Easy Vietnamese Roast Duck Egg Noodle Soup (Mì Vịt Tiềm)

Whenever I’m in Chinatown or an Asian supermarket with a hot food stall, I usually buy a whole roast duck.

I enjoy some as-is as a well-deserved snack after the hard work of grocery shopping and being around people.

And the rest, usually the bony pieces, I turn into a rich, dark, and flavorful broth for a noodle dish called Mì Vịt Tiềm.

If you want to turn your leftover store-bought roast duck into a more substantial meal, this recipe is for you.

What is Mi Vit Tiem?

Mì Vịt Tiềm is the Vietnamese version of Chinese duck egg noodle soup, brought to southern Vietnam by Chinese immigrants.

It’s a bowl of chewy egg noodles, topped with bite-sized pieces of roast duck in a rich, dark aromatic broth.

What You Will Need

To make mi vit tiem at home, gather the following ingredients:

• Store-bought roast duck with accompanying duck sauce – Reserve the meaty parts for serving, and save the bony pieces to make a flavorful broth. The duck usually comes with two containers of duck sauce, which we’ll add to the broth to enhance its herbal notes without using individual spices.
• Yellow onions – Add sweetness and body to the broth. You can substitute with a handful of shallots or a combination of both.
• Ginger – Fresh ginger brings the essential Asian warmth to any broth.
• Dried shiitake mushrooms – Dried shiitakes are my go-to pantry staple, but fresh shiitakes work as well. They add a deep, earthy flavor to the broth.
• Carrots – Add natural sweetness. You can also use more traditional red dates (jujubes) or goji berries.
• Seasonings: Light soy sauce, salt, and chicken bouillon powder.
• Egg noodles – I’m using fresh egg noodles.
• Bok choy and thinly sliced green onion – Bok choy is the vegetable of choice, quickly blanched in the finished broth. If you don’t have bok choy, choy sum or spinach also works well. Thinly sliced green onions are an optional fresh garnish.

How to Make Mi Vit Tiem

Step 1: Prepare ingredients

Rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms. Peel the carrot and cut it into thick coins.

Leave the ginger unpeeled, slice it, and gently smash the pieces to release their aroma.

Peel and halve the onion, or quarter it if it’s large.

Step 2: Make the quick broth

Reserve the meaty pieces, such as the duck legs, and set them aside. Add the bony pieces and duck sauce to a medium stockpot. Add shiitake mushrooms, carrot, ginger, and onion from earlier.

Add water and simmer on medium low uncovered for about 30 minutes.

When the broth is done, remove and discard the ginger slices and onions. You can also remove the shiitake mushrooms, either discard them or thinly slice and return them to the pot.

Add the seasonings and adjust to taste if needed.

Step 3: Prepare noodles and vegetables

Cook the egg noodles per the package instructions.

Wash the boy choy and quickly blanch the leaves in the finished broth for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove and set aside for topping.

Thinly slice the green onions if using and set aside as garnish.

Step 4: Assemble the bowls

Divide the noodles and toppings among serving bowls. Top with the reserved duck pieces. Ladle the hot broth over everything, then garnish with chopped green onions and enjoy.

Storage & Reheating

If you have leftovers, store the extra broth, noodles, and other toppings separately in airtight containers in the fridge. They are still great for up to 4 days.

To reheat, warm the broth on the stovetop until heated through. Warm the leftover noodles and toppings in a microwave-safe bowl, then pour the hot broth over and serve.