Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Noodle Soup with Pork (Bun Rieu)
Enjoy one of Vietnam's favorite noodle soups with our family method.
- 3 lbs pork spare ribs or pork neck bones (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 5 quarts water
- 1 cup dried salted shrimp (soak in hot water to soften for 10 minutes)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 14 oz minced crab in spices
- 8 oz ground pork
- 4 beaten eggs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 5 large ripe tomatoes (cut into wedges)
- 4 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons chicken or mushroom bouillon powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup shrimp paste (mắm ruốc)
- 2 lbs medium dried rice noodles (cook per package instructions)
- ½ lb fried tofu cubes
- Pork blood cake
- Water spinach stems (split stems into thin strips)
- Lettuce or cabbage (thinly sliced)
- Bean sprouts
- Limes (cut into wedges)
- Green onions (thinly sliced for garnish)
- In a large stock pot (at least 7 quarts), add pork bones and enough water to cover. Bring the pot to a boil and continue boiling until impurities (foam) rise to the surface (about 8 minutes). Place a colander in the sink, drain the bones, and rinse the bones with cold water.
- Clean the stock pot and return it to the stove. Add 5 quarts of water and the parboiled bones. Simmer on medium-low heat for one hour, or until the pork can be easily pierced with a chopstick. Occasionally, skim off the impurities that might float to the top and discard. While the broth is simmering, prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Finely chop the presoaked dried salted shrimp in a food processor and set aside.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, and sauté until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add the jarred or canned spiced crab and the chopped dried shrimp. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Transfer this mixture into a medium bowl, add ground pork and beaten eggs. Mix until well combined.
- Using two spoons, shape the crab and pork mixture into small balls and gently drop them into the pot one by one. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and proceed to prepare the tomatoes.
- In the now-empty skillet, heat more vegetable oil. Sauté garlic and shallots until fragrant (20 seconds).
- Cook for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes release some of their juices.
- Season the broth with salt (4 teaspoons), chicken/mushroom bouillon powder (2 tablespoons), and MSG (1 teaspoon).
- In a small bowl, mix the ketchup and shrimp paste. Ladle some hot broth from the stock pot into the bowl to liquefy the mixture before adding it to the soup. Add a little at a time to adjust to taste.
- to the stock pot.
- Place a handful of cooked rice noodles into a bowl. Ladle hot soup over the noodles, including pieces of pork, meatballs/crab cakes, and fried tofu.
- Garnish with green onions and serve with your favorite vegetables, herbs, lime, and additional shrimp paste on the side for customization.
It's packed with umami taste, tasty toppings, and slurp-worthy noodles. Bring the pot to a boil and continue boiling until impurities (foam) rise to the surface (about 8 minutes).
Place a colander in the sink, drain the bones, and rinse the bones with cold water. Clean the stock pot and return it to the stove.
Add 5 quarts of water and the parboiled bones. Simmer on medium-low heat for one hour, or until the pork can be easily pierced with a chopstick.
Occasionally, skim off the impurities that might float to the top and discard. Finely chop the presoaked dried salted shrimp in a food processor and set aside.
Add shallots and garlic, and sauté until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add the jarred or canned spiced crab and the chopped dried shrimp.
Transfer this mixture into a medium bowl, add ground pork and beaten eggs. Using two spoons, shape the crab and pork mixture into small balls and gently drop them into the pot one by one.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer and proceed to prepare the tomatoes. Sauté garlic and shallots until fragrant (20 seconds).
Cook for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes release some of their juices. Season the broth with salt (4 teaspoons), chicken/mushroom bouillon powder (2 tablespoons), and MSG (1 teaspoon).
In a small bowl, mix the ketchup and shrimp paste. Ladle some hot broth from the stock pot into the bowl to liquefy the mixture before adding it to the soup.
Add a little at a time to adjust to taste. to the stock pot. Ladle hot soup over the noodles, including pieces of pork, meatballs/crab cakes, and fried tofu.
Garnish with green onions and serve with your favorite vegetables, herbs, lime, and additional shrimp paste on the side for customization.
