We can make many Vietnamese dishes with duck! Besides Duck Congee (cháo vịt), Vietnamese Duck Noodle Soup (Bún măng vịt) is another common and delicious noodle soup in Vietnamese cuisine. Let me show you how to make it.
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What is Vietnamese Duck Noodle Soup?
In fact, it’s actually Vietnamese Duck and Bamboo Noodle Soup, or “Bún măng vịt” in Vietnamese. It’s a combination of two common ingredients in Vietnam: duck meat and bamboo shoots.
The bamboo tree is a symbol of Vietnam, present everywhere across the country. I still remember the bamboo grove near my house when I was little. Sometimes, when needed, my mother would go there, find a young bamboo shoot, and cut it to bring home. She would peel off the tough outer layer to reveal the pale yellow, tender, and crispy young bamboo inside. After that, it would be thinly sliced, soaked, washed a few times, and then boiled. Once cooked, the bamboo could be eaten immediately with hot rice or used to cook other dishes like bamboo soup or duck noodle soup.
It wasn’t until later that I learned I could also make bún măng vịt with dried bamboo shoots. That was when I started living far from home, where there were no bamboo groves nearby. Dried bamboo shoots are sold in markets and supermarkets, making them very convenient for cooking. You just need to soak and wash the bamboo until it expands, then shred it thinly, and it’s ready to cook.
Duck meat is a popular poultry in Vietnam, alongside chicken. Duck meat is tougher, darker in color than chicken, with very crispy skin and a distinct flavor. Besides Duck Noodle Soup, we can also make duck salad, duck congee, grilled duck, roast duck, and more.
Ingredients for Vietnamese Duck Noodle Soup
Depending on the region, the ingredients for this dish might vary, but the essential components are duck and bamboo (either fresh or dried). In addition, you will need some spices and herbs like shallots, ginger, and lemongrass to remove the strong smell of duck meat and enhance the flavor of the broth, making it richer and more fragrant.
Here’s what you need for 4 bowls of Vietnamese Duck Noodle Soup:
- 1 duck (2.2 lbs)
- 4 liters of water (4.2 quarts)
- 50g dried bamboo shoots (1.75 oz)
- 10g shiitake mushrooms (0.35 oz)
- 2 stalks of lemongrass
- 1 large piece of ginger
- 1 large shallot
- 1 large onion
- To remove the duck smell: salt, cooking wine (optional), lemon juice
- Vegetables: mung bean sprouts, morning glory stalks, etc. (about 200g / 7 oz)
- Dipping sauce: 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1. Prepare the Duck
- Clean the duck thoroughly with salted water. Use a mixture of salt, lemon, and cooking wine (if available) to rub around the duck, and rinse it with clean water 2-3 times.
Step 2. Boil the Duck & Noodles
- After cleaning the duck, place it in a large pot filled with enough water to cover the duck. Add ginger, shallots, onion, and lemongrass to the pot. Bring the water to a medium-high heat and boil the duck for about 30 minutes in a pressure cooker or 50 minutes in a regular pot. To check if the duck is done, pierce it with a chopstick—if it passes through easily and no pink juices come out, the duck is cooked. Remove the duck from the pot.
- Chop the duck into bite-sized pieces and set them aside.
- Boil the dried rice noodles until soft, then rinse with cold water and drain.
Step 3. Prepare the Broth
- Use the water from boiling the duck as the base for the broth. Remove the lemongrass, ginger, shallots, and onion from the pot, then add soaked shiitake mushrooms.
- If using dried bamboo shoots, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes, or in cold water for at least 2 hours (overnight is best), then shred the bamboo. If using fresh bamboo shoots, slice them and blanch them in boiling water. You can either sauté the bamboo with sliced shallots before adding them to the broth or add the bamboo directly to the broth.
- Continue cooking until the bamboo shoots are tender. Season the broth with fish sauce, salt, and a bit of sugar, adjusting the flavor gradually to your liking. Be careful when adding seasoning to avoid making the broth too salty.
Step 4. Serve
- Place the noodles in a bowl, then arrange the duck pieces on top. Pour the broth (including bamboo shoots and mushrooms) over the noodles and duck. Garnish with scallions, blanched green onion heads, and a sprinkle of ground pepper. Serve with accompanying vegetables such as shredded water spinach, Vietnamese herbs (mint, coriander), and bean sprouts, if available.
- For dipping the duck meat, you can use a ginger fish sauce (ratio of fish sauce: sugar: garlic: ginger: water is 1:1:1:1:2) or a salt, pepper, and lemon dipping sauce (ratio of salt: pepper: lemon is 2:1:1).
How to Store Vietnamese Duck Noodle Soup for a Long Time
You can cook a large pot of Vietnamese Duck Noodle Soup to enjoy over several meals, but proper storage is necessary to maintain the best quality. Since I often save cooking time by making a large batch, I have learned a few tips to store this dish for longer:
- Duck meat: After chopping, place the duck meat in an airtight container and store it separately in the refrigerator.
- Broth: You can leave the broth at room temperature for one day. Each time you eat, reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. If storing for longer than one day (2-3 days), place the broth in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
- Longer storage: If you want to store it for longer than 3 days, place both the duck meat and the broth in the freezer. However, it’s best to freeze it for no more than one month. When ready to eat, take out the duck and broth, and reheat them on the stove.
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Vietnamese Duck Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 duck 2.2 lbs
- 4 L of water 4.2 quarts
- 50 g dried bamboo shoots 1.75 oz
- 10 g shiitake mushrooms 0.35 oz
- 2 stalks of lemongrass
- 1 large piece of ginger
- 1 large shallot
- 1 large onion
- To remove the duck smell: salt, cooking wine (optional), lemon juice
- Vegetables: mung bean sprouts, morning glory stalks, etc. (about 200g / 7 oz)
- Dipping sauce: 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Step 1. Prepare the Duck
- Clean the duck thoroughly with salted water. Use a mixture of salt, lemon, and cooking wine (if available) to rub around the duck, and rinse it with clean water 2-3 times.
Step 2. Boil the Duck & Noodles
- After cleaning the duck, place it in a large pot filled with enough water to cover the duck. Add ginger, shallots, onion, and lemongrass to the pot. Bring the water to a medium-high heat and boil the duck for about 30 minutes in a pressure cooker or 50 minutes in a regular pot. To check if the duck is done, pierce it with a chopstick—if it passes through easily and no pink juices come out, the duck is cooked. Remove the duck from the pot.
- Chop the duck into bite-sized pieces and set them aside.
- Boil the dried rice noodles until soft, then rinse with cold water and drain.
Step 3. Prepare the Broth
- Use the water from boiling the duck as the base for the broth. Remove the lemongrass, ginger, shallots, and onion from the pot, then add soaked shiitake mushrooms.
- If using dried bamboo shoots, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes, or in cold water for at least 2 hours (overnight is best), then shred the bamboo. If using fresh bamboo shoots, slice them and blanch them in boiling water. You can either sauté the bamboo with sliced shallots before adding them to the broth or add the bamboo directly to the broth.
- Continue cooking until the bamboo shoots are tender. Season the broth with fish sauce, salt, and a bit of sugar, adjusting the flavor gradually to your liking. Be careful when adding seasoning to avoid making the broth too salty.
Step 4. Serve
- Place the noodles in a bowl, then arrange the duck pieces on top. Pour the broth (including bamboo shoots and mushrooms) over the noodles and duck. Garnish with scallions, blanched green onion heads, and a sprinkle of ground pepper. Serve with accompanying vegetables such as shredded water spinach, Vietnamese herbs (mint, coriander), and bean sprouts, if available.
- For dipping the duck meat, you can use a ginger fish sauce (ratio of fish sauce: sugar: garlic: ginger: water is 1:1:1:1:2) or a salt, pepper, and lemon dipping sauce (ratio of salt: pepper: lemon is 2:1:1).