CHINESE CABBAGE SOUP

Chinese Cabbage Soup image

Provided by Dorothy Lee

Yield A hearty soup for 4

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/2 ounce dried shrimp, optional
1/2 ounce fen szu (cellophane noodles)
1 Chinese (celery) cabbage, about 2 pounds
1/2 pound lean pork (loin or shoulder)
2 tablespoons lard or cooking oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 thin slice ginger
3 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sherry

Steps:

Wash dried shrimp. Drain. Soak in hot water. Soak fen szu separately in hot water for 15 minutes. Separate leaves of cabbage. Wash and drain. Stack leaves together and slit into halves lengthwise, then cut into 2" long sections. Slice pork thinly across the grain. Heat lard or cooking oil in saucepan. Add pork slices and ch'ao (stir fry) until whitish in color. Add dried shrimp with their soaking water, drained fen szu, soy sauce, ginger, 3 cups boiling water, salt. Bring to boil again. Add cabbage and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Just before serving add sherry and bring to a boil again. Dried shrimp and fen szu may be omitted if you like, but the soup will be lean instead of hearty.