Vietnamese Crab Noodle (bun rieu cua) was my childhood favorite dish. I recently bought a bag of fresh shore crab. Although it was not the tropical freshwater crab like in Vietnam, it’s still great for me to make my favorite dish far from home with the freshest ingredients instead of using canned crab paste.
Table of Contents
What is Vietnamese Crab Noodle
Vietnamese Crab noodle (bun rieu cua) is a simple, rustic dish of Vietnamese people, especially popular in rural areas. It is made from a pretty simple list of ingredients: tomato, tofu, and freshwater mini crabs (cua đồng in Vietnamese).
Fresh Crab vs. Canned Crab
I remember that freshwater mini crabs were sold widely in the local markets in my hometown. My mother always bought the fresh crabs, preparing each piece, and pounded the crabs simply using a pestle and mortar. Then, she mixed the pounded crab with water, filtered it to remove the shell, and cooked the remaining mixture to get the crab paste. Believe me, that crab paste was much more delicious than the canned crab paste. Nowadays, thanks to modern kitchen appliances, such as blenders and food processors, we can easily prepare fresh crab – the key to a perfect crab noodle – in no time.
However, I also experience the scarcity of fresh crabs if we are not living in tropical countries like Vietnam, Thailand, or Indonesia. Therefore, let me also share how to make bun rieu cua with canned crab meat.
Herbs and Vegetables
All Vietnamese noodles, from pho to bun bo Hue or hu tieu Nam Vang, must have fresh vegetables accompanying them. Bun rieu cua is no exception. The most special vegetables to enjoy with this dish are julienned morning glory stalks (rau muống bào), and sliced banana heart (bắp chuối bào). These are the vegetables associated with Vietnamese daily meals. Then, tons of popular herbs and vegetables such as spring onion, coriander, or mung bean sprouts add their aroma and freshness to the dish, making it a more balanced and healthy noodle.
Vietnamese Crab Noodle Ingredients
Here’s the list of ingredients for this dish, with 4 servings. Vegetables are optional, depending on the availability in your region:
The broth
- 1.5L-2L (50.7 oz – 67.6 oz) water
- 500g (17.6 oz) tomato
- 100g (3.5 oz) chopped shallot
- 4 tbsp annatto oil or cooking oil
- 300g (10.6 oz) tofu
- Condiments: 2-3 tbsp salt, 1-2 tbsp fish sauce
Crab Paste (Rieu cua)
- 800ml (27 oz) water & 500g (17.7 oz) prepared fresh crab, or
- 160g (5.6 oz) canned crab & 2 eggs
Vegetables
- 300g (10.6 oz) morning glory stalks (if any)
- 300g (10.6 oz) banana heart (if any)
- 200g (7 oz) mung bean sprouts (if any)
- A handful of chopped spring onions & coriander
Vermicelli
- 300g (10.6 oz) dried vermicelli
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Preparing crab mixture
- With fresh crabs (option 1): After preparing crabs (washing & removing crab shells and aprons), blend them with half the corresponding water (in my case, 400ml) and a pinch of salt. You should use a blender to save lots of your time; otherwise, you can also follow the traditional way by pounding the crab in a mortar. Filter the mixture to remove the crab shell. Then, add the remaining half (the rest 400ml) of the water and filter a second time.
- With canned crab (option 2): Beat two eggs, then mix well with the canned crab.
Step 2: Making crab paste (rieu cua)
- If you are using fresh crabs (option 1), start to cook the crab mixture in a large pot, on medium heat. The tip to achieve a big, unified block of crab paste is to cook on low-medium heat, and don’t stir during the cooking time. Once the mixture boils, the crab paste will float on the surface. Gently scoop out all the crab paste from the pot and set it aside.
- (Option 2) With canned crab mixture, prepare a steamer and steam the mixture on medium heat. Otherwise, you can simply microwave it for a few minutes until cooked.
Step 3: Cooking the broth
- (Option 1) After scooping out the crab paste, continue to boil the remaining broth in the pot. Add more water to triple the amount of water in the pot.
- (Option 2) Simply use water; if possible, you should use bone broth (chicken or pork bone) to achieve a deeper, richer broth.
- Chop shallot and cut tomato into pieces. In a pan, stir-fry shallot with annatto oil, once you smell the aroma, add tomato pieces in and continue to stir fry until the tomatoes are well cooked.
- In another pan, fry tofu until golden and crispy.
- Finally, add all the stir-fried tomato and fried tofu into the broth. Mix them well, then adjust the taste with salt and fish sauce based on your preference.
Step 4: Preparing vegetables & vermicelli
This step can be prepared in parallel with steps 2 and 3 to save time.
- Boil the dried vermicelli until soft, usually in 7-10 minutes.
- Wash the vegetables. Then, slice the banana heart (if any) and julienne morning glory (so-called water spinach) stalks.
Step 5: Serving
- Gently arrange crab paste (riêu) and vegetables onto vermicelli, then pour the broth into the bowl with tofu and tomato.
That’s it. Enjoy your authentic Vietnamese bun rieu cua!
Vietnamese Crab Noodle (Bún Riêu Cua)
Ingredients
The broth
- 500 g tomato
- 100 g chopped shallot
- 4 tbsp annatto oil or cooking oil
- 300 g tofu
- 2-3 tbsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp fish sauce
Option 1. Fresh Crab Paste (Riêu cua tươi)
- 800 ml water
- 500 g prepared fresh crab
Option 2. Canned Crab Paste (Riêu cua đóng hộp)
- 160 g canned crab
- 2 egg
Vegetables
- 300 g morning glory stalks (if any)
- 300 g banana heart (if any)
- 200 g mung bean sprouts (if any)
- 1 cup chopped spring onions & coriander
Vermicelli
- 300 g dried vermicelli
Instructions
Step 1: Preparing crab mixture
- With fresh crabs (option 1): After preparing crabs (washing & removing crab shells and aprons), blend them with half the corresponding water (in my case, 400ml) and a pinch of salt. You should use a blender to save lots of your time; otherwise, you can also follow the traditional way by pounding the crab in a mortar. Filter the mixture to remove the crab shell. Then, add the remaining half (the rest 400ml) of the water and filter a second time. Blend… then filter the crab shells.
- With canned crab (option 2): Beat two eggs, then mix well with the canned crab.
Step 2: Making crab paste (rieu cua)
- If you are using fresh crabs (option 1), start to cook the crab mixture in a large pot, on medium heat. The tip to achieve a big, unified block of crab paste is to cook on low-medium heat, and don’t stir during the cooking time. Once the mixture boils, the crab paste will float on the surface. Gently scoop out all the crab paste from the pot and set it aside.
- (Option 2) With canned crab mixture, prepare a steamer and steam the mixture on medium heat. Otherwise, you can simply microwave it for a few minutes until cooked.
Step 3: Cooking the broth
- (Option 1) After scooping out the crab paste, continue to boil the remaining broth in the pot. Add more water to triple the amount of water in the pot.
- (Option 2) Simply use water; if possible, you should use bone broth (chicken or pork bone) to achieve a deeper, richer broth.
- Chop shallot and cut tomato into pieces. In a pan, stir-fry shallot with annatto oil, once you smell the aroma, add tomato pieces in and continue to stir fry until the tomatoes are well cooked.
- In another pan, fry tofu until golden and crispy.
- Finally, add all the stir-fried tomato and fried tofu into the broth. Mix them well, then adjust the taste with salt and fish sauce based on your preference.
Step 4: Preparing vegetables & vermicelli (This step can be prepared in parallel with steps 2 and 3 to save time)
- Boil the dried vermicelli until soft, usually in 7-10 minutes.
- Wash the vegetables. Then, slice the banana heart (if any) and julienne morning glory (so-called water spinach) stalks.
Step 5: Serving
- Gently arrange crab paste (riêu) and vegetables onto vermicelli, then pour the broth into the bowl with tofu and tomato.
Video
Nutrition
You can even go vegan with bun rieu! The broth is replaced by vegetables broth, and the crab paste is made from tofu and mushroom with quite similar taste and appearance. Check my Vegan Vietnamese Crab Noodle recipe.
Do you like this recipe? Brighten my day by rating the recipe and clicking the “save” button to have this recipe right on your Pinterest board. Also, let’s be my friends on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok!
A very clear guide to make the dish with fresh crabs. Thanks!
Fresh crabs are indeed much better! Your recipe is simple and easy to follow, thanks!