Chinese New Year Longevity Noodles: Misua Soup

Written by
Connie Veneracion
Food writer and blogger living in the Philippines and specializing in Southeast Asian home cooking and travel.
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Connie Veneracion
Updated 02/10/21
Misua and Wood Ears Mushroom Soup

Connie Veneracion
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
203 Calories
10g Fat
18g Carbs
16g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 203
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 1687mg 73%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Protein 16g
Calcium 304mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The Lunar New Year longevity noodle dish, misua (miswa or mee swa) is served during festivities (including the Lunar New Year) and special occasions (like birthdays) in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

What is misua? It is a thin wheat noodle that takes around five minutes to cook. Cook the misua longer and the starch will thicken the soup while the noodles turn soggy. As sold in Asian groceries, misua comes in coiled bundles. The noodles swell tremendously during cooking so, as a guide, use one bundle to serve two.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 2 to 3 dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked in half a cup of hot water until softened then thinly sliced
  • 2 to 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bundle misua
  • a bunch of greens (baby bok choy or
  • wom bok are great choices)
  • fish sauce, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon oyster sauce

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the peanut oil in a pot. Saute the minced garlic, sliced shallots and diced tomato just until softened. 

  2. Add the sliced wood ear mushrooms to the pot. 

  3. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to the boil.

  4. Add the misua and greens. Season with fish sauce, black pepper, and oyster sauce. Let boil for two to three minutes or until the noodles and greens go limp. Turn off the heat. Cover the pot and allow everything to finish cooking in the residual heat for another two to three minutes.

  5. Taste the broth. Adjust the seasonings, if needed.

  6. Serve hot.