Banh Canh is the only Vietnamese noodle soup that you will eat with a spoon. However, if you are like my kids, forego the spoon and chopsticks altogether, and slurp it directly from the bowl.
For this version of Banh Canh, I’m making Banh Canh Tom Cua. Banh Canh Tom Cua is an orange-colored thick Vietnamese noodle soup that consists of thick and round noodles, whole shrimp and crab meat, topped with fresh cilantro and green onions.
The thick and round noodles are made from rice flour and tapioca starch. However, I’m not a fan of Banh Canh noodles because they are mostly made of or strictly made of tapioca starch.
I usually substitute them with udon noodles. The addition of rice flour just hits different.
The stock in this Banh Canh recipe is made from pork bones and thickened with a tapioca starch slurry.
The orange color traditionally comes from the crab roe, also known as crab tomalley. Since I’m not using whole crabs but rather prepackaged crab chunks, I colored my broth with annatto oil, which is entirely optional.
Banh Canh Cua: Vietnamese Crab Thick Noodle Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 48 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Looking for a comforting bowl of soup? This noodle soup comes with shrimp, crab, and thick, chewy noodles in a flavorful broth. It’s a quick and easy seafood dish, perfect for warming the soul during soup season.
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 large yellow onion or 4 shallots (leave whole)
- 3 lb pork bones (neck bones and/or spareribs)
- 1 teaspoon (for cleaning) plus 1 tablespoon sea salt (for stock)
- 3 quarts water
- 1 small daikon (peel and cut into chunks)
- 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon annatto oil
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 cup cold water
Noodles
- 2 lbs Banh Canh or Udon Noodles
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Meat Toppings
- 1 lb cooked crab meat
- 1 tablespoon annatto oil or neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 15 cooked shrimp (size 21-25, peel and devein)
Garnishes
- Ground black pepper
- 2 scallions/green onions (slice thinly)
- Small bunch cilantro (slice thinly)
- Fried shallots
- 1 lime (cut into wedges)
Instructions
- Roast onion/shallots in the oven at 350°F for about 40 minutes or until soft. Allow them to cool then peel/scrap off all charred areas to prevent browning the broth. Set aside.
- Clean the pork bones thoroughly: Add the pork bones to a large stock pot and fill with water to cover by 1 inch. Add salt (1 teaspoon). Parboil the bones for 8 minutes or when you see a lot of foam forming. Drain content of the pot into a colander placed in the sink and rinse bones under cold running water. This cleaning will keep the stock clear. It also helps to get rid of the foul pork smell.
- Make the stock: Clean the pot thoroughly and return to stove. Add water (3 quarts), cleaned pork bones, roasted onion/shallots and daikon. Bring pot to a boil and reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Cook for 1 hour, uncovered. Remove onions/shallots and daikon from the pot and discard.
- Season stock with stock bouillon powder, sugar, salt (1 tablespoon) and fish sauce. Add annatto oil and/or food coloring to the stock for color (optional).
- Thicken the broth: In a small bowl, mix tapioca starch and water (1/2 cup) until completely dissolved. Add slurry to broth and simmer for an additional 5 minute to thicken.
- Cook the noodles per packaged instructions. Toss gently with sesame seed oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the crab. Heat annatto or neutral oil (1 tablespoon) in a small skillet at medium-high. Add garlic and pan-fry until fragrant. Add cooked crab meat and lightly sauté until colored and aromatic. Set aside.
- Assemble: Add a handful of Banh Canh noodles into a bowl. Ladle broth over noodles. Add 2 or 3 shrimp, desired amount of crab meat and pork spare ribs from broth. Garnish with a sprinkle of black pepper, scallions/green onions, cilantro and fried shallots. Serve with a wedge of lime on the side and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 48 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
