Ingredients

1 pound ground pork (or see other alternatives below!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small green cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
6–8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
optional toppings: toasted sesame seeds, thinly-sliced green onions, homemade fried egg roll wrappers** (or store-bought wonton strips)

Instructions

Add ground pork to a large stockpot and cook over medium-heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally, until the pork is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a separate plate, and set aside.
Add the olive oil and onion, and stir to combine. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and garlic, and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage, stock, ginger, and cooked pork, and stir to combine.
Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the carrots and cabbage are nice and tender. Stir in the sesame oil until combined. Then taste and season the soup with a few generous pinches of salt and black pepper as needed.
Serve warm, garnished with your desired toppings. Or refrigerate in sealed containers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
NOTES
*Feel free to use ground pork (or pork sausage, or shredded pork), ground chicken (or chicken sausage, or shredded chicken), smoked sausage, or mushrooms in place of ground pork if you’d like.

*To make homemade fried egg roll wrappers, just cut the egg roll wrappers into your desired shape/size. Then briefly fry (in your preferred high-smokepoint oil) until golden.

SOUP