Make the Rice Noodle Soup with Minced Pork in under 20 minutes! The soup is extra hearty with a pork broth, mushrooms, and extra herbs for a super tasty broth.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When my Chinese parents are busy, they would make this easy noodle soup with minced pork for me during lunch. Stir frying the pork and boiling it makes for a super tasty broth with extra low effort, high reward meal.
The rice noodle soup is extra versatile, you can add a fried egg for more protein or more veggies and it will taste amazing!
If you’re into noodle soup with pork, I highly recommend Easy Dan Dan Noodles or Easy Tan Tan Udon. Both are slurp-worthy options you shouldn’t skip!
Ingredients
Here’s a look at what you need to make this rice noodle soup with minced pork. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.
- ground pork – this is what my parents used for soups, which makes it quick and easy. You can also use ground chicken as well!
- seasoning such as salt and sugar is used to flavor the pork when stir frying. Low sodium soy sauce is also used to stir fry the mushrooms and pork together.
- miso paste is used to add extra savory, sweet and umami flavor. If you don’t have this, feel free to omit. You can find this at the refrigerator
- aromatics – chopped garlic and ginger helps with the gaminess of the
- sliced mushrooms – I used fresh shiitake mushrooms for this recipe for extra umami flavor. However, you can use button, enoki, cremini, oyster mushroom anything that you get your hands on at the grocery store works.
- rice noodles – I recommend already cooked rice noodles (pictures above) for this recipe so you can cook this quick! I got these noodles at the asian grocery story such as 99 ranch and I also ordered it off of Wee!, an online delivery service. If you can’t find these noodles, you can always boil rice noodles in another pot until cooked. Then, add your rice noodles in the soup.
- fish sauce (to taste) – This is the easiest and tastiest way to enhance the flavor of your soup. I use 3 crabs fish sauce and it gives my soup some sweetness and savory flavor. Get this at your nearest asian grocery store.
- fresh herbs such as sliced green onions, chopped cilantro and red eye chilis taste are used for garnish. This cuts the fattiness of the pork broth and is highly recommended. You can also add holy basil for extra delicious flavor as well!
How to Make Rice Noodle Soup with Minced Pork
Step 1: Chop ginger, mushrooms, cilantro, green onions and garlic. Slice mushrooms.
Step 2: Place pot on stove and turn to medium heat. Next, add neutral oil and minced pork. Once it starts sizzling, break apart the pieces. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: The meat has slightly browned, add mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Saute for one minute.
Step 4: Add soy sauce and stir fry quickly (less than 30 seconds). This can burn quickly.
Step 5: Add water and boil for 10 minutes. Skim the fat and white foam at the top.
Step 6: Add fish sauce, miso paste (optional), and noodles in the soup. Boil for one minute and then garnish with green onions, cilantro and chilis (optional).
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the protein. If pork isn’t your preference, you can use ground chicken or shrimp for a different yet equally tasty twist on this rice noodle soup recipe.
- Add more veggies. Toss in bok choy, spinach, napa cabbage, or even shredded carrots for a veggie boost. Just add them in the last few minutes of cooking so they stay fresh and vibrant.
- Spice it up. If you like heat in your pork noodle soup, stir in some chili garlic sauce, fresh chopped chilies, or a spoonful of chili oil. Adjust to taste for that perfect spicy kick.
Expert Tips
- Rinse your rice noodles with water before adding in the soup to ensure we can wash off any leftover starch. This prevents your soup from soaking up all the soup.
- Make sure you skim the foam and the impurities of your soup. This will ensure your soup tastes clean and your noodles don’t taste gamey.
- When you add the minced garlic and ginger, make sure you continuously stir and watch the fire. The ginger and garlic can burn quickly and will make your whole soup taste bitter when it burns!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! While rice noodles are traditional and soak up the broth beautifully, you can also use egg noodles, glass noodles, or even instant ramen if that’s what you have on hand.
You can prep the broth and toppings in advance, but for best texture, add the noodles right before serving. Cooked rice noodles tend to absorb liquid and soften over time.
Store the broth and noodles separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the broth and add the noodles just before serving to keep them from getting mushy.
This minced pork noodle recipe is hearty on its own, but pairing it with a side dish like Har Gow – Shrimp Dumplings or Crab Jeon (Omelette) can turn it into a full, satisfying meal. For something light and refreshing, an Asian-style salad like Carrot Ribbon Salad is also a great match.
Check Out More Easy Noodle Soup Recipes:
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Rice Noodle Soup with Minced Pork
Ingredients
1 serving
- ¼ pound ground pork 114 g
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 3 garlic chopped
- 1 inch ginger
- mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Soup
- 2 cup water
- rice noodles (already cooked)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon miso paste
- green onions to garnish
- cilantro to garnish
- chili (optional)
Instructions
- Chop ginger, mushrooms, cilantro, green onions and garlic. Slice mushrooms.
- Place pot on stove and turn to medium heat. Next, add neutral oil and minced pork. Once it starts sizzling, break apart the pieces. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- The meat has slightly browned, add mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Saute for one minute.
- Add soy sauce and stir fry quickly (less than 30 seconds). This can burn quickly.
- Add water and boil for 10 minutes. Skim the fat and white foam at the top.
- Add fish sauce, miso paste (optional) and noodles in the soup. Boil for one minute and then garnish with green onions, cilantro and chilis (optional).
Notes
- Rinse your rice noodles with water before adding in the soup to ensure we can wash off any leftover starch. This prevents your soup from soaking up all the soup.
- Make sure you skim the foam and the impurities of your soup. This will ensure your soup tastes clean and your noodles don’t taste gamey.
- When you add the minced garlic and ginger, make sure you continuously stir and watch the fire. The ginger and garlic can burn quickly and will make your whole soup taste bitter when it burns!
Sam says
Enjoyed every spoonful of this noodle soup! The broth is hearty, and the minced pork makes it extra tasty. This recipe is a must-try for weeknight dinners!