Egg Roll Soup with Chicken & Cabbage (Printable)

Savory Asian-inspired soup with ground chicken, cabbage, and carrots in a light broth, topped with spicy chili crisp.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 pound ground chicken

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as canola or avocado
03 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
06 - 4 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
07 - 2 medium carrots, julienned or grated
08 - 4 green onions, sliced with white and green parts separated

→ Broth & Seasonings

09 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
11 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

→ Toppings

15 - 2 to 3 tablespoons chili crisp store-bought or homemade
16 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.
02 - Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions. Sauté until fragrant and softened, about 3 minutes.
03 - Stir in the cabbage and carrots. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and flavors meld.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with chili crisp, a sprinkle of the green parts of the green onions, and sesame seeds if using. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort food but feels light and nourishing, so you won't feel weighed down afterward.
  • The whole thing comes together in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the stress or delivery fees.
  • Chili crisp on top gives you that crispy, spicy kick you'd get from an actual egg roll, but without the deep-frying.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the chicken fully before adding anything else; it makes a real difference in depth of flavor, and you'll taste the difference between rushed and properly done.
  • Taste the soup before serving because every broth is different and salt levels vary; I've learned that one extra pinch of soy sauce usually fixes anything that tastes slightly off.
  • The chili crisp goes on right before eating, not while simmering, because you want that textural contrast and fresh spice hit that a cooked-in version would lose.
03 -
  • Grate your ginger fresh right over the pot instead of mincing it; the microplane makes it finer and distributes more evenly throughout the broth for deeper flavor in every spoonful.
  • If your broth tastes too salty, a squeeze of fresh lime juice or extra rice vinegar balances it out better than adding water and diluting everything.
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