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Up close of a bowl of Vietnamese Bun Rieu.
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Bún Riêu (Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Soup)

Bún riêu or Vietnamese crab noodle soup is the queen of comfort Vietnamese soups and is a hidden gem worth talking about. This is my mom’s special bun rieu recipe made with a flavorful homemade tomato pork broth and topped with crab meatballs, fried tofu, and a handful of herbs.
Course Lunch & Dinner Recipes, Main Course
Cuisine Vietnamese
Keyword bun rieu, bun rieu cua, bun rieu recipe, crab meatballs, tomato noodle soup, Vietnamese crab soup, Vietnamese tomato noodle soup
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 2112kcal
Author takestwoeggs

Ingredients

Broth

Tomato Base

  • 2 shallots minced
  • 7 Roma tomatoes wedge cut
  • 8 oz fried tofu
  • 3 tablespoons (2 oz) tomato paste
  • cup fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar

Crab Meatballs (Rieu)

Serve

Instructions

Broth

  • Blanch the pork. In a medium-sized pot, add the washed pork ribs, chicken, and enough water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil, then drain the water and rinse off the pork and chicken.
  • Make the broth. In a large 7 qt pot, add the blanched pork ribs, chicken thighs, daikon, yellow onion, palm sugar, and chicken bouillon powder. Then fill enough chicken stock to reach the brim of the pot leaving about 1 inch at the top.
  • Cook the broth. Bring the pot to a boil on high heat. Then when it reaches a boil lower, the heat to medium-high heat and simmer for 2 hours. Skim the scum off the top of the broth. After 1 hour remove the pork ribs and set aside. Then lower the heat to medium-low. After 2 hours remove the daikon, onion, and chicken thighs and throw away.
  • Saute the tomatoes. While waiting for the broth to simmer, in large skillet on medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the minced shallots until translucent about 1 minute. Then add the tomatoes and 1/3 remaining tomato paste. Saute the tomatoes about 2 minutes until the tomatoes soften.
  • Saute the tofu. Then toss in the fried tofu, fish sauce, and sugar. Toss to combine and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
  • Add to the broth. Add the tomato mixture and the pork ribs into the soup pot and bring the soup to a boil.

Crab Meatballs (Rieu)

  • Pulverize the shallots and garlic. In a food processor, grind 2 shallots and garlic until pulverized.
  • Mix the rieu together. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the shallots, garlic, crab, shrimp paste, 2/3 can tomato paste, ground pork and eggs. Mix until combined.
  • Cook the rieu. Once the soup is at a boil, spoon large 1-2 inch dollops of the rieu into the soup. Then cook the rieu for an additional 10 minutes. Skim the scum off the top of the broth.
  • Taste to finish. Once the rieu has cooked, taste the broth to see if you need added salt or fish sauce.
  • Serve. Serve with rice noodles, fresh herbs, a squeeze of lime and enjoy!

Notes

  • Par boil the pork for a clean broth. This is a crucial step in getting a clean clear broth. To do this, simply cover the pork with water in a pot, bring it to a boil and then drain and rinse the pork.
  • Skim the scum. Parboiling removes the first layer of impurities from the broth, the remaining will rise to the surface as the broth begins to boil. Once the broth starts to boil, use a skimmer to skim the top layer of scum from the soup.
  • Saute the shallots for the tomatoes until caramelized. Make sure the shallots are caramelized before adding the tomatoes. This adds an additional layer of depth and flavor to the broth.
  • Simmer the pork ribs until tender. When I say “simmer,” I mean the broth to have a few medium-sized bubbles around the edges of the pot. Be careful to not have a roaring boil where the soup is splattering everywhere, but also do not have the heat too low to have no bubbles at all reach the surface.
  • Taste to finish! As Gordon Ramsy always says, “taste everything.” The final dish will be as good as it tastes! So if it is a little bland, add a little salt or if it needs a little more umami, add a teaspoon of fish sauce. A recipe can only take you so far, trust your instincts to make the final touches.
  • Storage: You can store this bun rieu recipe in soup containers or large mason jars separate from the vermicelli noodles in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can store this bun rieu cua in freezer-safe containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 2112kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 127g | Fat: 151g | Saturated Fat: 48g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 26g | Monounsaturated Fat: 59g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 776mg | Sodium: 3500mg | Potassium: 2497mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1507IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 9mg