Cantonese / Fujian Recipe

Fish Ball Noodle Soup

Fish ball noodle soup is a light noodle soup built around bouncy fish balls, broth, greens, and noodles.

Recipe at a glance

PurposeHigh-frequency Chinese restaurant menu dish
Cuisine or formatCantonese / Fujian
Menu variation ruleProtein may be adjusted without creating a separate recipe family.

Ingredients

  • 12 fish balls
  • 10 oz egg noodles, rice noodles, or vermicelli
  • 6 cups fish, chicken, or vegetable broth
  • Greens
  • Scallions
  • White pepper
  • Light soy sauce
  • Sesame oil, optional

Method

  1. Simmer broth and season lightly.
  2. Add fish balls and cook until heated through.
  3. Cook noodles separately.
  4. Blanch greens.
  5. Place noodles in bowls.
  6. Add fish balls, greens, and broth.
  7. Finish with scallions and white pepper.

Menu-literacy notes

  • Fish balls may contain fish, starch, egg, or other binders.
  • Fuzhou fish balls may contain a meat filling.
  • The desired texture is bouncy, not mushy.

Variations and substitutions

  • For chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, tofu, or mixed seafood variants, keep the same sauce logic and adjust the cooking time for the protein.
  • For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
  • For takeout-style dishes, sauce texture matters: the sauce should coat the food rather than become a thin soup.

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