Banh Canh Cua Vietnamese Noodle (Printable version)
Hearty Vietnamese noodle bowl with fresh crab, shrimp, and thick tapioca noodles in savory broth.
# What you need:
→ Broth
01 - 5 cups chicken stock
02 - 14 oz pork bones, blanched
03 - 1 yellow onion, halved
04 - 2 cloves garlic, smashed
05 - 1 tsp salt
06 - 1 tsp sugar
07 - 1 tbsp fish sauce
→ Crab & Seafood
08 - 10 oz fresh crab meat or cooked crab claws
09 - 5 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 - 7 oz fish cakes or surimi, sliced
→ Noodles
11 - 14 oz banh canh (thick tapioca noodles), fresh or frozen
→ Garnishes
12 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
13 - 2 tbsp fried shallots
14 - 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
15 - 1 red chili, sliced (optional)
16 - Lime wedges
17 - Fresh ground black pepper
# How To:
01 - In a large pot, combine chicken stock, pork bones, onion, garlic, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
02 - Add fish sauce to the broth, then remove and discard the pork bones and onion halves.
03 - Add shrimp to the simmering broth and cook for 2-3 minutes until just pink and cooked through. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.
04 - Add crab meat and sliced fish cakes to the broth. Simmer gently for 5-7 minutes to allow flavors to meld together.
05 - Cook banh canh noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and rinse lightly with cool water to prevent sticking.
06 - Divide cooked noodles evenly among serving bowls. Arrange shrimp, crab meat, and fish cakes on top of the noodles.
07 - Ladle hot broth generously over the noodles and seafood. Garnish with spring onions, fried shallots, cilantro, chili, and lime wedges. Finish with freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The broth achieves that perfect balance where crab sweetness meets the deep savory notes of pork bones
- Those gloriously chewy tapioca noodles make every slurp feel like a warm hug
02 -
- The noodles continue cooking in the hot broth so err on the side of slightly underdone when boiling them separately
- Crab flavor intensifies as it sits in the broth, making leftovers even better the next day
03 -
- Keep your shrimp separate until serving or they will turn rubbery and sad
- Make double broth and freeze half for a head start on next time