Vietnamese Bun Rieu Crab Noodle (Printable)
Tangy Vietnamese noodle soup with crab, tomatoes, and tofu in aromatic broth. Ready in 75 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Broth
01 - 6 cups chicken or pork broth
02 - 1 large onion, halved
03 - 2 cloves garlic, smashed
04 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 teaspoon sugar
→ Crab Mixture
07 - 9 oz crab meat, fresh or canned
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
→ Soup Base
12 - 3 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
13 - 7 oz firm tofu, cubed
14 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 - 2 tablespoons annatto oil, optional
→ Noodles & Garnishes
16 - 14 oz dried rice vermicelli noodles
17 - 3.5 oz bean sprouts
18 - Fresh herbs: perilla, Vietnamese coriander, cilantro, scallions, chopped
19 - Lime wedges
20 - Sliced chili peppers
21 - Shrimp paste, optional
22 - Fried shallots, optional
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring chicken or pork broth to a simmer in a large pot. Add halved onion and smashed garlic, simmering for 20 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain out solids and stir in fish sauce, salt, and sugar.
02 - Combine crab meat, eggs, fish sauce, chopped shallots, and white pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
03 - Return broth to a gentle simmer. Drop small spoonfuls of crab mixture into hot broth. Allow dumplings to float and solidify for 4-5 minutes without stirring.
04 - Heat vegetable oil and annatto oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté tomato wedges until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add cubed tofu and cook for 2 additional minutes.
05 - Transfer sautéed tomatoes and tofu to the broth. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld together.
06 - Cook rice vermicelli according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to prevent sticking.
07 - Divide noodles among serving bowls. Ladle hot soup with crab dumplings, tomatoes, and tofu over noodles. Garnish with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, lime wedges, chili peppers, shrimp paste, and fried shallots.
# Expert Hacks:
01 -
- The way fresh crab transforms into delicate, floating clouds in your bowl feels like eating something from a dream
- This soup hits every perfect note at once, sour, savory, slightly sweet, with that gentle heat from fresh chilies
- Once you master the broth, this becomes your go to comfort food for rainy days, hangovers, or just needing a hug in a bowl
02 -
- Drop the crab mixture into gently simmering broth, not boiling water, or it will fall apart into disappointing shreds
- Let those tomatoes really break down in the skillet before adding them to the soup, this creates the rich red color people expect from Bun Rieu
- Rinse your cooked noodles immediately under cold water or they will clump together into an unmanageable mass
03 -
- Put your serving bowls in a low oven to warm them up, hot soup stays hot longer in preheated bowls
- Make a double batch of the crab mixture and freeze half for next time, it thaws beautifully