Choy sum, pork meatball & noodle soup

Prep 30 mins + chilling time | Cook 15 mins | Serves 4

500g pork mince
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp finely grated ginger
¹⁄₂ tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
¹⁄₄ cup salt reduced soy sauce
4 green onions (shallots), trimmed and finely sliced
450g fresh thin egg noodles
6 cups chicken stock
1 bunch baby choy sum, trimmed and cut into 6cm pieces
2 tsp sesame oil
100g snow peas, trimmed

Step 1 To make meatballs, combine pork, garlic, ginger, five spice, 1 tbs soy sauce and half the green onions in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Form mixture into 20 small meatballs (using about 1¹⁄₂ tbs mixture per meatball). Place in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 2 Meanwhile, place noodles into a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and stand for 2 minutes until just tender. Drain, separate noodles and set aside.

Step 3 Bring stock and remaining soy sauce to the boil over high heat in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, add meatballs and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until just cooked through. Add choy sum and sesame oil. Cover and cook for 1 minute until choy sum is vibrant green. Add snow peas and cook for 1 minute.

Step 4 Divide noodles among 4 deep serving bowls. Top with meatballs, choy sum and snow peas. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with remaining green onions and serve.

Good for you ... Choy Sum

Good source of folate, beta carotene and vitamin C. Folate (one of the B vitamins) contributes to normal blood cells; beta carotene is converted to vitamin A and is important for good vision while vitamin C's functions include formation of a vital substance in bones, teeth, gums, blood capillaries.

Provides some iron, which is important for making red blood cells.