Macaroni noodles in a comforting bowl of hot seasoned broth with savory ham, vegetables, and a fried egg on top. This easy Hong Kong-Style Macaroni Soup uses simple ingredients and is ready in 15 minutes! A delicious main or meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner that's family-friendly, restaurant quality, and budget-friendly.
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Hong Kong Macaroni Soup features tender elbow pasta in hot, flavorful chicken broth seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, topped with peas, carrots, sliced pork ham, and a runny fried egg.
This Chinese noodle soup brings warmth to the soul and is often served at Hong Kong-Style cafés (aka 'cha-chang-tengs' in Cantonese) as an affordable meal for breakfast or lunch.
These cafés always overcook the pasta so it's tender, and to anyone's surprise, this softer texture actually complements the soup better!
These HK-style cafés are famous for serving Western comfort food with a Chinese twist, as Hong Kong was once a colony of Britain.
Dishes like Hong Kong-style French toast, ham and egg sandwiches, and baked pork chop on rice are classic favorites - and some of my personal go-to's!
It's important to note that there are two versions of this macaroni soup: the plain version and the tomato version, where the latter features a tomato chicken broth. Both are equally delicious!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Macaroni Pasta (aka Elbow Pasta): Or use seashell, farfalle, conchiglie, fusilli, or orzo pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables: Feel free to use a mixture of carrots, green peas, green beans, or corn niblets.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Stock: Or use regular chicken stock but reduce the amount of oyster sauce and soy sauce to taste.
- Oyster Sauce: Or use vegetarian stir-fry sauce.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Or use low-sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Sesame Oil: Or replace with a ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds.
- Chicken Bouillon Powder: Or replace with msg. This ingredients adds flavor and I don't recommend skipping it.
- White Granulated Sugar: Or use granulated cane sugar.
- Eggs (optional): I highly recommend topping it off with a fried egg, but omit if you have dietary restrictions.
- Sliced Ham: Use pre-sliced ham, or slice a block of ham yourself. Alternatives include cooked deli meat, cooked bacon, cooked spam, or cooked hot dogs.
- Neutral Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low smoke point oil.
- Salt: To season the pasta water.
Variations
- Tomato Version: Stir in 2 tablespoon (30 ml) of tomato paste into the broth.
- Satay Beef Version: Replace the sliced ham and eggs with cooked Cantonese-style Satay Beef instead.
- Gluten-free Version: Use gluten-free macaroni or any short, gluten-free pasta. Use gluten-free oyster sauce and substitute the soy sauce with tamari sauce or coconut aminos. Use gluten-free chicken bouillon powder.
Expert Tips
- Use pre-sliced ham for convenience.
- For authentic Hong Kong-style macaroni soup, overcook the pasta until it's slightly tender. This is how the Hong Kong-style cafés do it and it tastes better than al dente pasta.
- Prepare the ingredients in advance as the cooking process is fast.
- Cook the eggs sunny side up with a runny yolk for an authentic taste.
- Keep the broth hot by covering it, while you cook the eggs last. This ensures the broth stays hot for the noodles.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Hong Kong style macaroni soup:
- Boil pasta: Season a medium pot filled with 7 cups (1.65 liters) water with salt. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and then add pasta. Boil pasta according to package directions for al dente or overcook for an additional 1-2 minutes for a softer texture.
- Strain cooked pasta: Strain the cooked pasta and divide between two large serving bowls and set aside.
- Make seasoned broth: In a medium pot, add chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil on high heat.
- Cook vegetables in broth: Add frozen mixed vegetables into broth and boil until vegetables float to the top, about 30-45 seconds. Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and cover to keep hot.
- Fry the eggs: Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Fry the eggs sunny-side up until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, or cooked to your preferred doneness. Place one egg on top of each bowl of pasta.
- Assemble bowls: Top each bowl of pasta with 2-3 slices of ham, then ladle hot broth over the top and serve immediately.
Storage & Reheating
- Hong Kong-style Macaroni Soup is best enjoyed immediately, but it can last up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It's best to store the cooked pasta, fried eggs, and ham separate from the broth and mixed vegetables. To reheat, microwave or reheat everything in a pot on the stovetop until heated through.
- Hong Kong-style Macaroni Soup is not ideal for freezing as the pasta will become soggy.
Pairing Suggestions
Hong Kong-style macaroni soup pairs well with:
- Sandwiches: Satay Beef Sandwich
- Noodle Dishes: Satay Beef Vermicelli Soup, Wonton Noodle Soup, Cantonese Soy Sauce Chow Mein, or Hong Kong Fish Fillet Cream Sauce Pasta.
- Rice Dishes: Egg Fried Rice, or Macau Baked Portuguese Chicken Rice.
- Meat Dishes: Soy Sauce Chicken, Oven-Roasted Char Siu or Air Fryer Char Siu, or Chinese Roasted Pork Belly.
- Vegetable Dishes: Chinese Garlic Gok Choy, Spicy Garlic Bok Choy, Chinese Garlic Yu Choy, Chinese Garlic Gai Lan, Garlic Green Beans or Stir-fried Snow Pea Leaves.
FAQ
Hong Kong-style Macaroni Soup can be made up to 4 days in advance and it's best to store the different components in separate airtight containers in the fridge. I also recommend frying the eggs closer to serving for best taste. To reheat, microwave or in a pot on the stovetop until heated through.
To make Hong Kong-style Macaroni Soup spice, season the finished dish with chili oil or chili crisp to taste.
📖 Recipe
Easy 15-min. Hong Kong Style Macaroni Soup
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni pasta or small sea shell pasta
- 4 cups chicken stock low-sodium kind
- 4-6 slices ham or sliced deli meat / cooked spam slices / cooked hot dogs
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables of choice (like peas / carrots / corn / green beans)
- 1 tbsp salt to season pasta water
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar or granulated cane sugar
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Instructions
- Season a medium pot filled with 7 cups (1.65 liters) water with salt. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and then add pasta. Boil pasta according to package directions for al dente or overcook for an additional 1-2 minutes for a softer texture.
- Strain the cooked pasta and divide between two large serving bowls and set aside.
- In a medium pot, add chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil on high heat.
- Add frozen mixed vegetables into broth and boil until vegetables float to the top, about 30-45 seconds. Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and cover to keep hot.
- Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Fry the eggs sunny-side up until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, or cooked to your preferred doneness. Place one egg on top of each bowl of pasta.
- Top each bowl of pasta with 2-3 slices of ham, then ladle hot broth over the top and serve immediately.
Lucy Suen
Made this. Super quick AND DELICIOUS!!!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe Lucy!!
Jackie
Simple, quick, and mostly important - delicious! Thank you so much for sharing a recipe that brings me back to sitting in a booth of a Hong Kong cafe.
christieathome
I am so happy to read that this brings you back to your memories of sitting in a HK cafe! This is music to my ears. Thank you for making my recipe Jackie!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Looks delicious, Christie!! Perfect for a chillier day!! 🙂
Josiah - DIY Thrill
This Macaroni Soup looks incredible!