Featured Comment
I’ve heard of this soup, but didn’t pay any attention to the ingredients. As it turns out, I’ve been eating it for the last couple of weeks! It’s very filling, no carbs needed.
★★★★★
– Feby
Ever wonder what fuels a massive sumo wrestler through grueling training days? Not junk food! Chanko nabe, the sumo stable’s communal hot pot is loaded with wholesome ingredients.
You can recreate that tradition at your table with homemade chicken meatballs and a deeply savory dashi-miso base.
Chanko Nabe
Recipe Snapshot
- What is it? A sumo wrestler’s nabemono (Japanese hot pot) featuring chicken meatballs, seasonal vegetables, and tofu in a savory miso-dashi broth.
- Flavor profile: Umami-forward with miso depth, nutty sesame undertones, and aromatic ginger-garlic lift.
- Why you’ll love this recipe: No timing anxiety! You add ingredients by “cook-time group” (meatballs → root veg → quick veg), so everything hits crisp-tender, not overcooked.
- Must-haves: Dashi stock (kombu-katsuobonito base), Yellow miso paste (awase), Large ceramic donabe or heavy-bottomed pot.
- Skill Level: Easy! Simple prep, forgiving simmer, and the broth builds itself as ingredients release sweetness and umami.
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What is Chanko Nabe?
Chanko Nabe (ちゃんこ鍋) is a Japanese hot pot dish traditionally prepared in sumo stables (heya) as a daily meal for wrestlers. It’s characterized by a simmering mechanism where a variety of proteins, such as meatballs and seafood, are cooked alongside cabbage, udon noodles, and seasonal vegetables in a seasoned broth.
The broth typically features a base of soy sauce, miso, or salt, and the ingredients are prepared in large communal pots until the flavors are thoroughly integrated. A study suggests that “making, serving, and eating chanko nabe together” lies at the heart of sumo wrestlers’ social life and carries symbolic meaning (see the study).
Today, chanko is widely available at specialty restaurants run by retired sumo wrestlers. Many of these places even recreate the feel of a dohyo (sumo ring), giving everyday diners a chance to experience the “authentic” atmosphere of sumo culture.
The term “chanko” technically refers to any meal prepared in a sumo stable, including dishes like Japanese curry rice or sukiyaki. It’s just hot pots are their most iconic meals. Also, unlike most nabe dishes with fixed flavor profiles, chanko nabe functions as a flexible cooking style rather than a single defined dish. So each sumo stable has completely different style to prepare theirs.
Sumo Stew Ingredients
What You’ll Need for Chanko Broth & Meatballs
- Dashi stock (awase dashi): This is a fundamental Japanese savory soup base made from dried kelp and bonito flakes. Homemade dashi gives the cleanest, most delicate result, but quality tea-bag style dashi packets are nearly as good and way more practical for weeknights. If you’re reaching for dashi granules, just remember it contains salt, so dial back the soy sauce slightly.
- Asian chicken bouillon powder: A concentrated chicken seasoning (often labeled Chinese-style) that dissolves instantly into hot water. I recommend Asian-style, but any quality chicken bouillon powder can work. Brands vary in saltiness and intensity, so taste as you go.
- Awase “yellow” miso paste: This blended miso brings the warm, earthy richness. Awase (combined) miso is my go-to because it balances savory depth with gentle sweetness, but you can absolutely use what you have. Red miso leans saltier and more assertive, while white miso is sweeter and milder. If you’ve got both on hand, mix them 50/50 to create your own awase blend.
Chanko Nabe Vegetable Ideas
I used the vegetables above, but as I mentioned, there are no rules with chanko nabe. Use whatever fresh, locally available vegetables and mushrooms that work well in stews or soups. Just be mindful of cooking times and add ingredients based on how long they need. Here’s a basic framework you can use as a guide:
- Protein (chicken, pork, beef, meatballs, seafood, etc.)
- Cabbage family (napa cabbage, green cabbage)
- Alliums (Japanese leek/naganegi, leeks, onions, etc.)
- Leafy greens (mizuna, spinach, chrysanthemum greens, napa cabbage leaves, etc.)
- Root vegetables (carrot, daikon radish, burdock root, etc.)
- Mushrooms (shiitake, enoki, shimeji, etc.)
- Tofu (firm, silken)
How to Make My Chanko Nabe
If you prefer to watch the process in action, check out my YouTube video of this chanko nabe recipe!
Before you start (Mise en place):
- Prepare dashi stock base.
- Grate fresh ginger and garlic into paste.
- Slice carrots into thin rounds, tofu into cubes, leeks into diagonal, cabbage into rough chunks, remove mushroom stems or roots.
To develop this chanko nabe recipe, I used a 26cm (10.2-inch) donabe pot.
i. Drop the ground chicken into a large bowl, then add the combined miso paste, grated ginger, and grated garlic.
ii. Mix thoroughly until the miso dissolves completely and distributes evenly through the meat. Miso loves to form stubborn clumps.
iii. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat the egg until the yolk and white blend into one smooth yellow.
iv. Pour the beaten egg and cornstarch into the chicken mixture, then stir until you feel a slight tackiness develop.
v. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to simmer. The chill firms up the fat, making the mixture firmer.
i. Pour the dashi stock into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, soy sauce, mirin, grated ginger, grated garlic, and ground sesame seeds, then whisk everything together until the bouillon dissolves and the liquid looks uniform.
Chicken bouillon powder varies by brand. My brand is 1 tsp per 200 ml, so check the label and if yours is more concentrated (e.g., 1 tsp per 300 ml or 1 cup), use touch less to avoid oversalting, and if it’s less concentrated, use a little more (and adjust to taste).
ii. Set the pot over medium heat and bring it to a boil.
i. Once the broth reaches a boil, turn down to simmer and poach the meatballs. Using two spoons (one to scoop, one to gently push), form walnut-sized portions of the chicken mixture and carefully drop them into the bubbling broth.
ii. As soon as the last meatball hits the liquid, cover the pot with a lid and let everything simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when they float to the surface and feel firm when you press one gently with a spoon.
Cooking them directly in the broth infuses the liquid with chicken fat, gelatin, and flavor from the aromatics. This creates a richer base that seasons everything added afterward.
iii. After you add the meatballs, maintain a gentle, steady simmer rather than a violent boil.
i. Start with the slowest-cooking items: drop in the carrots (and any other root vegetables like daikon or lotus root) first. Let them simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they start to soften at the edges but still have a firm core.
ii. Next, add the remaining vegetables-napa cabbage, mushrooms, leeks, and nestle in the firm tofu blocks. Give everything a gentle stir to submerge the ingredients, then cover and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened to your liking.
i. Turn off the heat entirely to protect the miso’s heat-sensitive enzymes and volatile aromas from dissipating. Place the miso in a strainer and whisk it into the broth until fully dissolved.
If you don’t have a miso strainer/mesh spoon, you can also break up the miso paste by placing it in a small heatproof bowl or ladle and whisking it with a few tablespoons of broth. Once it’s smooth, simply pour it back into the pot.
i. Keep the pot at medium-low to low heat so it steams, not boils.
ii. This is your checkpoint. Taste the broth now and adjust: if it feels too rich or salty, add a splash of water or extra dashi to open it up. If it tastes thin or flat, stir in a touch more soy sauce or mirin to deepen the base. Hot pot is forgiving! You can tweak the seasoning easily because the liquid volume is generous and responsive.
ii. Ladle portions into individual bowls, making sure everyone gets a mix of meatballs, vegetables, tofu, and plenty of broth. For a heartier meal, serve it alongside steamed white rice.
If you follow the default recipe, it will yield 4 servings.
Essential Tips & Tricks
- Use a thick-walled pot such as ceramic donabe to leverage steady carryover cooking for uniform ingredient texture.
- Stage ingredients by cooking time (carrots first, then cabbage and mushrooms, leafy greens last) so everything reaches peak doneness together.
- Season slightly more assertively than feels right at first because vegetables will release moisture as they cook, diluting the broth by 10-15%.
With these simple tips in mind, you’re set for success every time you make sumo stew.
Storage & Meal Prep
Fridge: Store cooled chanko nabe in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Freezer: Freezing the broth alone works well for up to 1-2 months in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, but freezing the assembled pot is not recommended.
Meal Prep: You can prep the tare/broth base and mix the tsukune meatballs (covered, chilled) up to 1 day ahead, plus cut sturdy vegetables (carrots, mushrooms) and store airtight. Hold leafy greens and tofu for day-of so they don’t over-soften or dilute the broth.
Reheating: Reheat the broth in a pot over medium heat until it is steaming and reaches a safe boil threshold before adding the solids to warm through gently.
What to Serve With This Recipe
Sumo Stew FAQ
A detailed 1975 study in japan that investigated sumo wrestlers’ eating habits (the study) reports the following average daily energy intake: 4,500 calories for sekitori (Jūryō and above), 4,360 calories for Makushita, and about 4,000 calories for Jonidan, which represents an early stage of training. The paper also notes that, at the time, intake of grains (especially rice) along with fish, meat, and other vegetables was high, while consumption of green-and-yellow vegetables and fruits was low.
A donabe’s thick walls and excellent heat retention create ideal conditions for gentle, even simmering and natural carryover cooking, but you’ll get excellent results with any heavy-bottomed pot-enameled cast iron, thick stainless steel, or even a quality nonstick Dutch oven. The key is choosing something with thermal mass that won’t spike and drop temperature dramatically. Thin-walled pots require more vigilant heat monitoring to prevent scorching or over-boiling, but they’re perfectly functional if you manage the flame carefully.
Both are multi-ingredient Japanese hot pots, but chanko nabe is distinguished by its sumo stable origins and bolder, more assertive seasoning, typically built on miso or full-bodied soy sauce rather than the delicate, ingredient-forward broths common in yosenabe. Chanko is designed to be hearty and protein-dense (historically chicken-focused due to sumo tradition), serving as a complete meal that pairs with rice, while yosenabe tends toward lighter, more elegant vegetable-and-seafood compositions meant to showcase seasonal ingredients.
More Japanese Winter Recipes
Craving cozy comfort food? Dive into my collection of Japanese winter dishes featuring hearty hot pots, warming soups, and seasonal favorites.
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Chanko Nabe (Sumo Stew)
Ingredients
Homemade Chicken Meatballs
- 200 g ground chicken or ground turkey/pork
- ½ tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- ½ tbsp yellow miso paste (awase)
- ½ tsp grated ginger root or ginger paste
- 1 clove grated garlic or ½ tsp garlic paste per clove
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
Broth
- 1000 ml dashi stock homemade or quality dashi packets
- 1 ½ tbsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp grated ginger root or ginger paste
- 2 cloves grated garlic or ½ tsp garlic paste per clove
- 2 tbsp ground sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase)
Other Ingredients
- 1 carrot peeled and cut into thick rounds
- 1 Japanese leek (naganegi) white part, cut into thick diagonal slices
- 1 bunch enoki mushrooms stems removed
- 2 fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed
- ⅛ Napa cabbage roughly cut
- 150 g firm tofu cubed
- 1 bunch potherb mustard (mizuna) stems removed
My recommended brands of ingredients and seasonings can be found in my Japanese pantry guide.
Can’t find certain Japanese ingredients? See my substitution guide here.
Instructions
Homemade Chicken Meatballs
- First prepare the meatballs. Mix 200 g ground chicken with ½ tbsp yellow miso paste (awase), 1/2 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), ½ tsp grated ginger root and 1 clove grated garlic in a bowl until the ingredients are well distributed and there are no lumps of miso.
- Crack 1 egg into a separate bowl and whisk until combined, then pour it into the chicken mixture and add 2 tbsp cornstarch. Mix until well combined, then cover and refrigerate until it's time to cook.
Broth
- Pour 1000 ml dashi stock into a large pot and add 1 ½ tbsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp grated ginger root, 2 cloves grated garlic, and 2 tbsp ground sesame seeds. Mix well and bring to a gentle boil over a medium heat.
- Once gently boiling, grab the meatball mixture from the fridge. It's too sticky to shape by hand, so use two spoons to scoop and scrape the mixture directly into the bubbling broth.
- Once the mixture is used up, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add 1 carrot and any root vegetables, and boil for a few minutes before adding 1 Japanese leek (naganegi), 1 bunch enoki mushrooms, 2 fresh shiitake mushrooms, ⅛ Napa cabbage, 1 bunch potherb mustard (mizuna) and 150 g firm tofu. Cover with a lid and simmer until the vegetables are cooked to your liking, about 5-10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and mix in 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase) by scooping it onto a miso strainer and dipping it in the broth. Use chopsticks or a small whisk to break up the miso paste and gradually incorporate it into the rest of the broth.
- Tip: If you don't have a miso strainer, pour a small amount of broth into a bowl and whisk into a thin paste before pouring it into the pot.
- Mix well and serve. You can enjoy this dish with rice or savor the leftover soup with udon noodles. Enjoy!
I’ve heard of this soup, but didn’t pay any attention to the ingredients. As it turns out, I’ve been eating it for the last couple of weeks! I’ve been cutting on carbs, and was looking for something light for breakfast. It’s just broth, sometimes plus gochujang, tofu, musrooms, and vegetables. It’s very filling, no carbs needed.
I will try the meatballs next time. Thanks for the recipe.
I like your idea of adding gochujang, I’ll have to try that next time! The meatballs are one of my favourite parts of this recipe, I hope you enjoy them too. Thank you for the comment and rating 🙂
I made this according to directions, except for tofu, because I forgot to buy some. It was delicious, but I think it should be simmered for more like 5-6 minutes at the end, not 10. It got a bit overcooked.
Hi Susan,
I really appreciate you making it and sharing thoughtful feedback. You’re absolutely right, simmering time can vary depending on how the vegetables are cut, what’s used, or even the heat source. I’ve updated the instructions to 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Thank you again for taking the time to share the valuable feedback! 🙂
Yuto