Bún Riêu (Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup)

Bowl of bun rieu with vegetables, herbs, and lime toppings.

Bún Riêu (Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup)

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings: servings

Calories: 517kcal

Author: Quynh Nguyen

This shortcut Vietnamese crab noodle soup is made with a savory tomato broth, tender crab-and-pork meatballs, rice vermicelli, and fried tofu. Starting with chicken broth instead of a long-simmered pork bone broth keeps it manageable enough to make in about 40–45 minutes.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

For the Broth

4 quarts water
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon mushroom or chicken bouillon powder
2 tablespoons rock sugar or granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Reserved oil from the shrimp paste or crab paste
3 shallots or 1 small onion, finely diced
4 tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon salt

Crab and Pork Riêu

1 pound 80/20 ground pork
½ pound prawn or shrimp, peeled
¼ cup dried shrimp
1 cup lump crab meat, drained (canned crab meat can be substituted)
1 cup Super Brand Shrimp Paste with Soya Bean oil (jar)
½ cup Por Kwan Minced Crab Paste in Spices (canned)
3 eggs

For the Noodles and Tofu

1 pound dried rice vermicelli noodles
½ pound Fried tofu

For Serving

Water spinach (rau muong)
Fresh herbs, such as Thai basil, mint, and purple perilla
Lime wedges
Bean sprouts, optional
Shredded cabbage, optional
Chopped scallions and cilantro, optional
Fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm), optional, for serving

Instructions

Soak the dried shrimp. Place the dried shrimp in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 10 minutes to soften.
Start the broth. While the shrimp soak, add 4 quarts of water to a large stockpot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Prepare the shrimp. Add the fresh shrimp to a food processor and process until finely ground. Drain the soaked dried shrimp well, then finely mince them in the food processor.
Make the crab-and-pork mixture. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, fresh shrimp, dried shrimp, crab meat, seasoned shrimp paste, seasoned crab paste, and eggs. Mix until evenly combined. The mixture should be soft and moist but thick enough to mound on a spoon. It will be much softer than a typical meatball mixture.
Season the broth. Once the water is boiling, add the chicken broth, fish sauce, bouillon, and sugar. Stir until the sugar and bouillon dissolve, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Sauté the shallots. Heat the vegetable oil and some of the reserved oil from the shrimp and crab pastes in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Add paprika, if using, for a deeper red-orange color.
Cook the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and salt. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften but still hold their shape. Transfer the tomatoes, shallots, and all of the flavorful oil from the skillet to the simmering broth.
Cook the crab-and-pork mixture. Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of the mixture at a time directly into the gently simmering broth. Do not stir right away. Let the pieces cook undisturbed until they set and begin floating to the surface. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer and cook for about 10–12 minutes, or until the pieces are completely cooked through.
Cook the noodles. While the soup simmers, prepare the rice vermicelli separately according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.
Add the tofu. Add the fried tofu to the broth and simmer for 2–3 minutes, just until heated through. Taste the broth and adjust with additional fish sauce, salt, or sugar as needed.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the cooked rice vermicelli among serving bowls. Ladle the hot broth, tomatoes, fried tofu, and crab-and-pork pieces over the noodles. Top with water spinach, fresh herbs, and lime. Add any other toppings you like and serve immediately.

Notes

Don't worry if the crab-and-pork mixture seems soft. It should be wetter than a meatball mixture but still thick enough to mound on a spoon.
Keep the broth at a gentle simmer. A hard boil can cause the delicate crab-and-pork pieces to break apart.
Wait before stirring. Let the pieces set and begin floating before gently moving anything around in the pot.
Use 80/20 ground pork. The extra fat helps keep the mixture moist and tender.
Make sure you buy the right seafood pastes. Super Brand Shrimp Paste with Soya Bean Oil and Por Kwan Minced Crab in Spices are seasoned products and aren't the same as concentrated fermented shrimp paste.
Cook the noodles separately. This keeps them from becoming too soft and prevents extra starch from getting into the broth.
Taste before adding more salt. The broth, fish sauce, bouillon, and seafood pastes all contribute salt, and the amount can vary by brand.

Storage: Store the broth, crab-and-pork pieces, tomatoes, and tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep the noodles and fresh toppings separate. Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop until hot, then assemble each bowl just before serving.

Nutrition