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Lactose-free

Thousand Layers Soup (Mille-Feuille Nabe)

A striking Japanese layered hotpot — thin pork belly and napa cabbage stacked and packed upright, slow-simmered in a miso broth, served over noodles. A showpiece one-pot.

480
kcal
26g
protein
38g
carbs
26g
fat
4g
fiber
40 min
time
#slow-cooker#hotpot#batch

Method

  1. Prep the pork

    Remove the skin from the pork belly joint, skin removed and chop into 10cm-wide strips, then cut into the thinnest slices possible.

  2. Prep the cabbage

    Peel all the leaves off the napa cabbages (chinese leaf) and cut into pieces roughly the same size as the pork slices.

  3. Build the stacks

    Create layered stacks of alternating cabbage leaf and pork slice.

  4. Prep the rest

    Thinly slice the mushrooms and mix with any remaining cabbage.

  5. Pack the pot

    Stand the stacks on their sides in the bottom of a slow cooker or stewing pot, packing as tightly as possible. Fill any gaps with the cabbage and mushroom, and tip the rest on top.

  6. Add the broth

    Mix the water with the miso paste (or dashi soup stock) and salt, then pour into the pot.

  7. Simmer

    Simmer on low for as long as possible — 4 hours works well.

    240:00

  8. Serve

    Cook the noodle nests (or equivalent) per the pack, portion into bowls, and ladle the soup over the top.

Notes

Around 480 kcal and 26g protein per serving (based on 5; pork belly is fatty, so this is higher in fat than most of your meals). Naturally lactose-free. Mille-feuille nabe ('thousand layers hotpot') — the upright-packed layers give the signature striped portions; pack tightly so they hold their shape. Slicing the pork belly very thin is the key — part-freezing it for 30 min makes thin slicing much easier. Pork belly is rich and fatty; for a leaner version use thin-sliced pork loin or even chicken, which lowers the fat considerably. Original gave loose amounts (no pork weight, '1 or 2 cabbages') — sensible quantities used; adjust to your pot size. Batch-friendly and a great sharing/showpiece dish; the broth reheats well (cook noodles fresh).