Vietnamese Mi Quang Noodle Soup – Authentic Recipe

Have you ever wanted to cook an authentic Vietnamese dish but didn’t know where to start?

Introducing mi quang soup: a delicious, hearty soup that is perfect for colder weather. This step-by-step guide will show you how to make this traditional dish using ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store.

What is Mi Quang Soup?

Mi Quang soup is a popular Vietnamese soup made from beef, shrimp, pork slices, peeled quails eggs and vegetables. Mi Quang is unique due to its mixed identity – it’s not quite noodle soup in the traditional sense, but not quite a dry vermicelli bowl either. Think of it as a “noodle soup” with about 1/4 of the broth, or a “salad” with noodles and a little broth at the bottom of the bowl.

Fun facts about Mi Quang

Mi Quang soup is a classic Vietnamese noodle dish that is popular in Quang Nam, Vietnam and can be made with natural shrimp and pork.

It is often served with roasted peanuts and crispy rice paper that have been seasoned in various ways to add flavor to the soup. Mi Quang soup has a characteristic rich flavor that makes it stand out from other types of soups.

Do they serve Mi Quang in Vietnamese restaurants in the States?

Yes, but not all. You have a better chance at scoring one of these bowls at a local Pho restaurant that aren’t in highly tourist areas.

Mi quang is an authentic Vietnamese dish that has become increasingly popular in the U.S. If you want to try it, go to a restaurant that caters to locals and not high tourism areas. In less “touristy” areas, Mi Quang will likely be on the menu, such as this Vietnamese restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts.

In restaurants that cater to high tourism, they won’t have traditional dishes like mi quang because they’re trying to appeal to foreigners who may not know what they’re getting into. These restaurants are more likely to serve rice plates or pho instead – since those are less foreign tasting.

Rice plates and pho are both suitable for foreign palates (although some people might find them bland), so if you’re looking for something more adventurous, try mi quang! It might taste a little foreign at first—it’s a fish sauce-based dish—but it’s worth the adventure!

Ingredients You’ll Need

When making Vietnamese Mi Quang soup, here’s what you’ll need:

For the broth

• 2 pounds of pork neck bones (or St Louis style spareribs)
• 4 cups water
• salt, to taste

For the aromatic topping

• 6-8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 pound pork belly, sliced into 1/4 inch crosswise (see image below for reference)
• 4-6 ounces of dried shrimp, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup soup stock
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce

To Serve

• 2 packages of Mi Quang noodles
• 3 large sesame rice crackers, broken in large pieces
• peanuts, roasted and roughly chopped
• 16 ounces of bean sprouts
• shredded lettuce
• (optional) if you can find it – shredded banana blossoms (aka banana flowers)
• (optional) garnish with cilantro sprigs and chopped scallions

Instructions

For the simple broth:

1. Rinse the pork neck bones in cold water thoroughly
2. In a large stockpot, add the pork neck bones and enough water to slightly cover it, and bring to a boil. Let it go to a rolling boil for about 3 minutes – then immediately discard this water. I find that this is the best way to get rid of all the impurities that comes from boiling pork neck bones.
3. Add bones back to the empty stockpot, add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil and lower immediately to a simmer. Let it simmer covered for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Add salt to taste, and discard the pork neck bones, reserving the broth for later

For the aromatic topping

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat, add garlic and shallots. Stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.
2. Add pork belly, dried shrimp, and fresh shrimp. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until cooked all the way through.
3. Add 3 tablespoons fish sauce and lower the heat for 30 seconds.

Prep the noodle, rice cracker, and beansprout

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions
2. Immediately remove and rinse under cold water (this prevents the noodle from sticking together like a large glump)
3. Optional – add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and massage it into the noodle – this prevents further sticking once it cools completely.
4. Microwave the rice cracker for 1minute in the microwave, turning halfway through. Break into large pieces.
5. Cook the beansprouts by boiling it for 1 minute and immediately remove from water.

To serve:

1. Make your bowl of mi quang by adding a layer of 1/2 cup cooked beansprouts, a handful of shredded lettuce, and banana blossom (if you have it!)
2. Add the mi quang noodles on top of the veggies.
3. Top with desired amount of aromatic broth – get some of that broth!
4. Spoon a ladle of stock broth from step 1 into the bowl
5. Top with roasted peanuts and rice cracker

Variations for Mi Quang recipe

There are many variations of the Mi Quang recipe that can be made. Variations include substituting ingredients such as pork, shrimp, or beef, and adding different herbs and spices to enhance the flavor. Additionally, in rural Vietnam where supermarkets don’t really exist, the natives would use whatever local ingredients are available at the time.

No shredded lettuce? Try red shredded cabbage. If you can find banana blossom, that’s even better! Banana blossom adds a nice crunch to every bite!

FAQ

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