Home-styleEasy 80 min serves 4 Halal

Radish Lamb Stew (萝卜炖羊肉)

Name: Radish Lamb Stew (萝卜炖羊肉)
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Home-style Chinese
Ingredients: lamb shoulder or shank, chunked; white radish (daikon), chunked; fresh ginger, sliced; white pepper; salt; scallion, for garnish

萝卜炖羊肉 · luó bo dùn yáng ròu

家庭快手版 · Home version: Family version simmers lamb with white radish — the radish absorbs the broth and tames the gaminess, making a clean, warming one-pot soup.

Every northern Chinese winter has this pot bubbling on the stove. My mother said radish and lamb were 'made for each other' — the radish drinks the broth the lamb gives.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

Comfort Food One-Pot Soups

Ingredients

lamb shoulder or shank, chunked羊肩/羊腿肉（切块）🛒 local600 g
white radish (daikon), chunked白萝卜（切块）🛒 local400 g
fresh ginger, sliced生姜（切片）🛒 local20 g
white pepper白胡椒粉🛒 local3 g
salt盐🛒 local5 g
scallion, for garnish葱（点缀）🛒 local10 g

lamb shoulder or shank, chunked: Bone-in shank adds richness to the broth.

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Instructions

1Blanch lamb in cold water, skim foam, drain, and rinse.
冷水焯膻
🔍 Look for 4 分钟 · 4 minutes
Visual: 灰沫涌起，肉转白。Grey foam rises; meat pales.
You know it's right when: 稳沸后沫止。Foam stops at steady boil.
2Place lamb, ginger, and water to cover in a pot. Bring to a boil then simmer 50 minutes.
注汤炖肉
🔍 Look for Low heat 50 分钟 · 50 minutes
Visual: 汤色转乳白，汤面缓沸。Broth turns milky; surface shows slow bubbles.
You know it's right when: 肉渐软，香气转柔。Meat softens; aroma mellows.
3Add radish chunks and simmer 20 minutes until translucent and tender.
下萝卜炖
🔍 Look for Medium heat 20 分钟 · 20 minutes
Visual: 萝卜边转透亮，一戳即透。Radish edges turn glassy and easily pierced.
You know it's right when: 萝卜吸汤、去生涩。Radish absorbs broth and loses raw bite.
4Season with salt and white pepper; simmer 2 minutes more.
调味定咸
🔍 Look for Medium heat 2 分钟 · 2 minutes
Visual: 汤略清，胡椒粒浮起。Broth clears slightly; pepper flecks float.
You know it's right when: 香气转胡椒暖意。Aroma turns peppery and warm.
5Scatter scallion and serve hot as soup and main together.
撒葱出锅
🔍 Look for 1 分钟 · 1 minute
Visual: 葱花翠绿浮于清汤。Scallion stays bright green atop a clear broth.
You know it's right when: 清新咸鲜羊香，无膻。Clean, savory lamb aroma — no gaminess.

Tips

· Add radish only after the lamb is half-done, or it overcooks to mush.
· White pepper, not black, keeps the broth clean.
· Bone-in cuts make a noticeably richer soup.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I reduce the salt/soy in this recipe?

Yes — soy sauce is the main sodium source. Use light soy at 2/3 amount and finish with salt only to taste. Rinse canned/doubanjiang components if possible. Note: reducing soy also reduces color; a drop of dark soy or a pinch of sugar can restore depth without salt.

Source: HǎoWèi diet guide

Why do you cook the aromatics (garlic/ginger) first on low heat?

Aromatics contain oils and sugars that turn bitter if scorched. Gentle heat (low-medium) lets garlic and ginger release their fragrance without browning too fast. If the pan is too hot, garlic goes bitter within seconds — that's why we always add aromatics first, before the main ingredients.

Source: Chinese Cooking Demystified technique library

My dish came out too salty. Can I fix it?

Quick fixes: add a squeeze of lemon/vinegar (acidity masks salt), stir in a few potato chunks or rice (they absorb salt — remove before serving), or bulk it out with more rice/vegetables. Next time: add soy sauce in two stages, taste in the middle, and remember light soy + a pinch of salt is often enough.

Source: HǎoWèi cooking science