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A bowl of bun bo hue with chopsticks and soup spoon.
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Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Spicy, aromatic spicy Vietnamese beef noodle soup is an underrated comforting soup. Bún bò Huế features slow-cooked beef, pork, a spicy sate sauce, thick rice noodles, and topped with fresh herbs and veggies.
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Vietnamese
Keyword bun bo hue recipe, Vietnamese beef noodle soup, Vietnamese bun bo hue
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 6 servings
Calories 851kcal
Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Meat and Broth

  • 2 ½ lb pork hocks sliced into 1 inch thick pieces
  • 2 ½ lbs beef shank
  • 8 cups chicken broth low sodium or water
  • 1 gallon (16 cups) water divided
  • 1 tbsp shrimp paste
  • ¾ cup water
  • 4 tablespoon (60 g) palm sugar
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced in half
  • 9 stalks lemongrass sliced and pounded
  • 1 medium daikon peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 ½ tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce or more to taste

Sate Chili Ingredients

Noodles, Garnishes, etc.

  • 1 pack Thick Rice Noodles
  • 1 pack Vietnamese pork sausage (cha lua) thinly sliced
  • Cilantro chopped
  • Green onion thinly sliced
  • Banana blossom thinly sliced
  • Bean Sprouts
  • Vietnamese Coriander (Rau Ram)
  • Culantro
  • Mint
  • Purple cabbage thinly sliced
  • Lime wedged cut

Instructions

Broth

  • Parboil the beef. In a medium pot, add the beef shank, cover with water, bring the water to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Then drain the pot and rinse the bones under running water to clean the meat of impurities.
  • Parboil the pork. In a separate medium pot, add the pork hocks, cover with water, bring the water to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Then drain the pot and rinse the bones under running water to clean the meat of impurities. Using a separate pot will preserve the original flavor of the pork.
  • Cook the broth. In a large stockpot, add the beef and pork hock and fill with 8 cups of chicken broth and 8 cups of water. Then add the halved onion, 4 stalks of bruised lemongrass, daikon, palm sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 90-100 minutes or until the pork is tender. Skim any extra scum that reaches the surface. Remove the pork hock and place it in an ice bath.
  • Dissolve the shrimp paste. Mix the shrimp paste with 3/4 cup of water until combined. Let the shrimp paste sit for 10 minutes to settle. When the shrimp paste has separated, slowly pour the clearer diluted broth on top into the broth and discard the extra sediment that sinks to the bottom. After the broth has cooked for 90 minutes, add the shrimp paste.
  • Add lemongrass, chicken bouillon, and water. Add the remaining 5 stalks of pounded lemongrass, and chicken bouillon powder, and the remaining 8 cups of water into the pot. Simmer for 2 more hours.
  • Remove and add fish sauce. After 2 hours, finish by adding fish sauce. Taste one piece of the beef to see if it is soft and tender. If not, continue cooking until tender. Then take everything out of the pot. Thinly slice the beef once it has cooled.

Sate Chili Sauce

  • Make annatto oil. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the oil and the annatto seeds and stir for 45 seconds or until the oil turns a bright red color. Then strain and discard the annatto seeds.
  • Make the sate. In the same skillet, add the anatto oil and heat over medium heat. Add the chili flakes, lemongrass, garlic, and saute until fragrant. Then add the bun bo hue seasoning powder, fish sauce and sugar and saute for 2 minutes until thickened.
  • Season the stock. Season the broth with the sate sauce 1 tablespoon at a time to taste based on spice tolerance and simmer for 15 minutes. Add more sate sauce for a spicier broth.

Assemble

  • Cook the noodles. Boil and drain the rice noodles according to the instructions on the package. Then place the noodles in a soup bowl.
  • Assemble. In a soup bowl, add the round vermicelli noodles, top with sliced beef shank, pork hock, and cha lua, and ladle the broth in. Then serve with a lime wedge, fresh herbs, and veggies. Enjoy! For a clearer broth, strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve before serving.

Notes

See the above Expert Tips section for more guidance.

Nutrition

Calories: 851kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 1334mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 7mg