When someone asks me for a kid-friendly Vietnamese dish, the first thing that comes to mind is súp nui sườn heo.
When my kids were toddlers, mealtime was a daily battle. I was always scrambling to find something they would eat that was filling, nutritious, and easy for them to slurp up quickly. The faster they ate, the faster I could rest.
This Vietnamese noodle soup became my go-to, a dish I turned to time and time again.
What is Sup Nui Suon Heo?
Súp nui is Vietnamese pasta soup or Vietnamese macaroni soup.
This soup is made with macaroni and hearty vegetables in a light, clear broth. The stock can be made with pork, beef, chicken, or even vegetables.
For an easier version, ground meat can be used instead. But the most popular version is made with pork ribs. When made with pork ribs, this soup is known as súp nui sườn heo.
Kids love the soft macaroni, fall-off-the-bone pork, and mild veggies like carrots, potatoes, and cauliflower. It’s a childhood favorite because it’s easy to eat, warm and filling.
When I make it for little ones, I keep it simple—no fancy toppings.
For adults, it’s easy to jazz up the final bowl with crispy fried shallots, freshly cracked black pepper, a squeeze of lime, a sprinkle of fresh green onions, and/or a drizzle of chili oil.
It’s a win-win for everyone and it’s a meal that you can get on the table in about one hour.
What You Will Need
To make Vietnamese macaroni soup, gather the following ingredients:
- Pork Ribs — The base of the broth comes from pork ribs. If possible, buy your pork ribs from an Asian grocery store. They usually come in long thin strips rather than large slabs, making them easier to cut into individual small ribs at home. If you’re not a fan of pork, bite-sized chicken thighs are a great alternative and cook up even faster.
- Yellow onion — We will use one yellow onion to simmer with the bones for a flavorful stock. You can also use white onion or a bunch of shallots.
- Carrots, Potatoes, and Cauliflower — Carrots provide the natural sweetness to the broth. If you don’t have carrots, use its albino cousins, daikon or parsnips. You can also replace the cauliflower with broccoli, but keep in mind that the green may darken the broth if overcooked. You can also use cabbage, napa cabbage or shiitake mushrooms. Use whatever vegetable you enjoy or have on hand.
- Macaroni — You can also find dried macaroni at Asian supermarkets, which often comes in two varieties (wheat macaroni or rice macaroni). Either option works just fine for this recipe.
- Quail Eggs — I’m also using quail eggs in this soup because my kids love them. Hard boiling fresh quail eggs are the absolute tastiest but the canned ones will also work in a pinch.
- Green Onions — You can’t have an Asian dish without green onions. If you don’t have them, cilantro works as a substitute. Add the white stems of green onions (or the stems of cilantro) to the broth while it cooks for extra flavor, and slice the green tops to use as a garnish.
- Salt, Fish Sauce and Chicken Bouillon Powder/Mushroom Seasoning Powder — What we will use to season the stock to make it a tasty broth. If you don’t have bouillon powder, substitute with additional salt or fish sauce.
- Fried Shallots, Lime, Chili Oil, and Ground Black Pepper — Optional additions to your finished bowl for a little extra flavor and flair.
How to Make Sup Nui
Step 1: Prepare and blanch the ribs
Separate the ribs into individual pieces by cutting between the bones. Add the ribs to a medium pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil and parboil until impurities rise to the top (about 10 minutes total). While waiting, peel the onion and slice it in half if it’s large and set aside.
Drain the pot into a colander in the sink and rinse the ribs under cold water to remove any remaining impurities.
Step 2: Make the stock
In a clean large pot, add the parboiled ribs, peeled onion, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Simmer for 45 to 50 minutes until the pork ribs are tender. We will add the vegetables in stages to prevent overcooking and turning them to mush.
Step 3: Prepare and add vegetables
While the pot is simmering, prepare the vegetables.
Peel and cut the carrots and potato into small chunks. Cut up the cauliflower into slightly larger chunks than the potatoes so they can finish cooking at the same time.
Add the carrots to the pot after 15 minutes into simmering. They go in first because they take a bit longer to cook than the potatoes and cauliflower.
When you have 10 minutes left on the clock, add the potatoes and cauliflower to the pot. If using quail eggs and bottom stems of green onions, go ahead and add them into the pot too. Simmer until the vegetables are chopstick tender.
Step 4: Season stock
Discard the onions if you prefer then season the stock with salt, fish sauce and chicken bouillon powder or mushroom seasoning powder. Add a little at a time to taste. Broth is done!
Step 5: Cook the macaroni
Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch then set aside.
Step 6: Assemble and serve
Divide the macaroni into four serving bowls. Ladle hot broth, along with ribs, quail eggs and vegetables .
Top with thinly sliced green onions, squeeze of lime, fried shallots, ground black pepper and a drizzle of your favorite chili oil if you like a bit of heat. That’s it! Enjoy!
FAQs
Why parboil the ribs?
Parboiling removes impurities, such as blood and bone fragments, to keep the broth clear. You can skip this step, but you’ll need to skim the broth more frequently while simmering.
Storage & Reheating
Keep the broth and macaroni separate so the noodles don’t get soggy. Reheat the broth on the stove top and macaroni in the microwave. Combine when ready to serve.
Want More Kid Friendly Recipes?
Here’s a list of some of my favorite dishes to make for the kids:
- Thick Noodle Soup (Banh Canh)
- Pan-Fried Ground Pork Patties
- Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage (Com Chien Lap Xuong)
- Caramelized Ground Pork Rice Bowls
- Northern-Style Chicken Noodle Soup (Bun Thang)
- Steamed Pork Buns (Banh Bao)
Vietnamese Macaroni Pork Rib Soup (Súp Nui)
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
An easy kid-friendly meal with tender pork ribs, soft macaroni, and hearty vegetables in a light broth.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork spare ribs
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 small carrots (10 oz)
- 1 medium potato (10 oz)
- Half small head cauliflower (10 oz)
- 3 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder or mushroom seasoning powder
- 7 oz dried wheat or rice macaroni
Optional Accompaniments
- 15 oz can quail eggs (about 20 eggs)
- Thinly sliced green onions
- Lime (cut into wedges)
- Fried shallots
- Ground black pepper
- Chili oil
Instructions
- Prepare and blanch the ribs: Separate the ribs into individual pieces by cutting between the bones. Add the ribs to a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and parboil until impurities rise to the top (about 10 minutes total). While waiting, peel the onion and slice it in half if it’s large and set aside. Drain the pot into a colander in the sink and rinse the ribs under cold water to remove any remaining impurities.
- Make the stock: In a clean large pot, add the parboiled ribs, peeled onion, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 45 to 50 minutes. We’ll add the vegetables at intervals.
- Prepare and add vegetables: While the pot is simmering, prepare the vegetables. Peel and cut the carrots and potato into small chunks. Cut up the cauliflower into slightly larger chunks than the potatoes so they can finish cooking at the same time. Add the carrots to the pot after 15 minutes of cooking. When you have 10 minutes left on the clock, add the potatoes and cauliflower to the pot. If using quail eggs and bottom stems of green onions, go ahead and add the hard boiled quail eggs into the pot too.
- Season the stock: Discard the onions if you prefer then season the stock with salt, fish sauce and chicken bouillon powder or mushroom seasoning powder. Add a little at a time to taste.
- Cook the macaroni: Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.
- Assemble and serve: Divide the macaroni into four serving bowls. Ladle hot broth, along with ribs, quail eggs and vegetables. Top with optional accompaniments (green onions, squeeze of lime, fried shallots, ground pepper and chili oil) if preferred.
Notes
You can replace pork ribs with beef ribs or bone-in chicken thighs.
Other vegetables you can use: napa cabbage, cabbage, shiitake mushroom, parsnips, daikon or broccoli
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: entree
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
