Crab noodle soup is an soupy dish that is appealing for a family meal or a delicious breakfast. Today, let’s join TasteVN in the kitchen to prepare 3 authentic ways to cook crab noodle soup at home!
1. Crab noodle soup
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Crab noodle soup For 4 people
Ground crab 1 kg Fresh noodles 400 gr Pork paste 100 gr Pig’s blood 200 gr Dried shrimp 50 gr Dried squid 30 gr Egg yolks 2 pieces Pork fat 100 gr Tofu 150 gr Tomatoes 500 gr Accompanying vegetables 300 gr Shallots 100 gr Green onions 20 gr Cooking oil 150 ml Annatto oil 1 tablespoon Shrimp paste 20 gr Fish sauce 20 ml Seasoning a little (pepper/ seasoning granules/ salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate)
Product Information
- You can use a 350W blender to finely grind crabs. With a capacity of up to 0.6 liters, the 4-blade stainless steel blade helps easily blend various types of food.
- Equipped with an automatic shut-off function when overloaded, it only operates when properly assembled, ensuring safety during use and prolonging the machine’s lifespan.
- If you often use a blender to prepare dishes according to your needs, then get a blender right away!
Tools Required
How to Choose Fresh Delicious Freshwater Crabs
- Choose freshwater crabs that have a dull purple-gray color, with the shell being lighter in color. To choose crabs with more meat, select male crabs with a small and pointed abdomen, while for crabs with more roe, choose female crabs with a larger abdomen, often referred to as “flower abdomen.”
- Choose those that still move quickly, with claws and legs intact and flexible. Pressing on the abdomen shell and seeing bubbles form means the crab is still fresh.
- To make delicious crab noodle soup, crabs must be pounded by hand; the crab meat foam will be soft and smooth and retain its characteristic flavor. If you don’t have time, you can grind the crabs using a blender, but the crab meat foam is often airy and gritty.
- Avoid choosing freshwater crabs with red eyes, those with hairy undersides, or those with star-shaped spots on their backs.
How to Prepare Fresh Crab Noodle Soup
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Prepare the Fresh Crab
Soak the crabs in water for about 1 hour to remove all dirt and sand, then rinse with clean water. Remove the crab’s apron and shell, and set them aside.
Use a small spoon to scrape the crab roe into a bowl, seasoning it with a little ground pepper and seasoning. Grind or pound the crab apron into small pieces.
Put the ground crab into a large bowl, season with a little salt, then add water and gently squeeze with your hands to dissolve the crab meat into the water. After that, use your hands or a sieve to filter out the crab remnants and collect the liquid. You should have about 3.5 liters of crab broth.
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Prepare Other Ingredients
Pork fat should be cleaned, cut into small square pieces, and then fried until golden (use the pork fat for cooking the other ingredients). Cut the tofu into small pieces and fry until golden.
Wash the green onions, chop half into small pieces and cut the other half into about 3cm lengths. Peel and slice the shallots.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges. Blanch the pig’s blood in water to clean it, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Soak dried shrimp and dried squid in water for about 30 minutes, then cut the squid into small pieces and fry it golden with the dried shrimp.
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Fry shallots
Add 150ml of cooking oil (or use the pork fat if there’s plenty) into a deep pan, heat it up, then add the sliced shallots and fry until golden.
Once the shallots are golden, add the crispy pork fat and fry briefly, then remove and drain.
Tips for frying crispy shallots, without oil splatter
- Add 3 – 4 drops of lemon along with a little salt when the oil is not yet hot, wait for the oil to heat up then add the shallots, this way the shallots will be crispy and not splatter oil.
- Use an appropriate oil ratio, about 600ml of oil for every 500g of shallots. This ensures the shallots are submerged in oil and crispy all over without burning.
- Add the shallots gradually instead of pouring them all at once, while continuously stirring gently with chopsticks to avoid the shallots breaking apart.
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Stir-fry crab meat
Take the separated crab meat, add it to the pan with 1 tablespoon of pork fat and stir-fry until cooked.
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Make and steam the crab cake
Put 100g of crab meat, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of seasoning, a little chopped green onion along with some filtered crab broth into a bowl and mix well.
Then pour this mixture into a mold along with about 100ml of filtered crab broth and steam for about 30 – 40 minutes until the crab cake is cooked.
You spread some sautéed crab meat on the surface of the crab cake to create an eye-catching golden color and enhance the flavor.
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Sauté tomatoes
Heat a pan over the stove with a little lard, add the tomato wedges and 1 tablespoon of annatto oil to sauté for about 5 minutes.
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Making the broth
The pre-fried squid and shrimp are put into the pot, along with the crab shells carefully wrapped in cloth. Add 1.5 liters of water to the pot and cook for about 30 – 40 minutes so that the shrimp and squid release their sweetness.
Remove the shells; at this point, there should be about 1 liter of broth left in the pot. Continue to pour in 3 liters of filtered crab soup and simmer on low heat so that the crab soup gradually forms a layer of meat and floats to the surface.
Then add the tomatoes, tofu, blood pudding, chopped green onions, and remaining crab fat into the pot, seasoning with: 60g of sugar, a little monosodium glutamate, 20ml of fish sauce, a bit of seasoning powder, pepper, and 20g of shrimp paste, stirring well.
Tip: Shrimp paste creates the distinctive flavor of crab noodle soup; if you don’t like it, you can omit it.
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Final product
Put the noodles in a bowl, cut the crab cake into bite-sized pieces, and pour the crab broth over along with tomatoes, blood pudding, tofu, and green onions to enjoy right away.
The broth is sweet and clear, while the steamed crab cake is rich and soft, providing a delicious flavor. Served with fresh vegetables, it couldn’t get any better. What are you waiting for? Get into the kitchen and treat your family to this delightful dish.
Today, let’s cook crab noodle soup with TasteVN for the whole family to enjoy, with very detailed steps to ensure your success.
See details: How to cook irresistible crab noodle soup at home
2. Crab noodle soup without crab
Preparation
1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking
2 hours
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Crab noodle soup without crab Serves 4 people
Pork knuckle 1.2 kg (or pork bones) Minced pork 350 gr Crab meat 50 gr (canned type) Dried shrimp 40 gr Chicken eggs 5 eggs Fried tofu 200 gr Tomatoes 500 gr Fresh herbs 500 gr Red onion 120 gr Water spinach 1.2 kg Lemon 1 piece Garlic 40 gr Ginger 15 gr Green onion 3 stalks Chili 5 gr Fresh noodles 400 gr Tomato sauce 3 tablespoons Shrimp paste 100 gr Annatto oil 20 ml Cooking oil 4 tablespoons Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Rock sugar 50 gr Crab noodle soup seasoning 50 gr (canned type) Seasoning a little (sugar/ MSG/ salt/ seasoning powder/ ground pepper)
Implementation tools
How to choose fresh and delicious pork
- You can buy pre-ground meat or buy whole pieces of pork to grind yourself or use a blender for better safety.
- Select pieces of meat that have both lean and fat so that when eaten, it has a delicious fattiness, not too dry.
- Choose pieces of meat that are bright pink and fresh. Press your hand on it and feel the meat’s elasticity and firmness, which should stick tightly together.
- Do not choose pieces of meat that are pale green, darkened, or have small white spots in the meat; these could be from dead pigs, stored for too long, or sick pigs, tapeworms.
- It is advisable to choose reputable food stores with clear origins to ensure the best meat quality.
How to make Crab Noodle Soup without crabs
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Preparing the pig’s trotter
Wash the pig’s trotter thoroughly, cut it into round slices about the thickness of one finger (you can ask the seller to cut it for convenience).
Then boil a pot of water, add 20g of shallots and ginger, peeled and sliced, half a tablespoon of salt along with the pig’s trotter, and blanch for about 2-3 minutes over high heat.
After that, turn off the heat, take the pig’s trotter out, rinse it again with clean water, and let it drain.
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Prepare other ingredients
Wrap 50g of shallots in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius, then peel off the skin, trim the roots, and add to the pot of pork leg broth for aroma.
Dried shrimp in a bowl, soak in warm water for about 15 minutes until the shrimp softens, then rinse with cold water. Then, put it in a blender to grind the shrimp finely.
Cut tofu into small bite-sized squares and fry again until crispy and delicious.
The remaining 50g of shallots, along with 40g of peeled garlic, minced finely.
Cut the green onion into pieces about 2 – 3cm long, and chop the remaining green parts finely. Half of the chili minced finely and the other half sliced.
Cut lemon into small pieces. Cut tomatoes into wedges and remove some seeds.
Wash the water spinach, shred thinly, and soak in diluted lemon juice to prevent browning and make it crisper.
Add 100g of shrimp paste to a pot with 600ml of water, bring to a boil, skim the foam for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
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Stir-fried tomatoes
Place a pan on the stove, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil along with minced garlic and onion to sauté until fragrant. Then pour the sautéed garlic and onion into a bowl, leaving a little in the pan.
Add the chopped tomatoes along with 1 teaspoon of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and stir-fry for about 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
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Making crab paste
Put 350g of ground pork in a bowl and season it with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 1.5 tablespoons of sautéed garlic and onion, then mix well.
Next, add 40g of dried shrimp that has been ground, 50g of crab roe, 50g of bún riêu cua seasoning, and 5 chicken eggs, then mix the mixture thoroughly.
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Steamed crab cakes
Put 1 tablespoon of cooking oil evenly into the steaming mold, then add 1/2 of the crab mixture into the mold, spreading it evenly.
Place a pot of water on the stove to boil, when the water is boiling, place the steamer on top and put the crab mixture tray in to steam for about 20 minutes over medium heat.
After steaming is done, brush a layer of annatto oil on the surface of the crab cakes to enhance the appealing color. Finally, cover and steam for another 5 minutes to finish.
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Prepare the broth
Put 4 liters of water into a pot, add the prepared pork trotters along with 10 grams of rock sugar and simmer over high heat for about 15 – 20 minutes, then skim off the foam for clear water. Simmer for about 1 hour and 30 minutes until the trotters are tender.
Tip: During the simmering process, the water will evaporate, so remember to add more water to ensure there are 4 liters of broth for the noodles.
After the trotters are tender, remove the onions, ginger, and trotters. Pour 400ml of the clear shrimp paste that has settled into the pot along with 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce, and stir well.
Next, use a spoon to scoop the small crab mixture into the pot and do not stir so that the mixture sets and forms lumps. When the crab mixture rises to the surface, it is done.
Add tomatoes along with the annatto oil, 3.5 tablespoons of seasoning, 40 grams of rock sugar, 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, mix well and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Finally, add the pre-fried tofu along with the green onion and cook for an additional 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
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Final Product
Briefly blanch the noodles in boiling water, then transfer them to a bowl, adding tomatoes, crab paste, pork, and fried tofu, then pour the broth over. Sprinkle some chopped green onions and chili to enhance the delicious flavor.
Your family and friends will be amazed by this delicious, attractive dish.
3. Crab noodle soup using canned crab
Preparation
2 hours
Cooking
1 hour
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for crab noodle soup using canned crab Serves 4
Crab paste 1 can (160g) Bones 1 kg Pork knuckle 500 g Lean pork 600 g Chicken eggs 2 pieces Fried tofu 200 g Tomatoes 300 g Accompanying vegetables 500 g Chopped green onions 10 g Shallots 10 g Chili 5 g Fresh noodles 300 g Annatto oil 1 tablespoon Shrimp paste 3 teaspoons Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Rock sugar 20 g Vinegar a little Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate/ ground pepper)
Implementation tools
Raw material image
How to prepare Crab noodle soup with canned crab
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Prepare the pork
Soak the chopped pork bones and whole pork shoulder in warm water with a little vinegar and salt for about 5 – 10 minutes to clean the meat and eliminate odors. Use a sharp knife to scrape off any remaining hair on the pig’s skin.
Then rinse thoroughly several times with water to remove dirt and effectively eliminate odors.
Place a pot on the stove, add the pork bones along with 4 liters of filtered water and 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 crushed shallot, cover and bring to a boil. After the water boils, skim off the foam to make the broth clearer.
Finally, add the pig’s trotters, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 – 1.5 hours.
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Prepare other ingredients.
Wash the accompanying vegetables and other ingredients.
For accompanying vegetables such as: aromatic herbs, remove the wilted leaves and keep the fresh young leaves, thinly sliced water spinach, and chopped lettuce.
Tip: You can choose the accompanying vegetables for crab noodle soup according to your taste!
The remaining shallots are peeled and finely chopped. The tomatoes are cut into wedges, with some seeds removed.
The fried tofu is reheated to make it crispy and more delicious.
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Cook the broth
After simmering the bones and pork leg for over an hour, you remove the pork leg. Continue simmering the bones until they are soft to make the broth clearer and sweeter.
Once the broth is ready, add 20g of rock sugar to the pot.
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Make the cake
Lean pork is cut into thin slices, then put into a meat grinder along with 1 onion. After the meat is ground, continue to season it with: 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 2 teaspoons of shrimp paste, 1 can of crab meat (160gr), 1 tablespoon of sugar, a little monosodium glutamate, a little ground pepper, 2 chicken eggs, 10gr of green onions, and grind for about 30 seconds to mix the mixture well.
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Stir-fry tomatoes
Add 1 tablespoon of annatto oil to a hot pan, then add minced shallots to fry until fragrant.
Next, add the chopped tomatoes and stir-fry for about 5 minutes over medium heat, then add 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and stir-fry for 3 minutes for the spices to absorb.
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Completion
Use a spoon to scoop the portions of cake made in step 4 into the broth pot and cook until the cake balls float on the surface of the water, indicating they are cooked.
Tip: When scooping, to prevent the cake mixture from sticking to the spoon, soak the spoon in the pot of boiling water (broth) before each scoop.
Next, add the fried tofu, sautéed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste, chopped onions, and chili, along with the pig’s trotter into the pot to complete.
Tip: You can add some sausage if you like!
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Final Product
Put the vermicelli in a bowl, add some vegetables, scoop the pig’s trotter, the crab mixture, tomatoes,… and pour some broth over it to enjoy right away.
The broth is sweet and rich, blending perfectly with the tender, sweet pig’s trotter and the fragrant, fatty crab mixture will make you unable to stop eating!
How to choose fresh and delicious pig trotters
- Choose the hind legs of the pig as they usually have more meat and higher nutritional value.
- Good quality trotters usually have good elasticity, with the hooves intact.
- Trotters with unusual colors such as green or purple, or with abnormal fluids leaking out indicate that these are from sick pigs that have been injected with antibiotics or from pigs that have died for a long time; absolutely do not buy them as they can affect consumer health.
- It is advisable to buy pig trotters at reputable supermarkets or food stores to ensure the quality of the trotters.
How to prepare pig trotters without odor
- After purchasing, use a knife to scrape off the hair, then rub salt to eliminate the odor, and rinse with clean water.
- Then blanch the trotters in boiling water with minced shallots and ginger for about 1 minute to remove dirt and odor.
- Additionally, you can soak the pig in diluted saltwater, adding lemon or vinegar, and smashed ginger will also effectively eliminate odors.
Types of vegetables served with bún riêu
You can use various types of vegetables to accompany bún riêu according to your family’s taste. Basically, there are: shredded water spinach, perilla leaves, Vietnamese balm, lettuce, bean sprouts, green onions, and sawtooth coriander. In some places, people also use basil and shredded banana flowers for this dish.
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With just a few simple steps, you can enjoy river crab noodle soup at home that is not only delicious but also nutritious and incredibly attractive. Wishing you success!
