Author: Derek Lucci

Although Thai food is known abroad for its stir-fried noodles like pad thai, noodle soups are arguably even more popular among native Thais. What makes them so popular? Well, many things: the affordability, the ubiquitousness, the speed of ordering and eating, and of course the flavor. Noodle soups are an industry unto themselves in Thailand, as common as sandwich shops in the States, and they fulfill similar funcion, offering convenient and immensely satisfying one-bowl meals in a flash.

One style of Thai noodle soup that hits ultimate levels of comfort for me is guaytiaao bpet, or duck noodles. Duck (bpet) is braised until tender in a soy sauce–based broth with loads of aromatics and warm spices like cinnamon and star anise. Right before serving, freshly cooked noodles are tossed in garlic oil, and then a tangle of noodles is piled into each bowl and topped with greens and pieces of the rich duck. The hot broth is ladled over everything, creating a soup that is complex and comforting. 

At duck noodle restaurants, known as raan guaydtiaao pbet, you can choose rice noodles or egg noodles. You can also pick what parts of the duck you want in your soup, from innards to blood to braised legs and more. The duck too can be prepared in different ways, from roasted to grilled and braised. The recipe I'm sharing here is for bamee bpet dtoon, or braised duck leg with egg noodles, which is one of the easier options to make at home. (In Thai, braised duck is “bpet dtoon” and the variety of Chinese egg noodles is “bamee.”) 

To create a broth that is robust in duck flavor and has a rich texture, I start with a whole duck so I can take advantage of the carcass's natural collagen, which contributes valuable body to the broth as it simmers. I break a Pekin duck down into its head/neck, two breasts, two legs, and two wings before cutting the carcass into smaller pieces that easily fit into the pot. I trim the excess fat from the duck and save it so I can use it to fry the garlic that coats the noodles (this is optional, you can just use oil if collecting rendered duck fat sounds like more effort than you're willing to, though do know that the duck throws off liquid fat as it braises, and this can easily be used for the garlic without too much extra work, if desired).

To reduce the amount of scum (which comes from coagulated protein in the duck) in the broth, I boil the carcass pieces and wings for about three minutes and then dump them into a colander in the sink, rinsing the parts with cold water. After cleaning out the pot, I add back the rinsed duck parts, along with fresh water and all of my aromatics and spices, and then simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes, which creates a base broth to braise the duck legs.

Once the duck legs are nearly tender, I add the duck breasts and simmer them until they’re just cooked. To make this recipe more manageable, this is a step you can do up to three days in advance. Although it’s traditional in Thailand to serve each bowl with a whole piece of bone-in duck, I prefer to debone and slice the meat; it’s easier to portion and eat that way. If I’m making the soup components ahead of time, I store the meat right in the broth.

One of the best features of Thai noodle soups is how customizable they are. In Thailand, it’s common to set out an array of condiments so everyone can season their own bowl. Chile vinegar is a mainstay in the lineup. The sharp and spicy mixture, made simply by steeping sliced chiles in heated white vinegar, cuts through the rich, robust duck flavor. Diners can also choose to season their soup with soy sauce, fish sauce, Thai dried chile flakes, or Thai dried chile infused in a little bit of oil. 

Getting creative with your duck noodles isn’t restricted to the choice of condiments. You can adjust the proportions of the ingredients to suit your mood and appetite: mostly broth, mostly noodles, or anything in between. You can even swap out the egg noodles for rice noodles or whatever you have–it’s up to you.

For the Broth: Butcher duck (you can see our guide here) by first removing duck head and neck (if attached) and wings. Trim excess skin and fat from neck and cavity area, then remove both legs. Cut away backbone, then remove breasts from bone cage. Cut neck and backbone into roughly 3-inch pieces.

In a large stock pot, add duck head and neck (if available), backbone, breastbone, and wings and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat; boil for 5 minutes, then drain duck in colander placed in sink. Rinse duck parts under cold water, washing off as much scum as you can. Wash pot, then return duck to pot along with 4 quarts of water, the onion, light soy sauce, celery roots or stems, cilantro roots or stems, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, palm sugar, garlic, galangal, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorns, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, white peppercorns, star anise, and pandan leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add duck legs and continue to cook until duck meat is tender and stock is reduced by about half, about 2 hours. Add duck breasts and poach until just cooked through (about 150°F; 65°C), 7 to 10 minutes. Remove duck legs and breasts and strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer. You should have about 2 quarts of strained broth. Skim off duck fat if a more lean broth is desired. 

When meat is cool enough to handle, remove bone from each duck leg while keeping the skin on. Reserve duck.

For the Chile Vinegar: In a small saucepan, bring vinegar and salt to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and add chiles. Let steep for at least 30 minutes (vinegar will be best after 1 day).

For the Bowls: In a covered medium saucepan, warm 3 cups (710ml) of the broth over medium-low heat with the duck legs and breasts.

In a medium bowl, prepare an ice water bath. In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch Chinese broccoli until slightly tender and bright green, about 15 seconds. Using a skimmer, transfer to ice water bath.

Return water to a boil, add egg noodles, and cook according to package directions. Drain noodles in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Add garlic oil and mix with chopsticks to coat.

Remove duck meat from broth. Slice leg meat into bite-size pieces. Slice breast meat thinly.

Divide noodles and then broccoli into individual bowls. Arrange duck meat in each bowl. Ladle broth into each bowl and garnish with crispy fried garlic and Chinese celery leaves and stems. Serve immediately, allowing guests to season and garnish their bowls to taste with chile vinegar, fish sauce, Thai light (thin) soy sauce, ground Thai chiles, and granulated sugar.

Special Equipment

Notes

The roots of fresh Chinese celery and coriander (a.k.a. cilantro) can be hard to find in the US, as they are often cut off from the stems before being brought to market (though local farmers markets in the summer and fall often have coriander with the roots still attached). Chinese celery and coriander roots can be found at Southeast Asian markets. If you can't find the herb with the roots still attached, you can use the stems. And, to clarify, although they are called "roots," Thai cooks usually also use some of the green stems as well.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The duck broth can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days in advance or frozen for up to 6 months. If making in advance, store the portioned duck in some of the broth.

The chile vinegar can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

When I was first introduced to Thai noodle soups, I became fixated on trying every combination I could get my hands on. I remember the day I was at a pork noodle soup stall in Bangkok and my friend advised me to order it “tom yam style,” exposing me to a whole world of Thai noodle soup customizations I had previously been unaware of. I was blown away by the blast of flavor from the broth: spicy, sour, salty, and nutty from peanuts. But I was confused. This tasted more like a delicious brothy version of pad thai than the tom yam soup I thought I knew. There was no lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, or galangal, which are all usual tom yam components. Well, I learned quickly, this wasn’t your standard tom yam soup; it was guaydtiaao tom yam, “guaydtiaao” meaning that noodles are involved.

Unlike regular tom yam soup, which is served fully seasoned and ready to eat with rice as part of a larger Thai meal, this noodle soup version is a one-plate dish—a full meal built on a pork-broth base that requires additional seasoning at the table. While tom yam noodle soup is seasoned by the seller, it comes with additional seasonings like sugar, dried Thai chile flakes and/or chile paste, lime juice or distilled white vinegar, fish sauce, and peanuts.

In addition to condiments and flavorings, tom yam–style noodle soups also come with many other mix-ins. I love the soup with soft-boiled eggs, pork balls, minced pork, and fried wontons. You can find pork balls in any Asian store in the frozen section. They have an iconic bounciness, something I like to refer to as “factory bounce,” which is a level of springiness that is hard (though not impossible) to achieve at home. You could get pretty close to the ideal texture by overworking the pork in a food processor to create the desired bouncy texture, but in a dish with this many components, using this one store-bought ingredient is a welcome convenience.

This recipe suggests what I would do for a base seasoning and I recommend that those who are new to the soup follow it, at least until they develop their own personal approach. Keep in mind that what you serve is not the finished soup, and that diners should season their bowls with khreuuang bproong (condiments) at the table. The usual options for tom yam noodle soup are dried Thai chile flakes, peanuts, sugar, fish sauce, and chile vinegar.

This recipe will make four servings, but if you prefer more or less broth or meat, you can scale up or down as needed.

For the Wonton Crisps: Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. In a wok or 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 375°F (190°C) over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add wontons and cook, flipping once or twice, until crispy, 10 to 15 seconds. Using a wire skimmer, transfer to paper towel–lined baking sheet. Set aside.

For the Minced Pork: In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix together pork, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart (1L) water to a boil. Add ground pork and cook, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces, until no pink remains, about 30 seconds. Drain and transfer to a large heatproof bowl.

For the Chile Vinegar: In a small saucepan, bring vinegar and salt to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and add chiles. Let steep for at least 30 minutes (vinegar will be best after 1 day).

To Assemble the Bowls: In a medium saucepan, combine pork stock and pork meatballs and bring to a boil, covered, then lower heat and keep hot. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, add fish sauce, peanuts, sugar, lime juice, and chile flakes to the cooked minced pork and stir to combine.

Add garlic oil to a large heatproof bowl. In the large pot of boiling water, cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles and transfer them to the bowl with the garlic oil, tossing with chopsticks until noodles are coated. Divide noodles among 4 individual serving bowls.

Return now empty pot of water to a boil and blanch the bean sprouts and morning glory until morning glory is crisp-tender and bean sprouts have softened slightly, 5 to 10 seconds. Drain and divide among serving bowls with noodles.

Add the minced pork mixture to the hot pork broth and meatballs and stir to combine. Divide the seasoned broth, meatballs, and minced pork among the serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with a couple pieces of fried wontons, soft-boiled egg halves, cilantro, scallions, and a pinch of fried garlic. Serve immediately, allowing guests to season their bowls with additional fish sauce, peanuts, sugar, lime juice, chile flakes, and chile vinegar to taste.

Notes

Hong Kong–style wonton wrappers are an egg based dough that are often light yellow in color. Wrap remaining unused wonton wrappers tightly and refreeze, or reserve for another use.

A Holland chile and Fresno chile will have a similar mild heat level balanced with a sweet finish, while a fresh Cayenne chile will be spicier. A jalapeño chile may also be substituted in this recipe.

Frozen pork balls from any Asian grocer will work in this recipe.

Morning glory is also sold as ong choy or water spinach. In a pinch, you could substitute Chinese broccoli, spinach, even broccoli rabe, though rabe will be more bitter.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The chile vinegar can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

The crispy wontons can be fried up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. 

The minced pork can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.

If you’re walking down a street in Thailand and you see a noodle stand, it will likely be a vendor selling pork noodles in a clear broth, known as guaydtiaao nam moo. This is because Thais adore pork noodle soups, which are as ubiquitous as slices of pizza are in New York. Noodle soups are eaten at all times of the day in Thailand, and, like a slice of pizza, are generally understood to be a standalone meal. One wouldn't typically combine a noodle soup with rice or serve it as part of a multi-dish Thai meal. Once you make this recipe, I'm sure you’ll understand the appeal.

The foundation of this soup is a clear, savory pork stock that serves as a fairly neutral flavor base. Full disclosure: Many cooks throughout Thailand, especially street food vendors, use soup stock cubes or soup packets as a shortcut. But for the sake of experiencing the version of this soup that I think is clearly superior, I’m going to insist that you make the stock before proceeding with this recipe.  

Guaydtiaao nam moo can include pork in several forms, but this recipe features two of my favorites: marinated sliced pork and pork meatballs. The marinated pork is sliced so thin that it becomes seasoned with fish sauce and white pepper in mere minutes and it cooks in a matter of seconds.

The pork balls aren’t the Italian-wedding soup meatballs that you may be imagining, nor are they the bouncy meatballs commonly found in Thai soups or Chinese hot pot restaurants. These are more rustic and homey; you simply season minced pork with fish sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and white sugar and pinch pieces of the mixture into boiling water to form irregularly shaped meatballs. I’ve eaten at many noodle shops that serve pork balls this way, and I adore how quick they are to flavor, form, and cook—it’s a very comforting and nostalgic experience.

Success with these meatballs relies on a vigorous mixing method that involves slapping and stirring the meat in a mixing bowl with the seasonings. As the meat is aggressively worked with its seasonings, the salt dissolves meat proteins, and then the proteins bind with each other to form a sticky meat paste. This sticky texture will yield a bouncy and juicy meatball once cooked, as opposed to a crumbly one—very similar to how a good hamburger patty tends to be loose and crumbly thanks to minimal handling and salting, while a sausage is tiger and bouncier thanks to salting and intentional mixing.

You'll notice in this recipe that the marinated sliced pork and the seasoned meatballs are cooked in plain boiling water. This may seem strange—won't the water wash the seasoning off? Well, it will, but just a little, frankly just enough to strip away any excess salt. But the overall flavor of the marinades will remain in the cooked meat. You might be tempted to cook the pork in the pork stock instead, but I'd warn you against it, as it can risk over-seasoning the broth, which already gets a healthy dose of fish sauce for flavoring just before serving.

When you order this noodle soup, you can pick from different varieties and sizes of egg noodles or rice noodles. While I’m calling for Chinese-style egg noodles (wonton noodles) known as bamee in this recipe, you should feel free to use any type of rice noodle you like. Either way, the noodles are cooked and then coated with garlic oil before transferring them to serving bowls and pouring the hot broth on top. I cannot stress how imperative it is to make the garlic oil, which coats the noodles, significantly enhancing their flavor and altering the sensation of eating them thanks to the slick of oil on each noodle.

As with all Thai noodle soups, guaydtiaao nam moo is not complete without condiments meant to be added to each individual bowl according to the diner's tastes—this particular noodle soup has a restrained flavor that requires adjustments to taste at the table. The common ones for this soup are Thai dried chile powder, chiles in vinegar, fish sauce, white pepper, and sugar. I provided a base seasoning for each bowl just to get them on the right track, but I recommend that you add additional seasonings to your liking for the full experience.

For the Marinated Pork and Meatballs: In a mixing bowl, toss sliced pork with 2 teaspoons fish sauce (10ml), 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine the minced pork, Golden Mountain Sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce (15ml), remaining 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, and sugar. Using clean hands, vigorously stir ground pork, occasionally picking up the mixture and smacking it against the bowl, until meatball mixture is homogeneous and very sticky (it should begin to be difficult to handle), about 3 minutes.

In a medium pot of boiling water, cook the marinated sliced pork, using chopsticks to separate the pieces, until just cooked through, 20 to 30 seconds. Using a wire skimmer, transfer sliced pork to a clean bowl and set aside.

Return the water to a boil. Working quickly and using clean hands, pinch off about 1 tablespoon of the meatball mixture and lightly press together to form a roughly shaped ball slightly smaller than a ping pong ball, then drop into the boiling water. Repeat with remaining meatball mixture until all is in the pot. Cook until meatballs float to the top and are fully cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wire skimmer, transfer pork balls to bowl with the sliced pork; set aside. Reserve pot of boiling water for assembly steps below.

For the Chile Vinegar: In a small saucepan, bring vinegar and salt to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and add chiles. Let steep for at least 30 minutes (vinegar will be best after 1 day).

To Prepare and Assemble the Bowls: In a medium saucepan, bring pork stock to a boil; cover and keep hot. Return the pot of water used to cook the pork to a boil, then add the egg noodles, and cook, stirring with chopsticks to prevent sticking, according to package directions. Using a spider, transfer noodles to a large bowl. Add garlic oil to noodles and toss to coat. Divide noodles among 4 serving bowls.

Return stock to a simmer, then warm bean sprouts until just heated through about 15 seconds. Using a spider, transfer bean sprouts to serving bowls. Add meatballs and sliced pork to stock and simmer until just heated through, about 15 seconds. Using a spider, divide meatballs and sliced pork among the bowls with the noodles.

Add fish sauce to stock, then ladle hot pork broth over the noodle bowls and garnish with scallions, cilantro, Chinese celery, white pepper, and fried garlic. Serve immediately, allowing guests to season their bowls with fish sauce, white pepper, Thai chile flakes, sugar, and chile vinegar to taste.

Notes

You can substitute rice noodles for the egg noodles. The types that are typically served with this dish are thin rice noodles (known as sen mee), medium rice noodles (sen lek), or wide rice noodles (sen yai). 

A Holland chile and Fresno chile will have a similar mild heat level balanced with a sweet finish, while a fresh Cayenne chile will be spicier. A jalapeño chile may also be substituted in this recipe.

If Golden Mountain Seasoning Soy Sauce is unavailable, Maggi seasoning or Thai light soy sauce are the best substitutions.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The chile vinegar can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

If you’re an avid cook, I’m going to guess that you sometimes make your own stock; you may even have a quart or two in your refrigerator or freezer right now. Chances are good that it’s chicken stock, or maybe turkey. Having homemade pork stock on hand is a less likely scenario, but I aim here to change that by sharing this Thai pork stock recipe, known as nam cheua gradook moo. This clear, umami-rich stock is just as easy to make as chicken stock and it serves as the backbone (literally) to some of the tastiest noodle soups you’ll ever eat, such as guaydtiaao tom yam moo saap (tom yam noodle soup with minced pork) and guaydtiaao nam moo (thai clear pork noodle soup).

To make this stock, I use pork backbone, also known as pork spine, because it has a great meat-to-bone ratio. The meat provides flavor and the bones are high in collagen, which gives the stock body without requiring an all-day simmer. Your butcher will often have pork spine; just make sure to ask them to slice it for you on the bandsaw into 2-inch pieces. If you are unable to find pork spine, pork neck bones are a great alternative.

The first step is to boil the bones for about 5 minutes, and then drain them, discarding the cloudy boiled liquid. This is known as blanching the bones and this step removes most unwanted impurities and blood from the bones. Next, the bones and the pot both need to be washed. This might seem like a fussy extra step, but getting rid of any gunk and scum that clings to the bottom and sides of the pot as well as to the bones goes a long way toward achieving a beautifully clear broth. 

The clean bones are then added back to the clean pot, covered with water, and simmered on their own before aromatics are added. I prefer to add the aromatics later in the simmering process to preserve their unique characteristics—cooking them too long can muddy their flavor. As an added bonus, adding aromatics later on makes skimming excess gunk easier and yields a clearer soup.

The aromatics used for this Thai pork broth are similar to those used for Chinese-style pork stock. Ginger is often described in both cuisines as a deodorizer for meats like pork, a common practice in Chinese cooking. Daikon, a vegetable that is irreplaceable in this stock, helps build an important layer of umami in the stock thanks to its natural glutamic acid content. The trio of garlic, cilantro root, and white pepper is a quintessential flavor combination used in Thai dishes for centuries, and scallions provide subtle sweetness. 

Once the stock is finished, all you need to do is strain and cool it. Skimming off the layer of fat is optional but I recommend not just removing the surface fat but also saving it. Because the fat carries most of the aromatic flavor, it’s great for using as a cooking fat; try it in your next stir-fry to appreciate its savory depth.

In a large stock pot, combine pork backbone pieces with water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes and then drain into a colander set in the sink. Wash the pot and bones of any excess scum.

Return the pork to the cleaned stock pot, add 4 quarts water along with the salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, skimming any scum that rises to the surface. After 1 hour, add daikon, scallions, garlic, ginger, cilantro roots or stems, and white peppercorns and continue simmering until stock is reduced by half (about 2 quarts (2L)), about 1 hour longer. 

Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl or second pot and let cool. If stock has over-reduced, add water to bring total volume to 2 quarts (2L). Let cool to room temperature then transfer to containers and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 6 hours. Skim off and remove any fat on the surface, if desired (fat can be refrigerated or frozen for another use). Refrigerate stock for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Special Equipment

Large stock pot, fine-mesh strainer,

Notes

Ask your butcher to cut the backbone; they will have a bandsaw that will make quick work of it. If you can't find pork backbone, neckbones are a good substitute.

The roots of fresh cilantro (known as coriander outside the U.S.) provide a slight herbal note to dishes but are unfortunately hard to find in the States, as they are often removed from the stems before going to market (though local farmers’ markets in the summer and fall often have cilantro with the roots still attached). Coriander roots can also be found in Southeast Asian markets. If you can't find the herb with the roots still attached, you can either replace it with an equal weight of tender stems or omit it altogether. And, to clarify, although they are called coriander "roots," Thai cooks usually also use some of the tender green stems.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Pork stock can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.