Canh Bap Cai Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Cabbage Rolls Soup)

By
Connie Veneracion
Connie Veneracion
Connie Veneracion
Food writer and blogger living in the Philippines and specializing in Southeast Asian home cooking and travel.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/13/22
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Canh Bap Cai Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Cabbage Rolls Soup)

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 14 to 18 rolls

Depending on where you are in the world, cabbage rolls may be filled with meat, rice, chopped vegetables, mushrooms, and spices. The cabbage rolls may be steamed, baked or simmered and served with a sauce. The sauce can be sour cream, yogurt, tomato-based or made with lingonberry jam.

In Vietnam, cabbage rolls are served in broth. In most recipes, the meat-filled cabbage leaves are simmered in water until the rich flavors of the meat and the subtle sweetness of the cabbage permeate the cooking liquid. We prefer to use homemade broth instead of water.

Vietnamese Cabbage Rolls Soup/Tester Image

"Fans of cabbage rolls will enjoy this comforting dish. Next time I'll add more fish sauce, ginger and chiles to the filling and the broth to enhance the Vietnamese flavors. For perfect-looking rolls, use the large outer leaves from two heads of cabbage as the inner leaves tend to be small and hard to roll." — Danielle Centoni

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 large head green cabbage, cored

  • 14 to 18 thin scallions, trimmed

  • 14 ounces (400 grams) ground pork, with at least 20 percent fat

  • 3 ounces (100 grams) shrimp, minced

  • 6 large shallots, or 2 large red onions, finely chopped

  • 1 to 2 medium carrots, finely chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce, more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 8 to 10 cups vegetable broth, preferably homemade

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Canh Bap Cai Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Cabbage Rolls Soup) ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Fill a tall, 8-quart (or larger) pot with enough water to submerge the whole cabbage and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the cabbage until the outer leaves are bright green and start to pull away, about 4 minutes.

    boil the cabbage in a pot of water

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Carefully pull them off with tongs and lay them on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Continue boiling the cabbage and removing its leaves in layers as they soften until you have 14 to 18 whole large leaves. Let cool. Remove the remaining head of cooked cabbage from the pot and reserve for another use.

  4. Keep the water on a low boil. You will use it again later.

  5. With a paring knife, remove the hard ribs from the center of the cabbage leaves. Cut the very large leaves in half lengthwise. The cabbage leaves are now ready to be used as wrappers.

    cut off the thick white portion in the middle of each cabbage leaf

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Blanch the scallions in the reserved boiling water until wilted, about 30 seconds. Rinse under cold water until cool. Set aside to drain on kitchen towels.

    Blanch the scallions in boiling water

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Combine the pork, shrimp, shallots, carrots, garlic, and cilantro, fish sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

    Place the ground pork and minced shrimp in a bowl and add the chopped shallots, carrots, garlic, and cilantro, season with fish sauce

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  8. Lay a cabbage leaf flat on a work surface. Place 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoonfuls of filling at the center of the leaf.

    Lay a cabbage roll flat and place filling at the center of the cabbage leaf

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  9. Fold the long sides in toward the filling, and then roll away from you to enclose the filling.

    Take the side cabbage edges and fold in

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  10. Tie the cabbage roll with a scallion. Repeat until all the cabbage leaves are stuffed and tied.

    Take a scallion and use it to tie the cabbage roll

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  11. Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot. Gently lower the cabbage rolls into the pot one by one. When the broth comes to a boil, lower the heat to low. Cover, and simmer until the filling is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

    Canh Bap Cai Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Cabbage Rolls Soup) in a pot with broth

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  12. Divide the broth and rolls between bowls and serve.

Tips

The number of rolls this recipe yields will depend on the amount of filling you use in each. Plan on having a few extra cooked cabbage leaves on hand to use all the filling.

Variations

  • Swap vegetable broth for chicken broth.
  • Change the ratio of pork to shrimp, as long as they both weigh 17 ounces total.
  • Serve with a light drizzle of rice vinegar for brighter flavor.

How to Store

Refrigerate any remaining rolls and broth in an air-tight container and consume within 3 days.

What are some favorite Vietnamese dipping sauces?

Popular Vietnamese dipping sauces include fish, lemongrass, chili, and peanut sauce.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
298 Calories
11g Fat
31g Carbs
22g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 298
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 1441mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 9g 31%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 130mg 648%
Calcium 227mg 17%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 1137mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)