You simply have to try this Chinese pork noodle soup recipe!
A Chinese soups go, this pork noodle soup is right up there with my favourites. It is so good and easy to prepare too.
You might know this pork noodle soup as Yunnan pork noodle soup, also known as “Yunnan Guo Qiao Mi Xian” (Crossing the Bridge Noodles). One thing is certain… This pork noodle soup is legendary and its history is recounted throughout the Yunnan Province in southwestern China through a folklore tale.
Be sure to check out my step by step photos below. You are going to love this!
What is the history of Yunnan Pork Noodle Soup?
Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), there was a scholar who lived in Yunnan. He was diligently preparing for the imperial exams, which were crucial for advancing one’s career in the Chinese bureaucracy. To help her husband study without interruption, his wife would prepare meals for him and deliver them across a bridge to the small island where he studied.
Over time, the food would cool during the journey, affecting its taste and quality by the time it reached the scholar. To solve this problem, the wife came up with a clever idea. She would prepare a bowl of hot broth, thinly sliced meat, and rice noodles separately and deliver them to her husband.
When he was ready to eat, he would assemble the ingredients in a bowl and pour the hot broth over them, cooking the meat and warming the noodles just before eating.
Pretty boring story right?…
As silly as this folklore store may be, you will notice that the idea behind it is seen in many south east Asian soup recipes.
In my version below, you fry the pork meat until it is really crispy and then set it aside and keep warm.
Then you prepare the noodles and a broth which goes so well with the pork. You heat the broth up until hot and add it to the noodles, pork and fresh vegetables just like in the folklore tale.
What goes into a Yunnan pork noodle soup?
Recipes for this pork noodle soup do vary from chef to chef but the following will probably be included in every good bowl of Yunnan pork noodle soup:
1. Broth: The base of Yunnan pork soup is a flavourful broth made by simmering chicken bones, meat, and sometimes pork bones or other ingredients. The broth is often seasoned with aromatics such as ginger, garlic, and scallions, as well as spices like star anise and Sichuan peppercorns though my recipe does not include these spices.
2. Thin Rice Noodles: Thin rice noodles, known as “mi xian,” are the key component of Yunnan pork soup. These noodles are typically made from rice flour and are delicate and slightly chewy in texture. They are cooked separately and added to the soup just before serving. You can use any rice noodles though.
3. Meat: Thinly sliced or ground pork or other proteins such as chicken, beef, or fish are commonly added to Yunnan noodle soup for flavour and protein.
4. Vegetables: You can add various vegetables such as leafy greens, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts to Yunnan pork noodle soup. You are not limited to the vegetables I use in my recipe.
5. Condiments: Yunnan pork noodle soup is often served with a selection of condiments and toppings such as chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, cilantro, and sliced chili peppers. You can customize your soup according with your condiments of choice.
How do you serve this pork noodles soup?
To enjoy Yunnan pork noodle soup, you typically assemble your bowl by placing cooked noodles, meat, and vegetables in the bowl and then ladling hot broth over them. You can add the above mentioned condiments and toppings at the table. As some of the ingredient might be a bit cool by serving time, it is best to serve the broth piping hot.
Can you make this pork noodle soup ahead?
That is the whole idea behind it! You can prepare all the vegetables, cook the meat and prepare the stock ahead of time.
Then just heat up the stock when ready to serve and you have a delicious pork noodle soup meal in minutes.
Is it important which stock you add to this dish?
Of course you could just use Chinese chicken stock cubes to make the stock. You will get far superior results, however if you make your own stock.
Use your own Chinese chicken stock recipe or try my simple Chinese chicken stock here. You will be glad you did.
How long can you store leftovers in the fridge?
You should be able to store leftover soup in the fridge for at least 3 days.
Because of the way this pork noodle soup is assembled, you will get best results if you eat it on the day you first serve it.
To reheat, just pour it all into a bowl and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. That or heat it up in your microwave for a few minutes.
Can you freeze Yunnan pork noodle soup?
Yes and it freeze okay for up to 6 months. That said, you might like to just make the chicken stock and freeze that. This Chinese pork noodle soup is so quick and easy to prepare when you have the stock ready.
You will also lose some of the nice textures you get when everything is served fresh.
What are Chinese mustard greens?
This is a really unique ingredient that you will find at Chinese grocers and online.
The reason for adding the mustard greens is for their texture and the sour flavour they add to the soup.
If you have trouble getting them, you can leave them out or even add a little pickled cabbage which is much easier to find.
You can also add lime juice to taste at the end of cooking which will give you a nice sour flavour.
Step by step photographs.
Get all of your ingredients together before you start cooking. It’s a lot easier that way.
Place your wok over a high heat. When smoking hot, add the oil and minced pork.
You want to fry the pork for a good 6 to 8 minutes or until it begins to become crispy.
Transfer all but 4 tbdp of the meat to a plate and set aside for later. Push the remaining meat in the wok to one side and add the garlic, ginger, spring onions (scallions) and chilli flakes. Fry for about a minute.
Stir it all together to combine and then add the chopped mustard greens and tomato.
Add the mushrooms and stir them in too.
Pour in the stock, Shoxing wine and soy sauce and. bring it to a simmer.
If you like, you can add the noodles directly to the simmering soup. I prefer to add the to individual bowls and then pour the soup over them.
Serve in heated soup bowls, topped with the remaining pork, spring onions (scalliions), bean sprouts, crispy chilli oil and/or fresh coriander (cilantro).
Enjoy!
If you like this vegetable spring rolls recipe, you might like to try some of these Chinese takeaway favourites too:
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- Bang Bang Chicken
- Peking Duck
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Crispy Chicken and Broccoli
- Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Dan Dan Noodles
- Orange Chicken
- Hainan Chicken
- Spicy Chicken Chow Mein
- Mongolian Beef
- Chinese Crispy Beef
- Egg Drop Soup
- Spicy Won Ton Soup
- Egg Fried Rice
- Potstickers
- Bam Bam Chicken
- Shrimp Rangoon
- Black Bean Noodles
- Chinese Chicken Curry
- Deep Fried Green Beans
- Beef in Oyster Sauce
- Shrimp Toasts
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Have you tried this recipe for vegetable spring rolls?
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Ingredients
- 500g (1 ¼ lb.) ground pork (about 16oz 80%/20% meat to fat ratio)
- FOR THE MARINADE
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- FOR THE PORK NOODLE SOUP
- 225g (1/2 lb.) dried rice noodle, or any noodle of your choice)
- 3 tablespoons rapeseed (canola) or peanut oil
- 1 generous tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 generous tbsp garlic, minced
- 3 soring onions (scallions), finely chopped
- 1 tbsp dried red chilli flakes (more or less to taste)
- 225g (1/2 lb.) Chinese pickled mustard greens, finely chopped
- 1 large ripe tomato, cut into small dice
- 6 cups chicken/pork stock or chicken stock
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce or more to taste
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 125g (4.5 oz) bean sprouts
- TO GARNISH – Add these to taste at the table
- Chinese crispy chilli oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
- 3 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
- 1 – 2 large handfuls of fresh bean sprouts.
Instructions
- Place the ground pork in a mixing bowl and add the Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Mix well with your hands so that the meat gets evenly coated with the marinade and set aside.
- To soak and cook the rice noodles, follow the instructions on the packaging as the cooking methods do vary from brand to brand and the thickness of the noodles.
- After you have cooked the noodles, strain them through a colander and then rinse them with water to remove any excess starch. This will help prevent the noodles from sticking together. Set aside.
- Now heat a wok over a medium-high to high heat and stir in ground pork. Fry for about 5 minutes or until the pork is completely cooked through and beginning to char and caramelise in places. Transfer all of this cooked pork except for about 4 tbsp to a plate and keep warm.
- Push the remaining pork to one side of the wok and add the garlic, ginger, spring onions (scallions) and dried chilli flakes. If your wok is looking a bit dry, go ahead and add a little more oil to assist cooking these aromatic ingredients. Fry for about a minute and then stir everything together.
- Add the diced tomato and the mustard greens and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly. Then add the mushrooms and stir them in too.
- Pour in the chicken stock, the soy sauces, sugar and Shaoxing wine and bring it all to a bubbly simmer. Taste some of the stock and adjust the flavours accordingly. You could add more sugar for sweetness or light soy sauce for a more savoury flavour, for example. When you are happy with the flavour of the soup, add the fresh bean sprouts and stir them in.
- To finish, divide the cooked noodles between 4 to 6 soup bowls. Pour the soup over the noodles and then top it all with the minced pork you set aside earlier.
- To this, you can garnish the pork noodle soup with more finely chopped spring onions (scallions), crispy chili oil, fresh coriander and/or more bean sprouts.
Enjoy!
Notes
Substituting Vegetables
In this recipe, I chose some of my favourite vegetables for the soup. You are not limited to these! You might like to add grated carrot, peas, larger button mushrroms or bell pepper. If it sounds good to you, add it.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 797Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 2406mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 55g
