This Chicken Drumstick and Chinese Cabbage Soup is the kind of dish that warms you from the inside out—simple, nourishing, and deeply comforting. By marinating the chicken drumsticks in shio koji ahead of time, we not only tenderize the meat but also infuse it with a natural, savory umami that enhances every spoonful.
Slowly simmered with sweet Chinese cabbage, the drumsticks become fall-off-the-bone tender, creating a rich, flavorful broth that’s as satisfying as it is wholesome. Whether you’re looking for a cozy weeknight dinner or something to soothe the soul, this soup is sure to hit the spot.
Chicken Drumstick and Chinese Cabbage Soup Using Shio Koji
This comforting soup features fall-off-the-bone chicken drumsticks marinated in shio koji for extra tenderness and umami, slowly simmered with sweet Chinese cabbage for a rich, heartwarming flavor.
Ingredients
For marinating chicken drumsticks
- 700 g (1.5 lb) chicken drumsticks
- 3 tbsp (3 tbsp) shio koji
Other ingredients for making the soup
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) oil
- 640 g (1.4 lb) Chinese cabbage
- 1 (1) onion
- 300 ml (1.3 cups) water
- 5 g (0.2 oz) chicken stock or consomme (in dry form (powder, cube, etc.))
- shio koji or salt (to your taste)
- black pepper (to your taste)
directions
Marinating chicken drumsticks
- Have the drumsticks marinated in shio koji for several to 24 hours.This will make the meat softer and juicier
Making the soup
- Chop up Chinese cabbage and onion into large pieces.
- Add some oil to a large pan over medium heat and add the drumsticks. We'll sear the surface of these drumsticks.
- Once they are lightly seared, add a little bit of water.A lot of water will come out from the vegetables later on, so we don't need a lot of water at this point.
- Then add chicken stock or consomme in dry (powder, cube, etc.) form.
- Then stack all the vegetables over the meat: harder ones at the bottom, and softer ones at the top.
- Cover the lid. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook slowly like this for an hour.
- Okay, an hour has passed. Let's open the lid and stir. Do you see a lot of water has come out of the vegetables? That's all flavor. The vegetables and the drumsticks have become really soft and they are ready to eat.
- Taste the soup and make final adjustments according to your taste. I added some shio koji and black pepper. You can use salt instead of shio koji, if you prefer. And it's done. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to adjust the ingredient amounts to your taste.
- What Is Shio Koji? (The Complete Guide)
- How to Make Shio Koji (Recipe)
- Shio koji products: – If You Are Outside of Japan Shio koji by marukome 200g (7.05 ounce): https://geni.us/8vWX0vj Shio koji by marukome 500g (17.6 ounce): https://geni.us/tIoxH2b – If You Are in Japan Shio koji by marukome 500g (17.6 ounce) x 2: https://geni.us/Kbbw0C
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Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 538.6kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 46gFat: 29.5gSaturated Fat: 6.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 13.2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 215.7mgSodium: 1107.8mgPotassium: 881.6mgFiber: 0.9gSugar: 2.3gVitamin A: 950.6IUVitamin C: 14.3mgCalcium: 128.9mgIron: 4mg
Hi! I’m a Japanese woman who lives in Tokyo. My passion is cooking and eating food. Read more about me at https://sakurayubi.com/about/
