Hu Tieu Nam Vang
A light Vietnamese clear soup with tapioca noodles, tender pork, and fragrant broth finished with fresh herbs. Authentic street-food comfort in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 22g
Ingredients
- 6 oz pork shoulder or butt, boneless
- 4 cups chicken or pork broth
- 4 oz tapioca noodles (bánh hoa or bánh mỳ Huế)
- 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 whole shallots, peeled
- ½ cup fresh herbs (cilantro, dill, or mint, chopped)
- 1 whole lime, halved
Instructions
- 1
Cut the pork shoulder lengthwise along the grain into 3 long strips, about 1 inch thick, so they will slice thinly once cooked.
- 2
Slice the shallots lengthwise from root to tip into thin wedges, about 1/4 inch wide, keeping the layers mostly attached.
- 3
Chop the fresh herbs roughly into pieces about the size of a fingernail.
- 4
Pour the broth into a large pot and place it over medium-high heat until you see rolling bubbles, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Add the pork strips and shallot wedges to the hot broth, stir once, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the pork is tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
- 6
While the pork cooks, bring a separate pot of water to a boil over high heat, add the tapioca noodles, stir gently once, and cook until translucent with no white core when you break one in half, about 6 minutes.
- 7
Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop them from sticking together.
- 8
Remove the pork from the broth using tongs and place it on a cutting board; let it rest for 1 minute, then slice it crosswise against the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
- 9
Stir the fish sauce into the hot broth and taste; add a squeeze of lime if it tastes flat—the flavor should be savory and balanced.
- 10
Divide the cooked tapioca noodles between two deep bowls, placing them in the bottom of each.
- 11
Arrange the pork slices in a loose pile on top of the noodles in each bowl.
- 12
Ladle the hot broth and shallots over the pork and noodles until the bowl is about three-quarters full, dividing evenly between the two.
- 13
Scatter the chopped fresh herbs in a mound in the center of each bowl and place a lime half on the edge of the bowl.
- 14
Serve immediately while the broth is still steaming; squeeze lime juice into the soup and stir gently before eating.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot (at least 3-quart capacity)
- separate medium pot for noodles
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- colander
- tongs
- wooden spoon
- measuring cups and spoons
- two deep bowls (8–10 oz each)
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