Meatball noodle soup with stuffed pork “tang yuan” dumplings

Method

1. For the soup: in a large soup pan, add all the soup ingredients (except 20g bamboo shoots for the dumpling filling). Bring all the ingredients to a simmer.

2. For the meatballs: while the soup is cooking, in a large bowl, mix together all the meatball ingredients (plus the extra bamboo shoots) and knead the mixture with your hands so that all the ingredients are mixed well. Set aside.

3. For the tang yuan: in another bowl, combine the rice flour and add the water. Use your fingers to mix the flour and water together and then knead into a dough.

4. Turn the dough out onto a board and then roll roughly into a long sausage shape and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then flatten the dough with your finger.

5. Take a teaspoon of the meat filling and place it in the middle of each flattened piece of dough. Gather the sides to meet into the middle and then roll the dumpling into a round ball. Repeat to make 12 dumplings. With the remaining meatball filling, form 16 small meatballs.

6. Place the dumplings and meatballs into the simmering soup and allow to simmer for 8 minutes until the dumplings and meatballs float to the surface of the broth. Add the mung bean noodles and cook for another minute until the noodles are translucent. Taste the soup and season if necessary.

7. To serve, using chopsticks, lift some noodles into each bowl and then put 3 stuffed dumplings and 4 meatballs into each bowl. Top with sprinkling of finely chopped spring onion and coriander and serve immediately.