Lion’s Head Meatball Soup is a classic Chinese dish with giant pork meatballs, napa cabbage, and a light, sweet yet savory broth—a perfect and comforting one-pot meal.
This recipe is part of the Napa Cabbage Meal Plan—designed to help one of our users who struggled with using up an entire head of napa cabbage. Check it out if you need fresh ideas on what to do with leftover napa cabbage!
Why I Skipped Water Chestnuts in This Recipe (For Now!)
The traditional version (or what some might call “authentic”)* of this dish often includes diced water chestnuts.
I’ve left them out because:
- They can be hard to find
- I focus on reducing waste and maximizing variety in meal planning
- I don’t want you buying an ingredient you’ll struggle to use just for the sake of “tradition”
Once I have more ways to use water chestnuts, I’ll share a recipe that includes them!
Side note: I prefer “traditional” over “authentic” when it comes to recipes—because even within the same region, every household makes things a little differently.
Why Is It Called Lion’s Head Meatball Soup?
The defining feature of Lion’s Head Meatball Soup is its oversized meatballs. When cooked with napa cabbage, the tender leaves surround the meatballs like a lion’s mane—hence the name.
Chinese cuisine often gives poetic names to dishes based on their appearance. So even if we’re skipping out on the water chestnuts in this dish, they’re not essential to enjoying the “essence” of this classic dish.
The novelty of this dish is really the “giant” meatballs after all. Enjoy!
Other Napa Cabbage Meal Ideas
If you struggle to use up leftover napa cabbage, check out the meal plan for easy, flavorful ways to use every part—minimizing waste while maximizing taste!
Lion’s Head Meatball Soup
Lion’s Head Meatball Soup is a classic Chinese dish with giant pork meatballs, napa cabbage, and a light, sweet yet savory broth—a perfect and comforting one-pot meal.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Rest Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Asian meatball recipe, Chinese comfort food, Chinese meatball soup, Napa cabbage soup, One-pot Chinese meals, Shanghai-style meatballs
Servings: 4
- 1.5 lb napa cabbage cored and cut into 2-inch pieces, stems and leaves separated
- Oil for pan frying
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 oz very fine dried vermicelli optional
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground pork
- 4 oz firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch slices* (see notes if you have extra)
- 4 g ginger grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 stalk scallion white part only, chopped (thinly slice and reserve green part for garnish)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
Broth:
- 32 fl oz low sodium chicken stock about 4 cups
- 0.25 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp soy sauce or fish sauce
- salt to taste
Place tofu pieces (for the meatballs) on a plate and microwave for 1 minute to release excess liquid. Drain well, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mash the tofu into small crumbly textures using a fork or potato masher.
Add the meatball ingredients to the bowl and mix well to combine. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes (or freezer for 15 minutes) to firm up. Once firm, divide the mixture into 6-8 portions and shape them into large meatballs. Wet your hands slightly to prevent sticking.
Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Spray a thin layer of cooking oil on the tray, then place the meatballs in a single layer. Air fry for 5-8 minutes, just enough for the meatball to brown or firm up.
Meanwhile, prepare the broth. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a stock pot over medium high heat and stir-fry 2 cloves of minced garlic for 20 seconds. Add the stems of the napa cabbage and stir-fry for 1 minute. Combine the broth ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil then lower to simmer.
Transfer the air fried meatballs to the broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked. Add the napa cabbage leaves, cover, and simmer until the leaves wilt and turn tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the dried vermicelli and cook for 1 minute until tender. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions.
Serve hot with steamed rice.
- If you have a KitchenAid Mixer, use it to mix the meat mixture with more ease. This isn’t necessary if you find it more hassle than its worth.
- If you don’t have an air fryer, you can pan fry or deep fry the meatballs to give them some structure and shape.
- If you have leftover tofu, you can add it to the soup along with the meatballs for more protein, or consider turning it into Mapo Tofu.
