Bun Rieu Cua
A fragrant Vietnamese crab and tomato noodle soup topped with crispy shrimp, tofu, and fresh herbs. Rich, tangy, and deeply satisfying in one aromatic bowl.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- ½ cup crab paste or fresh crab meat
- 3 medium tomatoes, cored and halved
- ½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 oz firm tofu, pressed and cut into 0.5-inch cubes
- 8 oz rice vermicelli noodles
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium shallot, sliced thin
- 6 cups chicken or seafood broth
- 1 cup fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, dill), chopped, divided
Instructions
- 1
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic and shallot; stir until fragrant, ~1 minute.
- 2
Add crab paste; cook, stirring, for 1 minute to bloom the flavor.
- 3
Add halved tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- 4
Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until tomatoes break down and broth turns rich orange-red.
- 5
Stir in fish sauce. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- 6
While broth simmers, boil rice vermicelli in salted water until tender, ~5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- 7
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add tofu cubes in a single layer.
- 8
Cook tofu without stirring for 3 minutes until golden, then flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
- 9
Return skillet to heat. Add shrimp in a single layer; cook 2 minutes per side until opaque. Remove.
- 10
Divide noodles among 4 bowls. Ladle hot broth over each.
- 11
Top with fried tofu, shrimp, and half the fresh herbs. Serve remaining herbs on the side.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot (4-quart)
- 12-inch skillet
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- colander
- wooden spoon
- soup ladle
- tongs
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