Chicken Sumo Stew – Tori Chanko Nabe (GF)

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Tori Chanko Nabe is a hearty and satisfying chicken stew that is full of delicious Japanese flavors. This popular sumo stew is a one-pot dish that easy to make and sure to warm you up and fill you up.

Suitable for gluten free and dairy free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers Points.

Chicken Sumo Stew – Tori Chanko nabe| Recipes From A Pantry

I love a good chicken stew most anytime of year. But when winter comes, I’m particularly keen on this flavorful Tori Chanko Nabe – the traditional stew that Sumo wrestlers eat. I don’t eat the ten bowls a day that they do, but I have been having it about once a week. And it really is sooooo good.

Wholesome, healthy, filling, and sustaining, this Tori Chanko Nabe recipe is a hearty and satisfying chicken stew that is loaded with great Japanese flavor. This sumo stew is a one-pot dish that easy to make and loaded with vegetables and protein, so it’s filling without being heavy. This is exactly what makes it the meal Sumo wrestlers choose the night before a match.

It’s also what makes this a chicken stew recipe that’s perfect for serving up at family dinners, weekend lunches, and doubling or even tripling as part of your weekly meal prep solution.

Chicken Sumo Stew – Tori Chanko nabe| Recipes From A Pantry

Why You’ll ♡ This

  • Filling: this hearty stew is full of protein and vegetables and really satisfies.
  • One-Pot Meal: traditional hot pot meal preparation makes for easy cleanup.
  • Dietary: suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets.

How To Make Tori Chanko Nabe – Chicken Sumo Stew

  1. Prepare the chicken meatballs by combining ground chicken, egg yolk, ginger, green onion, cornstarch, salt and pepper together until the mixture becomes sticky.
  2. Cut the chicken thighs and fried tofu into bite-sized chunks.
  3. Cut the green onion and carrots diagonally into pieces and remove the stalks of the shiitake mushrooms.
  4. Add the chicken thighs, water, sake, salt, and soy sauce into a pot and bring to boil.
  5. Drop spoonfuls of the meatball mixture into the boiling broth and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Next, add the stalks of the Chinese cabbage and sliced carrot and simmer for 5 minutes.
  7. After 2 minutes, add the cabbage leaves, green onions, mushrooms, tofu, and fried tofu.
  8. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Chicken Sumo Stew – Tori Chanko nabe| Recipes From A Pantry

Expert Recipe Tips

  • Make sure the broth is kept simmering the entire time. If the liquid starts to get low, simply add a bit more chicken broth or water.
  • You can swap the Shiitake mushrooms for another variety, such as Enoki mushrooms or even button mushrooms.
  • Add cooked Udon noodles or rice to leftover chanko nabe.

Delicious Variations

While this sumo stew is delicious as is, you can add in different ingredients. Try one of these options to easily change it up;

  • Miso
  • Kimchi
  • Mirin
  • Ponzu sauce
  • Bok Choy
  • Crab
  • Shrimp
  • Pork belly or bacon
  • Konnyaku
  • Udon noodles
  • Sesame seeds

Prep Ahead and Storage

  • Prep Ahead – You can make this chicken stew ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze until needed.  
  • Store – Make ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
  • Freeze – Let the stew cool down, then transfer into Ziploc Freezer bags. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat – Place the Chanko Nabe in a microwave-safe container and reheat in the microwave, or add to a saucepan and reheat on the stovetop.

FAQs

What Does Chanko Nabe Mean?

In Japanese, the word chanko is used to describe the food sumo wrestlers eat. Nabe means hot pot, so chanko nabe translates to sumo hot pot.

Is Tori Chanko Nabe Healthy?

Yes, chanko nabe is a healthy meal that contains protein and veggies. And it is lower in fat, as hot-pot cooking does not require any oil.

More Recipes You May Like

Weight Watchers Points

There are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Get The Tori Chanko Nabe Recipe:

Don’t forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Chicken Sumo Stew – Tori Chanko Nabe! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I’d love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.

Chicken Sumo Stew – Tori Chanko nabe| Recipes From A Pantry
Print Recipe
5 from 9 votes

Chicken Sumo Stew – Tori Chanko Nabe

A delicious chicken stew that is brimming with traditional Japanese flavors.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 4
Calories: 373kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

Stew ingredients:

  • 10 ½ ounces (300g) chicken thighs
  • ¼ Chinese cabbage
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 6 green onions
  • 4 shiitake mushrooms
  • 4 ½ ounces (125g) fried tofu
  • 2 ⅔ ounces (75g) tofu

Chicken meatballs:

  • 7 ounces (200g) ground chicken
  • 1 green onion
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato startch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch pepper
  • ½ teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 splash sesame oil

Dashi:

  • 4 cups (1L) water
  • cup (80mL) cooking sake
  • 1 pinch salt
  • cup (80mL) soy sauce gluten-free or regular

Instructions

  • Prepare the chicken meatballs by combining ground chicken, egg yolk, ginger, green onion, cornstarch, salt and pepper together until the mixture becomes sticky.
  • To prepare the rest of stew, cut the chicken thighs and fried tofu into bite-sized chunks.
  • Chop the Chinese cabbage (removing the leaves as these take less time to cook).
  • Cut the spring onions diagonally into pieces that are approximately 1 ½ inches long.
  • Remove the stalks of the shiitake mushrooms.
  • Cut the carrot diagonally into 1-inch slices.
  • Add the diced chicken thighs, water, cooking sake, salt, and soy sauce into a pot an bring to boil.
  • Drop spoonfuls of the ground chicken mixture into the boiling broth and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Next, add the carrot and stalks of the Chinese cabbage, simmering for 5 minutes. After 2 minutes, add the Chinese cabbage leaves, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, and fried tofu. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Then serve and enjoy!
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Notes

Recipe courtesy of ANA.

Expert Recipe Tips

  • Make sure the broth is kept simmering the entire time. If the liquid starts to get low, simply add a bit more chicken broth or water.
  • You can swap the Shiitake mushrooms for another variety, such as Enoki mushrooms or even button mushrooms.
  • Add cooked Udon noodles or rice to leftover chanko nabe.

Delicious Variations

While this sumo stew is delicious as is, you can add in different ingredients. Try one of these options to easily change it up;

  • Miso
  • Kimchi
  • Mirin
  • Ponzu sauce
  • Bok Choy
  • Crab
  • Shrimp
  • Pork belly or bacon
  • Konnyaku
  • Udon noodles
  • Sesame seeds

Weight Watchers Points

There are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 1367mg | Potassium: 669mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2963IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg

updated February 2021

I’ve always wanted to go to Japan. Why? There isn’t one thing, it is a mixture of the culture, the food, and the dramatic scenery. I’ve been obsessed with Japanese culture forever. I don’t know where I got this obsession, was it from watching Japanese films? Was it from being taken out to Japanese restaurants by friends? Was it from my cousin’s obsession with manga comics? Was it just looking endlessly at pictures of the country as I plan my perfect getaway? I don’t know. But whatever it was, I want to go there.

But I can’t. Not yet. I’ve had my holiday this year, and that was back home because my sister was getting married. So, my plan of getting heading off to Tokyo; to sample the food and drink; to catch a bullet train; to see Mount Fuji and all the rest of this list has to be put on hold for a year.

If you want to learn more about Sumo stew, then check out this video. It’s one of a whole series about Japanese food culture – soooo interesting. Plus they focus on the concept of Ichigo Ichie, which apparantly literally means “one opportunity, one encounter” so is something like our carpe diem or “sieze the day”. Something that as a mother, I really believe in, because time passes so very fast, and you can never catch those golden moments again.

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Recipe Rating




14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Beautiful soup looks very comforting and quite easy to make I wish I coudl have a bowl right now =)

  2. 5 stars
    Oh I could use a bowl of this now.. Comfort food!! I love the flavors and the combination Thanks

  3. I first heard about Tori Chanko Nabe on Anthony Bourdain’s show a Cooks Tour and was fascinated they ate 10 bowls of it – but looking at your delicious rendition, I’m thinking I could scarf down 5 bowls with ease 🙂

  4. Japan isn’t at the TOP of my list, but I would love to see Mount Fuji and eat LOADS of sushi! I’ll have to settle for eating the food here for awhile– my summer vaca spot is already picked!

  5. 5 stars
    I love Japanese food too! And I’ve always wanted to go to Japan as well. It seems like a really beautiful country chock full of amazing food! This stew looks delightful – I bet I could eat ten bowls of it myself!