaf over the filling. Then, fold in the left and right sides. Roll the cabbage leaf away from you to seal in the filling. 
  • Take one piece of softened scallion and use it to tie the cabbage roll like a parcel.
  • Repeat until all the cabbage leaves have been filled and tied.
  • Pour the bone broth into a pot. Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chilies. Bring to the boil. Taste. Add fish sauce, as needed.
  • Drop the cabbage rolls one by one into the hot broth.
  • When the broth begins to simmer, set the heat to low, cover the pan and cook the cabbage rolls in the bone broth for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Scoop out the cabbage rolls and place in soup bowls.
  • Strain the broth. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and add more fish sauce, if needed.
  • Pour hot broth over the cabbage rolls.
  • Garnish the Thai cabbage rolls soup with torn cilantro and lime wedges before serving.