Chinese Roast Duck Noodle Soup (雪菜鴨絲湯米)

Dad’s Roast Duck Noodle Soup is a restaurant recipe turned into an EASY homemade favorite! It’s cooked using ready-made ingredients, making it the most satisfying midweek meal. The secret to getting the best taste is to buy toppings already packed with flavor so half the work is already done for you!

When Dad brings home restaurant recipes

If you’ve ever read about our family, you’d know that Dad is the reason why we get to enjoy chef-grade restaurant favorites in the comfort of our home. Having had experience as a waiter, chef and manager, his behind-the-scenes knowledge grants us full access to culinary treasures.

And I’m so excited to be able to share it all with you!

Dishes like Salted Egg Yolk Prawns (牛油黃金虾), Seafood Tofu (玉孑豆府), Ginger Scallion Lobster (蔥薑龍蝦) and Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots are all a testimony to his love for food as well as his dedication to learning more about Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines.

This Roast Duck Noodle Soup recipe embodies the heart and soul of humble Cantonese cooking. Chefs use simple ready-made ingredients to create a broth infused with spices and roasting juices.

Then spruce it up with crunchy pickled greens and springy al dente noodles for the ultimate restaurant experience – all at home!

What is mei fun?

What it is

Chinese rice vermicelli (米粉), pronounced ‘mei fun’ in Cantonese, are thin rice noodles typically made of rice and water. The beauty of this ingredient is that even after being cooked using high heat, it will still retain its spring.

Taste

Much like other rice noodles, it has an innate rice taste. Unlike other variations like thin Vietnamese bún that softens and seems to absorb some of the broth’s essence, mei fun tends to have the flavors coat it on the outside.

Culinary use

Mei fun is popularly used across China in stir fries or as part of noodle soups. It’s often cooked very simply with vegetables or some protein. If you’re wondering where you might have seen it before, the most recognizable dish that uses it would be Singapore Noodles.

But if you’re after a humble and ultra enjoyable meal, then you can’t go wrong using it in Dad’s Roast Duck Noodle Soup!

Why this recipe works

• Using meat from Chinese BBQ shops keeps the flavors authentic and full of pre-infused spices.
• Canned pickled cabbage is an easy way to add crunch and savoriness.
• Chinese rice noodles are a firm yet thin choice that retains its springy texture.

What you’ll need

About the pickled cabbage

We get our pickled cabbage from the Chinese supermarket. It’s pronounced syut choi (a.k.a. snow vegetable 雪菜) and comes sealed in tins. It’s much less salty than what you would get when cooking with preserved mustard greens.

If you can’t find the ingredient, simply substitute it for your favorite greens. Bok choy, Chinese cabbage or the jook choy we used for our Crispy Pork Belly Stir Fry would work well here. Just be mindful of the time it takes to cook and the seasoning you’ll need to adjust to your preference.

The roast duck can be found in Chinese BBQ roast shops. Ask the shop owners to chop it up for you or bring it home to do it yourself.

How to make this recipe

Soak the rice noodles in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, separate the meat from the bones.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the bones in. Season it with the sugar, salt and chicken bouillon powder, then let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Take the pickled cabbage out from the tins and give them a light wash before adding them into the broth. Let it simmer on medium heat for another 15 minutes.

As the broth is simmering, chop the meat into small pieces and leave them in a serving dish. You can cut them smaller to preference or leave the pieces whole.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the rice noodles for 2 minutes or until al dente.

To serve, place the noodles in a bowl and top it with the duck meat. Pour the hot soup into the bowl, making sure to scoop in the pickled cabbage.

Enjoy the dish hot as is garnished with bean sprouts!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Use a homemade stock. As with any recipe that calls for a stock, homemade versions will provide a clean and naturally sweet flavor without the added preservatives.
• Stir fry the duck meat. Get a pan hot with some oil in it, then gently fry the duck until slightly crispy before adding it as a topping.
• Avoid overcooking the noodles. You want to keep that spring in the mei fun, so make sure that it’s soaked in cold water only, then blanched for a short time in hot water.
• Pour the roasting juices into the broth. There’s always meat juice at the bottom of the container when you buy roast duck. Use it to add extra flavor!

Warm up with our best noodle soups!

• Wonton Egg Noodle Soup (港式云吞面) – Get the family together to enjoy a wonderful bonding experience wrapping wontons.
• Miến Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Glass Noodle Soup) – This is Vietnam’s answer to to classic chicken noodle soup. It’s simple yet full of fragrant flavors.
• Vietnamese Chicken Curry (Cà Ri Gà) – Thick, creamy and nutty, you’ll love dipping your bread into this luxurious broth.
• Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) – There’s nothing earthier than a stew simmered long and slow with aromatic spices central to Vietnamese cuisine.
• Phở Chay (Vegetarian Phở) – Try Mum’s fantastically flavorful vegetarian version of the internationally recognized Phở!

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