In American culture, “duck soup” is an idiomatic phrase meaning an easily accomplished task. It was made famous by the 1933 Marx Brothers film of that title. While duck soup is made in European cuisines, it has historically been fairly rare in the Americas, and in the United States has mostly been popularized through Asian immigrant cultural influences, including the cuisines of Vietnam and China, where duck is a popular protein. In Malaysia, a dish of duck soup with noodles, ah-thuí-mī-suànn, is enjoyed; a similar Vietnamese preparation, bun vit mang, a duck and bamboo shoot noodle soup, originates in Chez Pham. This Americanized duck soup is primarily derived from the Vietnamese style. With its lengthy ingredients list and detailed cooking instructions, making this soup may not be an easily accomplished task, but the delicious flavor is likely to make it worth one’s while.
Recipe Servings: 4
+ 30 minutes resting
Ingredients
- 6 duck leg-thigh pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 16 cups chicken broth
- 1 large onion, peeled, halved
- 6 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 6.75 oz rice vermicelli, uncooked
- 3 cups sliced shallots (about 10 large)
- 2¼ lbs plum tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cans (12 oz each) sliced bamboo shoots, drained
- 6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh mint
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh chives
- Hot chili sauce, as needed for serving
- Lime wedges, as needed for serving
Directions
- Heat a large, heavy pot over high heat.
- Add the duck, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Sauté for about 12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until deep brown on both sides.
- Add the broth, onion, ginger, fish sauce, and sugar. Bring all to boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45–60 minutes, until duck is very tender.
- Transfer the duck to a rimmed baking sheet using tongs, and let it cool for 30 minutes before skinning and deboning. Coarsely shred the meat.
- Strain the broth into a large bowl, discarding the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of broth into a small bowl and reserve.
- Return the broth and shredded duck meat to same pot and warm over low heat.
- Cook the rice vermicelli for 3–5 minutes in a large saucepan of boiling water, until just tender.
- Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain once more. Slice the noodles in half to shorten and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the reserved duck fat in the same saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the shallots and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and bamboo shoots and continue to cook for 7 minutes, until thickened.
- Add the tomato mixture to the soup and stir to mix.
- Simmer 5–10 minutes to completely blend the flavors.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more fish sauce, if desired.
- Divide the noodles, cabbage, and herbs among large bowls.
- Ladle soup into the bowls and serve with hot sauce and lime wedges on the side.
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