Chanko Nabe – Famous Japanese Sumo Stew

It is soup season, and there is nothing better than a hearty bowl of soup or stew to warm up your body inside and out.

This is Japan’s Famous Chanko Nabe, also known as Sumo Stew.

Homemade meatballs simmering in chicken stock is the best soup this winter. Chanko Nabe is healthy, filling, and easy to make at home!

You can customize your Chanko Nabe with any vegetable or noodles of your choice.  

Chanko Nabe is known as Sumo Stew because it is one of the most well-balanced meals that Japanese Sumo wrestlers have to gain muscles!

Sumo Stew is a chicken stock-based stew served with homemade pork or chicken meatballs and paired with all kinds of vegetables.

I am cooking it with napa cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms today, but you can also add whatever vegetable you want, such as bok choy, glass noodles, fish balls, and lotus root. 

There is no set way of eating Chanko Nabe; I like to make individual portions so my husband and I can customize our serving.

Oftentimes, Chanko Nabe is served on a portable stove stop, so it is simmering away while you add more vegetables, meatballs, and other toppings of your choice.

The recipe below is a baseline for getting Chanko Nabe set up, and you can customize it depending on your own liking. 

For dipping sauces, check out my three favorite hotpot dipping sauces that you need to try!

Each dipping sauce is unique and can transform your hotpot experience. Here are my three go-to dipping sauces:

Creamy Garlic Sesame Paste, Spicy Garlic Hot Sauce, or the classic Taiwanese Shacha dipping sauce. 

Do you want more easy recipes? Here are some of my go-to recipes! 

• Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
• Tomato and Egg Noodle Soup (10 minutes!)
• Spicy Noodle Soup (10 Minutes!)
• Tomato Egg Drop Soup (15 Minutes ONLY!)

Ingredients

Homemade Meat Balls: 

• 500g of ground pork or chicken
• 2 stocks green onion, chopped 
• 1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated  
• 1 tsp white pepper 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp sesame oil 
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch (optional) 

Stock: 

• 4-5 cups of Chicken Stock (salted) 
• 2 thin slices of Ginger
• 2-3 Garlic_, grated 

Vegetable Toppings: 

• Napa Cabbage 
• Carrots 
• Shemiji mushroom
• Shiitake Mushroom 
• Enoki Mushroom 

1. Mix ground pork or chicken with chopped green onion, freshly grated ginger, white pepper, soy sauce, one egg, sesame oil, and cornstarch (optional). Set it aside for 20 minutes. 
2. In a pot, add chicken stock, sliced ginger, and grated garlic. Turn the heat up to medium-high and let it simmer for 10 minutes
3. Form individual 1.5 tbsp of meatballs and set aside 
4. Add all the vegetables to the soup, put the lid on, and bring it to a simmer. 
5. Next, add in the meatballs, and simmer for another 10-12 minutes or until the meatball is cooked
6. Serve on its own or on a portable stovetop with extra toppings such as more vegetables, pork belly slices, or seafood. 

Print

5 from 2 votes

Chanko Nabe

It is soup season, and there is nothing better than a hearty bowl of soup or stew to warm up your body inside and out. This is Japan’s Famous Chanko Nabe, also known as Sumo Stew. Homemade meatballs simmering in chicken stock is the best soup this winter. Chanko Nabe is healthy, filling, and easy to make at home! You can customize your Chanko Nabe with any vegetable or noodles of your choice.

Prep Time20 mins

Active Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Keyword: 30 Minute Dinner, Asian Food, Asian Recipe Easy, Asian Recipes, Asian Recipes for Dinner, dinner Ideas, Healthy, Healthy Asian Recipes, Japanese Food, One Pot Dinner, QUICK RECIPES, soup, stew

Yield: 4 People

Materials

Homemade Meat Balls:

• 500 g of ground pork or chicken
• 2 stocks green onion chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger freshly grated
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch optional

Stock:

• 4-5 cups of Chicken Stock salted
• 2 thin slices of Ginger
• 2-3 Garlic grated

Vegetable Toppings:

• Napa Cabbage
• Carrots
• Shemiji mushroom
• Shiitake Mushroom
• Enoki Mushroom

Instructions

• Mix ground pork or chicken with chopped green onion, freshly grated ginger, white pepper, soy sauce, one egg, sesame oil, and cornstarch (optional). Set it aside for 20 minutes.
• In a pot, add chicken stock, sliced ginger, and grated garlic. Turn the heat up to medium-high and let it simmer for 10 minutes
• Form individual 1.5 tbsp of meatballs and set aside
• Add all the vegetables to the soup, put the lid on, and bring it to a simmer.
• Next, add in the meatballs, and simmer for another 10-12 minutes or until the meatball is cooked
• Serve on its own or on a portable stovetop with extra toppings such as more vegetables, pork belly slices, or seafood.

Notes

There is no set way of eating Chanko Nabe; I like to make individual portions so my husband and I can customize our serving. Oftentimes, Chanko Nabe is served on a portable stove stop, so it is simmering away while you add more vegetables, meatballs, and other toppings of your choice. The recipe below is a baseline for getting Chanko Nabe set up, and you can customize it depending on your own liking.