Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup (Bún Riêu)

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Another day, another noodle soup. Bún riêu cua (Vietnamese crab noodle soup) is one of my favorite childhood soups. If you’ve never had it, it’s a tangy tomato and freshwater crab based bowl of blissful soup with “riêu”, or meatballs, made of crab and usually ground pork. This is my simple bún riêu for times when I’m craving bún riêu but don’t want to spend all day cooking.

SERVES: 2
PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK TIME: 25 minutes TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 servings vermicelli
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 can minced crab in spices
  • 1/2 pound ground pork (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind
  • Fish sauce, to taste
  • Scallions, to garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the vermicelli according to package directions. Divide into bowls.

  2. While the noodles are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and minced crab. If you’re using pork, whisk it into the egg and crab mixture too.

  3. In a medium pot, heat the oil. Fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  4. Add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Stir, cover, and let cook for about 3 minutes.

  5. Add enough water to cover the tomatoes and bring to a boil.

  6. Add the onions and tamarind. Scoop the crab mixture into the soup. The meat will be cooked when it floats to the surface.

  7. Add fish sauce to taste. Ladle over noodles, garnish with scallions, and serve.