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Misua Noodles Soup with Meatballs and Vegetables

Misua Noodles
 Soup with Meatballs and Vegetables is made with wheat or ‘Chinese vermicelli noodles’. This is a classic Filipino soup and easy to make for any night. My mother cooked this often when we were children especially because my younger sister was a picky eater. Misua soup was the only thing my little sister ate then. Start with a good soup stock and mix in the meatballs, noodles, vegetables and beaten egg. Traditionally, Filipinos add patola (sponge gourd or Asian okra) but if not available, substitute with zucchini slices like I did for this recipe.  You’ll have a fine and healthy meal in a soup that children (and parents, too) will love. This is a recipe by Elizabeth Ann Quirino.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Filipino Misua Noodle Soup
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 116kcal
Author: Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

  • Large Stockpot

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork or use ground beef
  • 1 whole onion chopped, divided, half for meatballs, rest for broth
  • 4 whole eggs divided, use 2 for meatballs, rest for broth eggs
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt for meatballs
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper for meatballs
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons patis, Filipino fish sauce
  • 8 to 10 cups obtain rice wash from water after washing rice organic chicken or beef broth or rice wash
  • 4 ounces dried misua or Chinese Vermicelli noodles about 2 cups when cooked (from Asian markets)
  • 1 whole zucchini peeled, sliced, (optional in place of patola, a Chinese gourd, also called sponge gourd)
  • 1 teaspoon salt for soup stock
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper for soup stock freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Prepare the meatballs: combine in a medium bowl the ground pork, chopped onion, soy sauce, 2 eggs, bread crumbs, flour, salt and black pepper. Mix and shape into 1-inch sized meatballs. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to firm up till ready to add to broth.
  • In a large heavy stock pot, over medium heat, add the cooking oil. When hot enough in about 2 to 3 minutes, saute the garlic and rest of the onion. Cook for 2 minutes or till onions are transparent. Add the patis (fish sauce) and soup broth or rice wash. Allow the broth to come to a boil then lower heat for a slow simmer.
  • As the broth is simmering, drop the pork meatballs into the stock pot. Cook the meatballs for about 25 to 30 minutes or till thoroughly cooked (no more pink portion in the meat).
  • Add two beaten eggs to the soup broth while stirring the liquid. Blend the eggs completely into the broth which will become a light yellow opaque liquid.
  • Add the zucchini (or vegetable) slices to the soup mix. Then add the dried misua noodles to the broth with the meatballs. Stir it around. Let the zucchini cook and noodles soften for about 5  minutes. Season with salt and black pepper powder. Serve piping hot.
  • Cook's comments: use ground beef instead of pork for meatballs if preferred. The noodles will expand and thicken when cooked. If reheating the soup, add more broth or water if the noodles absorb all the liquid.
  • Ingredient notes: Traditionally in the Philippines, patola (sponge gourd; luffa or Chinese/Asian okra) is added to misua soup. Patola in not in season all the time here in America and often I can't find it in the Asian food stores, especially in the winter. So I use instead zucchini, bottle gourd (upo) or chayote (sayote) slices. Feel free to add vegetable slices which are in season.

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    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 2423mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.9mg