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Bún Riêu — Vietnamese Crab & Tomato Noodle Soup

A tangy, savoury Vietnamese noodle soup built on a freshwater-crab-and-tomato broth, with clouds of a fluffy crab-and-pork-paste 'riêu' floating on top. Soured lightly and finished with shrimp paste, it's served over rice vermicelli with tofu, tomato and a big plate of herbs. Bright, light and deeply savoury — a beloved everyday bowl across Vietnam.

Door Cam Nguyễn · Vietnam editor · Gepubliceerd 2026-06-02 · Bijgewerkt 2026-06-02
Naar recept →
Voorber.
30 min
Bereiden
40 min
Totaal
70 min
Levert
4–6 servings
Moeilijkheid
Medium
#vietnamese#soup#seafood#weekend#noodles
Snel antwoord · Antwoord in 30 seconden

Build a broth from pork bones (and dried shrimp), then stir in crab paste (canned crab-in-spices, or fresh) and tomatoes sautéed in annatto oil. Mix a 'riêu' of minced pork, crab/shrimp paste and egg, and drop spoonfuls into the simmering broth where they set into fluffy floating clouds. Season with fish sauce, a little fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm) and a touch of tamarind for tang. Serve over rice vermicelli with fried tofu, tomato, and a plate of herbs, lime and chilli.

  • The 'riêu' — a pork-and-crab paste bound with egg — sets into the signature fluffy floating clouds.
  • Annatto oil gives the broth its orange colour; tomato and a touch of tamarind give the gentle tang.
  • A little fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm) is traditional for depth — add to taste, and serve with herbs.

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Small pan (for annatto oil)
  • Bowl (for the riêu)

Ingrediënten

Broth

  • 500 g pork bones
  • 2 L water
  • 2 tbsp dried shrimp (optional); salt
  • 4 tomatoes, in wedges
  • 2 tbsp annatto seeds, for oil

Riêu & seasoning

  • 300 g minced pork
  • 100 g crab paste (canned crab-in-spices) or fresh crab, plus a little for the broth
  • 1 egg; 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm), to taste
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste (for tang)

To serve

  • 600 g rice vermicelli (bún), cooked
  • Fried tofu, cubed
  • Herbs (perilla, water spinach, banana blossom), bean sprouts, lime, chilli

Bereiding

  1. STAP
    01

    Blanch then simmer the pork bones with the dried shrimp in the water for 30–40 minutes to make a light broth, skimming. Season with salt.

  2. STAP
    02

    Warm the annatto seeds in a little oil until the oil turns orange-red, strain out the seeds, and sauté the tomato wedges briefly in it. Add to the broth.

  3. STAP
    03

    Combine the minced pork, crab paste and egg into a loose paste. Drop spoonfuls into the gently simmering broth (or pour it in) where it will set and float to the top in fluffy clouds. Don't stir hard.

  4. STAP
    04

    Season the broth with fish sauce, the fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm) to taste, and tamarind for a gentle sourness. Add the fried tofu to warm through.

  5. STAP
    05

    Put cooked rice vermicelli in bowls, ladle over the hot broth with riêu, tofu and tomato, and serve with a big plate of herbs, bean sprouts, lime and chilli to add to taste.

Make ahead

Make the broth (and annatto oil) ahead — it improves overnight. Form and cook the riêu and assemble fresh, cooking the noodles and readying the herb plate at serving time.

Storage

The broth keeps 3 days refrigerated and deepens; store separately from the noodles and herbs. The riêu is best fresh but holds in the broth a day. Cook the vermicelli and prep the herb plate fresh when serving.

Variations

Bún riêu cua

The crab version (cua) using freshwater paddy crab paste for the most traditional flavour.

With extras

Add cubes of congealed pork blood, snails (ốc), or beef for regional and loaded versions.

Simplified

Use canned 'crab in spices' (gia vị nấu bún riêu) paste for an easy, very tasty shortcut broth.

Serve with

A big plate of fresh herbs and banana blossomLime and sliced chilliFermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm) on the sideFried tofu

Nutrition per serving

460 kcal 16 g fat 56 g carbs 24 g protein 6 g sugar 3 g fiber 1280 mg sodium
Allergens: Crustaceans, Shellfish, Fish, Egg
Diet: Dairy-free

Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.

Veelgestelde vragen

What is the 'riêu'?

Riêu refers to the fluffy, savoury crab-and-pork paste that floats on top of the soup. It's a mixture of minced pork, crab (or shrimp) paste and egg, dropped into the simmering broth where it sets into soft, cloud-like pieces. It's the signature element that gives bún riêu its name.

Do I need fresh crab?

Not necessarily. Traditional bún riêu uses paste from small freshwater paddy crabs, but it's labour-intensive. A very common and tasty shortcut is canned 'crab in spices' (gia vị bún riêu) paste, sold in Vietnamese shops, optionally boosted with fresh or canned crab meat. Either way you get the crabby, savoury character.

What gives the broth its colour and tang?

The orange colour comes from annatto (achiote) oil and tomatoes sautéed in it; the gentle sourness comes from tomato plus a touch of tamarind (and sometimes fermented rice or vinegar). A little fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm) adds the deep, savoury, slightly funky backbone.

Is mắm tôm necessary?

It's traditional and adds a distinctive savoury depth, but it's pungent — add it gradually to taste, and it's often offered on the side so each person can adjust. You can make a milder bún riêu with just fish sauce if the fermented shrimp paste isn't for you.

What herbs go with bún riêu?

A generous plate of fresh herbs and vegetables is essential — typically shredded water spinach (rau muống), banana blossom, perilla (tía tô), Vietnamese herbs, bean sprouts, plus lime and sliced chilli. They're added to the hot bowl to taste, bringing freshness and crunch to the tangy broth.

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