Bún măng vịt is a dish that is little-known outside of Vietnam. A lovely broth that looks simple but is flavorful and unique; juicy and tender pieces of duck; bamboo shoots that are tender yet bring a crunch- this beautiful bowl has it all.
If you have never had bamboo shoots, they have a mild sweet earthy flavor that’s difficult to describe. But once you have tasted them, you’ll always recognize the distinct flavor!
Unlike Canh măng sườn (bamboo shoot ribs soup) that we usually make for Tết, Mai’s family uses fresh rather than dried bamboo shoots for this duck noodle soup. Dried bamboo shoots bring much deeper and intense flavors which pairs well with pork/ribs, whereas fresh bamboo shoots make for a lighter and more refreshing broth- perfect to accompany duck.
Bún măng vịt • Duck & bamboo noodle soup
Course: Mains, Noodles, Soups, Vietnamese2
servings15
minutes1
hour1
hour15
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Broth
500 g 500 duck breast (if making more servings, use a half or whole duck)
500 g 500 chicken bones (skip if using half/whole duck)
100 g 100 white onion
70 g 70 ginger + 1 small piece
2 stalks 2 green onion
1.5 L 1.5 water
- Bamboo shoots
300 g 300 bamboo shoots (we use canned)
2 2 small shallots
2 cloves 2 garlic
1 tsp 1 bouillon powder
2 tsp 2 fish sauce
1/2 tsp 1/2 sugar
- Dipping sauce
30 g 30 ginger
3 tsp 3 fish sauce
1 tsp 1 sugar
Bird’s eye chili
- For serving
Bún noodles
Ngò gai – Culantro
Green onions
Bean sprouts (optional)
Directions
- Smash the small piece of ginger with the flat side of your knife and rub it all over the duck. This helps remove any unpleasant smells. Rinse with cold water.
- Cut green onion stalks into ~5cm lengths.
Cut white onion in wedges.
Cut the ginger in half down the middle. - Add all the ingredients in the Broth section to a large pot and heat on high.
- Once boiling, reduce to medium low. Skim scum off the top until the broth is clear.
- Cover and cook for 45 minutes-1 hour until duck is tender.
- In the meantime, boil a pot of water, add your dry bún noodles and cook until tender. Drain and since under cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside in a strainer.
- Prepare the dipping sauce for the duck:
Peel ginger and roughly chop.
Add ginger and desired amount of chili to a mortar and pestle and crush.
Scrap into a small bowl and add fish sauce & sugar. Mix well. - Prepare the toppings:
Chop the green onion greens. Cut off the roots and cut the white parts down the middle.
Chop culantro into 1/2cm ribbons.
Rinse beansprouts. - When there is 15 minutes left for the broth cooking time, start preparing the bambo shoots:
Drain, rinse, and cut bamboo shoots into desired size. We like bigger pieces so we just cut the shoots down the middle. - Mince garlic and thinly slice shallots.
- Heat a large pan on medium and add in a tablespoon of vegetable oil when warm.
- Add garlic and shallots. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
- Add bamboo shoots and fish sauce, bouillon, and sugar. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the bamboo shoots have absorbed the flavors.
- Once the broth is ready, remove the duck and bones from the pot. Set duck aside to cool down enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, add the sautéd bamboo shoots to the pot. Stir well and add fish sauce & bouillon to taste. Reduce heat to the lowest setting to keep warm.
- Cut the duck into ~1cm slices.
- Assembly: add noodles to a bowl. Lay pieces of sliced duck on top. Ladle broth over the duck and noodles. Add some bamboo shoots. Top with chopped green onion greens and culantro, and a few pieces of sliced green onion whites. Serve with dipping sauce, beansprouts, and extra herbs on the side!
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