This comforting Pork Soup recipe is fast and built largely on pantry staples, but punches above its weight class in terms of flavor. Use what you have on hand when choosing the protein, noodles and greens.

A shallow white bowl filled with a pork soup recipe with noodles, with a spoon in it.

My Go-To Pork Noodle Soup

On the coldest nights here in the Midwest, only a bowl of hot steaming broth and noodles will warm me up. My family goes out for a lot of ramen, udon and pho, but we also make versions of these Asian dishes at home quite often.

This soup is adapted from an old Alison Roman for Bon Appetit recipe, adapted to be easier for the home chef (because I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to chop cumin seeds, and I don’t keep Sichuan peppercorns at home).

Even with some shortcuts, this soup doesn’t TASTE like a shortcut. The fragrant, umami-rich broth gives you the perfect balance of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, ground cumin (no chopping seeds!) and black pepper in each bite.

Make this soup as spicy (or not spicy) as you’d like by adding an appropriate amount of red pepper flakes. And please use what you have on hand when you’re choosing the meat, noodles and greens. I’ll talk about this more below!

Why You’ll Love Ground Pork Soup

  • Have a bag of kale that’s been in the fridge . . . awhile? This soup is the perfect way to use it up!
  • The broth has an amazing depth of flavor thanks to smart ingredient choices like garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, soy sauce and fish sauce.
  • It tastes like a long-simmered soup, but it comes together in about 30 minutes right on the stove.
Ingredients on a white surface, including ground meat, broth, kale, green onions, udon, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and spices.

Pork Noodle Soup Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post. This section contains affiliate links.

  • ground pork – the rich, savory protein for this soup that we tested this recipe with. More protein ideas below!
  • udon noodles – to make the soup more filling and give you something to slurp up! We tested this recipe many times, and dried udon like this was our favorite choice for a widely available grocery stsore option. However, if you are near an Asian market or another store that sells frozen Sanukiya udon, these noodles are thick, chewy, and super satisfying. Even MORE noodle options below!
  • chicken broth – feel free to use a less-sodium version, since the soy sauce and the fish sauce also contribute sodium. Just be sure to taste your soup before serving, and add salt or more soy sauce if needed.
  • kale – adds a fresh, slightly bitter element to balance the rich pork. Both curly kale and dinosaur/lacinato kale work. More greens options below!
  • green onions – scallions add a mild onion flavor without overpowering.
  • olive oil – for sauteeing the pork.
  • garlic – the base aromatic flavor for the broth.
  • grated fresh ginger – adds a warm, slightly spicy flavor to the pork noodle soup.
  • red pepper flakes – contribute a bit of heat. Add as much or as little of these as you want!
  • cumin – I would have never thought to add cumin to an Asian soup until seeing it done in Bon Appetit, but it really works. You can’t really detect a specific cumin flavor in the end result, but all of the ingredients work in perfect harmony to make the broth one of the most delicious substances ever.
  • salt and pepper – to season this ground pork soup recipe to perfection.
  • soy sauce – to add umami and season the broth.
  • fish sauce – another umami and seasoning punch. Red Boat brand is our preference, it’s always in our fridge.
A shallow white bowl filled with pork noodle soup, with a spoon in it.

Variations Of This Soup With Pork

  • MEAT – Also good with ground chicken or turkey!
  • NOODLES – Udon is great, but so is ramen (dried noodles OK, frozen ramen even better; discard the seasoning packets for both options or reserve them for another use). Soba noodles work here, as well. Be sure to follow the suggested cooking time for your specific package of noodles when adding them to your soup.
  • GREENS – Kale is usually easiest to find at the store here in the United States, but if you have mustard greens, Swiss chard, spinach, escarole or collard greens in the fridge or in your garden, they’re all great here!
  • ONIONS – Did your green onions get slimy and weird in the fridge? Use a small handful of finely chopped white or yellow onion instead, and everything is going to be OK.

How To Make Pork Soup

A white Dutch oven filled with cooked ground meat.

1. PORK. Heat the oil in a large pot, then add the pork and cook until it’s browned and cooked through, breaking it up with the side of a wooden spoon as it cooks.

A white Dutch oven filled with cooked ground meat sprinkled with spices.

2. AROMATICS. Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper and cook briefly until the spices are toasted.

Broth being poured into a  white Dutch oven filled with cooked ground meat.

3. BROTH. Add the broth and heat to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer.

Before and after photos showing udon and greens being added and cooked in a white Dutch oven with broth and ground meat.

4. EVERYTHING ELSE. Stir in the noodles, kale, onions, soy sauce and fish sauce, and cover and cook until the noodles are tender.

Pork Soup Recipe Home Chef Tips

  • Adjust the heat to your taste by adding more or less red pepper flakes. 1/4 teaspoon for the whole pot is about right if my daughter (elementary schooler, pretty adventurous eater) is having it. 1/2 teaspoon for the pot is right if it’s just my husband and I and we want it a bit spicier. Maybe NO red pepper flakes is right for you. Don’t forget that you can always add extra to individual bowls for those who like it spicy.
  • This pork noodle soup tastes even better the next day, so make a double batch and enjoy the leftovers!
A shallow white bowl filled with pork soup with noodles.

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Pork Noodle Soup Storage

If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. 

Simple Pork Soup Recipe FAQs

Which part of pork is tender for soup?

The most tender parts of pork for soup are typically the shoulder and tenderloin, but in this case we’re using ground pork so that it cooks up nice and fast, and is plenty tender and flavorful.

How do you soften pork in soup?

To soften pork in soup, allow it simmer over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes. This allows the collagen in the meat to break down and results in very tender pork in the finished dish.

How do you thicken pork soup?

This is meant to be a thin, brothy soup, so no thickening agent like cornstarch or potato starch is necessary here.

An overhead dinner table scene of shallow white bowls filled with ground pork soup with noodles.
A shallow white bowl filled with pork soup with noodles.

Simple Pork Soup Recipe

This comforting Pork Soup recipe is fast and built largely on pantry staples, but punches above its weight class in terms of flavor. Use what you have on hand when choosing the protein, noodles and greens.
4.6 from 8 ratings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 6 ounces dry udon noodles
  • ½ bunch kale thick stems removed, thinly sliced
  • 4 green onions thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce

Instructions

  • In large saucepot, heat oil over medium heat. Add pork and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until pork is browned and cooked through, breaking up meat with side of spoon and stirring occasionally.
  • Add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Add broth and heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 5 minutes.
  • Stir in noodles, kale, onions, soy sauce and fish sauce. Increase heat to medium. Cover and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles are tender; stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Bon Appetit.
Calories: 369kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 2629mg, Potassium: 361mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1795IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 82mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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