Photograph of the finished Thick Rice Noodle Soup with Crab

Vietnam · Bánh canh cua

Thick Rice Noodle Soup with Crab

1 hr 30 min Hands-on time
MediumDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Rice noodle strands Rice noodle strands 600 g
  • Photograph of Sea crab Sea crab 600 g
  • Photograph of Prawns Prawns 200 g
  • Photograph of Pork bones Pork bones 600 g
  • Photograph of Vietnamese pork paste Vietnamese pork paste 200 g
  • Photograph of Tapioca starch Tapioca starch 40 g
  • Photograph of Salted duck eggs Salted duck eggs 2
  • Photograph of Spring onion Spring onion 40 g
  • Photograph of Coriander Coriander 20 g
  • Photograph of Crispy fried shallots Crispy fried shallots 20 g
  • Photograph of Fish sauce Fish sauce 40 ml
  • Photograph of Black pepper Black pepper 4 g
  • Photograph of Oil Oil 40 ml
  • Photograph of Dried shallots Dried shallots 2

Method

  1. 1 Steam the crab for 15 minutes, remove the meat, and reserve the steaming liquid to use for making broth.
  2. 2 Simmer pork bones for 45 minutes to make broth, then strain to remove any sediment.
  3. 3 Shape the minced pork into small balls and boil them for 5 minutes; blanch the shrimp for 2-3 minutes until just cooked, then remove them from the pot.
  4. 4 Mix the cornstarch with water and gradually pour it into the pot to thicken the broth.
  5. 5 Add the rice noodles and cook for 5 minutes, then season with fish sauce and pepper to taste.
  6. 6 Scoop into a bowl, arrange the cooked crab meat and shrimp on top, along with the salted egg, and sprinkle with fried onions and cilantro.

With an appliance

  • Pressure cooker 1 hr

    Replace step 2: cook pork bones under high pressure for 15 minutes, then let them rest naturally for 10 minutes; reduce cooking time to about 20 minutes. This will result in a richer, sweeter broth without the need for constant monitoring. Crab, shrimp, and rice noodles can still be added later to prevent them from becoming mushy.

Start cooking