Slow Simmered Duck Soup with Tangy Radish

As the air begins to carry a gentle chill, there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of deeply nourishing, slow-simmered soup. This recipe for Duck Soup with Tangy Radish is the perfect weekend project to warm you from the inside out. While it does take a few hours on the stovetop, don’t let that intimidate you; the process is wonderfully simple and the hands-on time is minimal. The magic happens as the rich duck meat slowly tenderizes, its flavor melding with earthy mushrooms, sweet carrots, and the star of the show—pickled radish. The result is a beautifully clear broth that is both profoundly savory and delightfully tangy, a complex yet balanced flavor that awakens the palate and soothes the soul. It’s an incredibly satisfying dish that proves the best things in life are worth waiting for. Before you begin, let’s gather our ingredients. The beauty of this soup lies in the harmony of its simple components. For replacements, the goal is to maintain the balance of savory, earthy, sweet, and sour notes. For the Soup: Duck: 600g (about 1.3 lbs), bone-in and cut into chunks. A mature duck is traditional as it offers a deeper flavor for stewing, but any standard duck from your butcher will work beautifully. Pickled White Radish: One packet (approx. 150-200g) of a “Sour Radish Duck Soup Base,” or a homemade substitute. Substitution: If you can’t find a dedicated soup base at an Asian market, look for pickled or fermented daikon radish. Alternatively, you can use 200g of fresh daikon radish and add 2-3 tablespoons of rice vinegar to the broth to mimic the sourness. Daikon Radish: 200g (about half a medium radish), peeled and cut into chunks. Carrots: 200g (about 2 medium carrots), peeled and cut into chunks. Shiitake Mushrooms: 100g fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems…