20-Min Bun Cha Ca — Vietnamese Fish Cake Noodle Soup
Tangy, brothy bowl of rice noodles topped with crispy fish cakes and fresh herbs. A TikTok-easy take on the Hanoi classic—no long simmering, just bright flavors in 20 minutes.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 18g
Ingredients
- 10 oz canned fish cakes (cha ca), drained
- 6 oz rice vermicelli noodles
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 whole lime
- 1 cup fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, dill), roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp Vietnamese chili paste or sambal
Instructions
- 1
Bring water to a boil in a large pot over high heat, ~4 minutes.
- 2
While water heats, cut fish cakes into bite-size pieces. Pat with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- 3
Add rice noodles to boiling water, stir gently, and cook until tender, ~4 minutes. Drain and divide between two bowls.
- 4
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Pan-fry fish cakes until edges are golden and crispy, ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 5
Stir fish sauce into the hot cooking water and pour over noodles. Top with crispy fish cakes and fresh herbs.
- 6
Squeeze lime wedge over each bowl. Serve chili paste on the side for stirring in.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot
- 12-inch skillet
- wooden spoon
- tongs or slotted spoon
- two serving bowls
- paper towels
- knife
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