Duck Noodle Soup

Am I the only one who finds "Duck Soup" funny. I don't know why. I just enjoy saying it. It makes me smile every time. 

We are not big duck eaters around our house. I can count on one hand the number of times we have had it in my lifetime. Normally I find it quite greasy and fatty. Such is the nature of duck meat. 

But this time, I made a Peking inspired braised roast duck (check back soon for that recipe!) for dinner and it was not at all greasy or fatty. I think braising it really helped! I was going to share the recipe for the duck first but have decided to switch things up and share the soup I made the following day first. 

Everyone loved this soup! Making the duck stock from scratch is definitely the way to go. It takes a little time but you will not regret it! Make the broth ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to make the soup; that cuts down on soup prep time on the day of!

Duck Noodle Soup

Ingredients

Duck Stock

1 duck carcass

1/8 cabbage, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

pinch granulated garlic

water

Soup

2 Tbsp sesame oil

3 medium bok choy, chopped

3 medium baby bok choy, chopped

1/2 cup sliced onion

1/8 cabbage, sliced thin

2 cups cooked duck, chopped

1 recipe for Duck Stock (Above)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp fish sauce

about 4 cups Campbells Pho Broth (or chicken)

1 - 2 servings spaghetttini noodles, broken in half

Garnish

green onion

Directions

Prepare stock - Place duck carcass in a large pot.

Throw in the cabbage, onion, carrots, and spices. Add in enough water to cover the duck - almost to the top of the pot.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by about 1/3. (About 3 hours.) When reduced, pour the stock through a strainer into a bowl. Discard the carcass and veggies. Place stock in fridge until ready to use. NOTE - I like to chill it completely overnight so you can scrape off any fat that solidifies on top! 

To Make Soup - In a large pot: drizzle in the sesame oil and cook the bok choy, onion, and cabbage until wilted. Add in the duck and stir well. 

Pour in the duck stock in and let heat through. (It can be a little gelatinous at first so let it thin). Add in the red pepper flakes and fish sauce. Add in enough of the pho broth to cover everything well. 

Add in the spaghettini - but don't add too much because you don't want it to soak up too much of the broth. I usually do one serving and then see if it looks like it needs more. It's going to depend on how much liquid is in your pot. When it comes to the noodles, less is more in this case. 

Let simmer until the noodles are done - about 10 - 15 minutes. Spoon into bowls and serve immediately. 

Sprinkle with a few diced green onion, if desired. 

One of the best soups I have ever eaten. So much flavor in the broth! Our mom said, "It's worth it buying another duck just to make the soup!". I can't disagree with that. This is best eaten fresh because the noodles will continue to soak up more of the broth as it sits. That being said - reheating the leftovers the next day are delicious, just a bit less broth-y. 

Making the stock takes a few hours of simmering but making the soup only takes about half an hour. The stock will sit in the fridge for a while (I'd say a week or more) so make it up ahead of time and whip up the soup when you are ready!