Mi Vit Tiem Chay (Vietnamese Egg Noodle Soup with Chinese Five-Spice Vegetarian "Duck")

Mi Vit Tiem is a Vietnamese egg noodle soup with duck that's been seared and cooked with Chinese spices. It's not terribly difficult to make, although it does take a while to simmer until the duck is tender.

I made a quick vegetarian version instead. Mi Vit Tiem Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Chinese Five-Spice "Duck" Soup with Egg Noodles). But wait, did I forget I was making a vegetarian soup? It looks like I have duck in my bowl?

Actually, it's vegetarian duck.

What's that you ask? Look closely at the picture below.


It's "mock duck," made from fried wheat gluten. And it seriously has similar taste and texture to real duck meat. "Mock duck" is a staple of vegetarian Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhist cuisine. In the West, wheat gluten is often referred to as "seitan," but I think the Chinese and Vietnamese versions are much better in taste and appearance.


This can was about $1 at the San Gabriel Superstore and provided enough "duck" for a 3-quart pot of soup.


The ingredients are fried gluten, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and soybean oil.


The color and taste is largely derived from being cooked in soy sauce. It's ready to eat straight out of the can, but can also be prepared in any dish in which you'd use regular duck meat.


See how it even shreds like real meat?


So when Wiffy of Noob Cook, host of last month's Weekend Wokking broccoli round-up, announced the MUSHROOM for this month's challenge, I figured it was a good opportunity to make a vegetarian version of mi vit tiem. The keys to a flavorful soup are the dried shiitake mushrooms and dried bamboo shoots in the broth.

Since this is the vegetarian version, there's much less simmer time because I'm not tenderizing real duck meat. I've added a bit of Chinese five-spice powder to up the flavor, although I used whole star-anise pods too.


Mi Vit Tiem Chay (Vietnamese Egg Noodle Soup with Chinese Five-Spice Vegetarian "Duck")

For a 3-quart pot, you'll need:
1 Can "mock duck"
1 Large onion
10 Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water
10 Dried Bamboo Shoots, soaked in water
1 3-inch knob of ginger, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Package thin egg noodles
3 Star anise
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tblsp soy sauce, or more according to taste
1 tblsp Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce), use vegetarian version if you wish
1 tsp sugar

Optional for garnish: bean sprouts, chopped scallions, greens such as cilantro, parsley, watercress, or sliced lettuce

Fill a 5-quart stock pot about halfway with water and set on the stove to boil. Toss in 1 large onion, 3 star anise pods, the slices of ginger, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.

Soak about 10 dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for about 5 minutes. When the mushrooms have softened, snip off the stem with a pair of scissors. Wash the mushrooms to remove any excess dirt and slice them in half. Add the mushrooms to the pot.

Cut dried bamboo shoots into about 3-inch long pieces and add them to the pot too.

Let the stock simmer for about 15 minutes on medium heat.

Meanwhile, open the can of mock duck and quickly rinse and lightly squeeze the pieces to remove excess gluten. Place the pieces in a shallow bowl and add 1 tblsp soy sauce. Set aside.

The stock should be quite dark and somewhat flavorful by now. Add the mock duck along with any remaining soy sauce from the bowl. Taste the stock, adding about 1 tblsp of fish sauce or more if necessary. Let simmer for a few minutes more while you boil the water to cook the egg noodles.

To serve, layer a bowl with the egg noodles. Spoon broth, mock duck, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots over the noodles. Garnish with whatever greens you'd like.


A hearty vegetarian soup. You won't even miss the meat.


Enjoy!

Who made my recipe for mi vit tiem chay?

My College Kitchen said, "...this recipe is good for us, satisfied. I say two thumbs up!!"

I'm submitting this recipe to Weekend Wokking, a world-wide food blogging event created by Wandering Chopsticks to celebrate the multiple ways we can cook one ingredient. This month's secret ingredient is the MUSHROOM. The host for January is Marija of Palachinka. Check out the mushroom round-up for 12 recipes.

If you'd like to participate or to see the secret ingredient, check who's hosting next month. There's an opening for May, so if you've participated in the past and would like to host, please email me.

Since we're celebrating mushrooms this month, my other mushroom recipes:
Canh Bi/Bau Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Pork-Stuffed Winter Melon Soup)
Ca Chua Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Stuffed Tomatoes)
Cha Gio/Nem Ran (Vietnamese Egg Rolls)
Cha Gio Bap/Ram Bap (Vietnamese Corn Egg Rolls)
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie with Cilantro Biscuits
Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
Coq au Vin (French Chicken with Wine)
Cream of Four Mushroom Soup
Farfalle with Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Corn
Mi Hoanh Thanh (Vietnamese Wonton Noodle Soup)
Mi Xao Don Thit Bo (Vietnamese Crispy Chow Mein with Beef)
Mushroom Risotto with Jasmine Rice
Pho Ap Chao Bo (Vietnamese Pan-Fried Rice Noodles Sauteed with Beef)
Quattro Porcini Pasta (Four Mushroom Pasta)
Tom Kha Gai (Thai Galangal and Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk)
Turkey Tetrazzini

*****
1 year ago today, Bo Nuong La Lot (Vietnamese Grilled Beef with Wild Betel Leaves).
2 years ago today, Porto's Bakery - Glendale.