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
Units
Scale
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