Braised Napa Cabbage with Pork and Glass Noodles

Braised napa cabbage with pork and glass noodles is a simple, easy-to-make dish. This is a traditional Northeast home-style dish, loved by people across the region for its simple method and excellent flavor.

Difficulty ★★★Updated 1/25/2026

Ingredients and Tools

  • Pork belly
  • Napa cabbage
  • Potato dried glass noodles
  • Thirteen-spice powder
  • Chicken bouillon
  • Salt
  • Dark soy sauce
  • Light soy sauce

Measurements

  • Pork belly 300g
  • Napa cabbage 500g
  • Potato dried glass noodles 50g
  • Thirteen-spice powder 10g
  • Chicken bouillon 5g
  • Salt 15g
  • Dark soy sauce 5ml
  • Light soy sauce 5ml

Steps

  • Bring water to a boil in a pot. After it boils, add the dried glass noodles, cook for 5 minutes, then pour them out with the water into a container. Cover and continue soaking for later use (do this step first; you can do the following steps meanwhile).
  • Cut the pork belly into 3mm slices; set aside.
  • Separate the tender leaves and the cabbage stems of the napa cabbage and cut into 2 portions; set aside.
  • Heat the pan and add 10ml - 15ml cooking oil. Wait 10 seconds to let the oil heat up.
  • Add the pork belly and stir-fry until the meat changes color.
  • Add dark soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute to color the meat.
  • Add the cabbage stems, add salt and light soy sauce, stir-fry for 1 minute (if it sticks, add 10ml water).
  • Add water to cover all the ingredients, add chicken bouillon and thirteen-spice powder. After it comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and wait 20 minutes.
  • Drain the glass noodles, cut into short pieces, and set aside in a bowl.
  • Add the tender cabbage leaves, stir evenly, then place the glass noodles on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Taste, turn off the heat, and reduce the sauce.

Notes

  • Potato dried glass noodles take a long time to cook, so do them in the first step and complete other steps in the meantime.
  • Taste in the last step; if it seems underseasoned or not fully cooked, continue cooking covered for a while. If you follow this guide and find any problems or improvements, please submit an Issue or Pull request.