Vietnamese Crab Tapioca Noodle Soup (Printable Version)
Hearty Vietnamese noodle bowl with thick tapioca strands, succulent crab, shrimp, and fragrant savory broth perfect for cold days.
# 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
# Directions:
01 - Combine chicken stock, pork bones, onion, garlic, salt, and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
02 - Stir in fish sauce. Remove and discard the pork bones and onion halves from the broth.
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 - Stir in crab meat and sliced fish cakes. 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 4 serving bowls. Arrange shrimp, crab meat, and fish cakes on top of the noodles.
07 - Ladle the hot broth generously over each bowl, covering the noodles and seafood.
08 - Top with spring onions, fried shallots, cilantro, sliced chili, and a generous grind of black pepper. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The chewy texture of tapioca noodles creates such satisfying comfort food
- That first spoonful of rich crab broth feels like a warm embrace
02 -
- Overcooking shrimp makes them rubbery and sad
- The broth needs time to meld, do not rush the simmer
03 -
- Fresh crab shells simmered in the broth add incredible depth
- A knob of smashed ginger in the broth brightens everything