Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup (Print Version)
Hearty Vietnamese noodle bowl with sweet crab, shrimp, and aromatic broth in under 75 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Broth
01 - 5 cups chicken stock
02 - 14 oz pork bones, blanched
03 - 1 yellow onion, halved
04 - 2 cloves garlic, smashed
05 - 1 tsp salt
06 - 1 tsp sugar
07 - 1 tbsp fish sauce
→ Crab & Seafood
08 - 10 oz fresh crab meat or cooked crab claws
09 - 5 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 - 7 oz fish cakes or surimi, sliced
→ Noodles
11 - 14 oz banh canh (thick tapioca noodles), fresh or frozen
→ Garnishes
12 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
13 - 2 tbsp fried shallots
14 - 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
15 - 1 red chili, sliced (optional)
16 - Lime wedges
17 - Fresh ground black pepper
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large soup pot, combine chicken stock, blanched pork bones, halved onion, smashed garlic, salt, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and let simmer for 30 minutes to develop a rich, aromatic base. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface during simmering.
02 - Stir in the fish sauce to deepen the umami flavor. Using a strainer or slotted spoon, remove and discard the pork bones and onion halves from the broth, leaving behind a clear, flavorful liquid.
03 - Add the peeled and deveined shrimp to the simmering broth. Cook for 2–3 minutes until they turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp promptly with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate to prevent overcooking.
04 - Gently add the crab meat and sliced fish cakes to the broth. Simmer over low heat for 5–7 minutes to allow the seafood flavors to meld with the broth. Keep the heat low to prevent the crab from becoming tough.
05 - While the broth simmers, cook the banh canh noodles according to package instructions. Typically, fresh noodles require 2–3 minutes in boiling water, while frozen noodles may take 4–5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and rinse lightly with cool water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
06 - Divide the cooked noodles evenly among 4 serving bowls. Arrange the cooked shrimp, crab meat, and fish cakes on top of the noodles, ensuring each portion has an equal distribution of seafood.
07 - Carefully ladle the hot broth over the noodles and seafood in each bowl, ensuring all ingredients are submerged. Top with finely sliced spring onions, fried shallots, chopped cilantro, and sliced red chili if desired. Serve with lime wedges and fresh ground black pepper on the side for individual seasoning.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- Theres something incredibly comforting about thick, bouncy noodles that coat your spoon in rich, savory broth
- The combination of crab meat and shrimp creates layers of sweet seafood flavor that deepen with every simmer
- This soup comes together in just over an hour but tastes like it simmered all day
02 -
- Never cook the shrimp in the final soup or they will become tough and overcooked by the time you serve
- The fried shallots might seem like an optional garnish, but they actually provide crucial flavor depth
- Rinsing the noodles after cooking is absolutely necessary or they will turn into a gummy, stuck-together mess
03 -
- Blanching the pork bones in boiling water for 5 minutes before starting the broth makes for a much cleaner, clearer soup
- Let your broth simmer uncovered, as covered cooking can make it cloudy and less refined