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Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup
Silky duck blood and tofu cubes, tripe shreds, bean sprouts and vermicelli in a hot peppery stock, finished with blanched coriander — Nanjing's beloved duck blood soup. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 鸭血粉丝汤, report 113.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 鸭血粉丝汤_113.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 2Difficulty: MediumRegion: JiangsuFlavour: Light, peppery, savoury broth
Why this works
Duck blood soup is a dish of seconds, not minutes, because its star ingredient punishes every extra moment: duck blood blanched thirty seconds stays silky, and past a minute it turns firm and loses the tenderness the dish is named for. The order in the pot is equally strict — vermicelli first for two minutes until transparent, then blood, tofu, tripe and sprouts for three minutes together, with the tripe actually best in the last minute so it stays crisp-tender instead of hardening. Coriander is blanched five seconds or simmered five seconds in the soup itself, never served raw, so it keeps its fragrance without any food-safety risk. Serve it in a bowl pre-warmed to 60 °C, because a cold bowl drops a thin soup's temperature fast, and this soup should arrive steaming and peppery, not lukewarm. Drink the broth as you eat: it is seasoned to be sipped hot and peppery between bites of blood, tofu and noodles.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck blood, in a block | 3.5 oz | 100 g | Cut into 2 cm cubes. Sold in blocks at Asian groceries, fresh or frozen — thaw fully if frozen (adaptation). |
| Firm tofu | 2.8 oz | 80 g | Cut into 2 cm cubes. |
| Beef tripe | 1 oz | 30 g | Cut into shreds; frozen tripe works (adaptation). |
| Bean sprouts | 1.8 oz | 50 g | Washed. |
| Dried vermicelli | 1.4 oz | 40 g | Soaked in cold water until soft. |
| Rich stock | 1⅔ cups | 400 ml | Chicken or pork-bone stock, or a good store-bought stock (adaptation). |
| Salt | ½ tsp | 3 g | — |
| White pepper | Pinch | 2 g | Weighed precisely, per the report — too little is bland, too much is harsh. |
| Vinegar | 2 tsp | 8 ml | — |
| Coriander | 0.2 oz | 5 g | Blanched 5 seconds or simmered 5 seconds in the soup; never raw. |
Equipment
- Pot for the soup
- Bowl pre-warmed to 60 °C (hot water, then emptied)
- Slotted spoon
Steps
- Prepare the ingredients. Cut the duck blood and tofu into 2 cm cubes and blanch together in boiling water for 30 seconds — no longer than 1 minute — to remove any odour, then drain. Shred the tripe, wash the bean sprouts, and soak the vermicelli in cold water until soft. Blanch the coriander in boiling water for 5 seconds and drain, or hold it to simmer in the soup at the end.
- Cook the noodles first. Bring the stock to a boil, add the soaked vermicelli and cook 2 minutes until transparent.
- Add the rest and season. Add the duck blood, tofu, tripe and bean sprouts and cook on high heat for 3 minutes — the tripe is best added in the last minute so it stays crisp-tender. Season with salt, white pepper and vinegar and stir evenly.
- Serve in a warm bowl. Add the blanched coriander (or simmer it in the soup for 5 seconds), ladle into the pre-warmed bowl, and serve steaming hot.
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Technique: thirty seconds for the blood, last minute for the tripe
The two timings that make or break this soup are both short: blood past a minute goes from silky to rubbery, and tripe past a minute in the pot goes from crisp to hard. That is why the blood is blanched separately first — so its thirty seconds are counted exactly — and why the tripe waits until the end. The pepper, too, is weighed rather than shaken: two grams is the report's balance point between bland and harsh, and in a thin broth there is nowhere for an error to hide.
Variations
- No tripe: omit it and add extra tofu and sprouts (adaptation).
- Extra body: add a few duck gizzards, sliced thin, with the tripe (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I buy duck blood?
In blocks at Asian groceries, fresh in the refrigerated section or frozen; thaw frozen blocks fully before cutting.
Why did my duck blood turn tough?
It was blanched or simmered longer than a minute. Count the thirty seconds and lift it out.
Is the tripe essential?
It adds the classic chew, but the soup works without it — extra tofu and sprouts fill the bowl.
Storage and freezing
Best eaten fresh and steaming. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated; reheat to a full boil, but expect the blood and tripe to firm up. Do not freeze.
Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup — Recipe Card
Duck blood, tofu, tripe and vermicelli in a peppery stock.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 2
Ingredients: 100 g duck blood; 80 g tofu; 30 g tripe; 50 g bean sprouts; 40 g vermicelli; 400 ml stock; 3 g salt; 2 g white pepper; 8 ml vinegar; 5 g coriander.
Steps: 1) Cut blood and tofu 2 cm, blanch 30 seconds. 2) Boil stock, cook vermicelli 2 minutes. 3) Add blood, tofu, tripe and sprouts, cook 3 minutes, season. 4) Add blanched coriander, serve in a warmed bowl.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 鸭血粉丝汤 (data/reports/113.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. The frozen blood and tripe notes and the stock substitute are adaptations and are labelled as such. Original poster image: clouchef.com (鸭血粉丝汤_113.jpeg).