Vietnamese Crab & Tomato Noodle Soup- "Bun Rieu" Recipe
Dried shrimps from Kho Market
Bun Rieu is a traditional Vietnamese soup made with a bright red & clear colored soup stock with vermicelli rice noodles, tomatoes and “Rieu” which are Vietnamese meatballs comprised of dried and fresh shrimp, crab, eggs and usually pork (our recipe is pork-free). In Vietnam rice paddy crabs are typically used but you can use Vietnamese crab paste and it does a pretty tasty job as well!
This particular Bun Rieu, is lighter when made with light seafood base (no pork) and is loaded it with some fresh herbs like scallions, limes, mint, cilantro, perilla/shisho leaves, red chili 🌶 and water spinach.
This looks like a fairly complicated dish but it’s actually quite simple!
INGREDIENTS
SOUP BASE:
2 tbsp light EVOO oil
1 large shallots or 1 large white onion (finely chopped)6 large garlic cloves (finely chopped)2 whole red thai chili
5 large tomatoes quartered
12 cups water
*2 cups boiled shrimp water reserved (see below in egg batter)
*1 cup dried shrimp water reserved (see below in egg batter)
1 tbs salt
1 tsp sugar
Fresh cracked pepper
EGG/CRAB BATTER:
4 Eggs
1 cup raw shrimp (boiled in water, reserve water)
1/2 cup dried shrimp (I like using Kho Market dried shrimps, washed, soaked in 1 cup of warm water, reserve water)
1 can minced prawn or minced crab (or half and half)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
RED COLORING:
1 tbs of annato seeds
3 tbs of oil (cooking oil, or light olive oil)
Fish sauce to taste (about 1-2 tbs)
GARNISH:
5 stalks green onions cut into 1.5″ pieces
Cilantro
Bean sprouts
Mint
Perilla leaves
Water spinach
PREPARATION
Cook noodles according to package instructions, split between 4-5 bowls
If using dried shrimp above, wash, and soak the dried shrimp in 1 cup of warm water, then remove dried soaked shrimp and set aside.
SOUP
1. Smash/chop 5 garlic cloves and chop 1 whole onion.
2. Add onion and garlic mixture into pan with oil and saute until light brown.
3. Add cut tomatoes and stir fry for a few minutes, then add salt, sugar, black pepper and cook until slightly soft and half way cooked, then remove from burner.
SHRIMP/CRAB BATTER
In small food processor, pulse dried shrimp and cooked shrimp until finely chopped.
2. In a bowl add eggs and beat. Then add shrimp/crab jar contents (including liquid) and mix with a spoon. Then add dried/cooked shrimp mixture and mix well.
3. Then add all remaining soup ingredients into pot (water, sugar, salt) over high heat until boiling, simmer for a few minutes.
4. If using raw shrimp, de-shell and de-vein shrimp and boil in a small pot with 2 cups water, once cooked, remove shrimp and set aside.
5. Pour the the dried shrimp water into the soup broth (or add 1 cup plain water if not using dried shrimp)
6. With a large scoop spoon (about 2 tbsp) ladle the mixture into the boiling pot. Soup has to be boiling to ladle in batter mixture. Keep ladling in spoonfuls until finished and boil for about 5 minutes.
7. Make sure all crab balls are done (they should be a little firm and cooked through). Don’t boil for more than 5 minutes after they are cooked. Turn off heat, over heating/boiling will make crab balls fall apart some.
8. Add 1-2 tbs annato oil depending on how red you want the broth. Taste broth and add fish sauce to taste and add fresh herbs (cilantro, bean sprouts, mint, perilla leaves and/or mint) for garnishing right before serving.