6 Delicious and Authentic Fish Noodle Soup Recipes

Fish noodle soup (Bún cá) is a familiar dish in Vietnamese cuisine, distinguished by its sweet and clear broth, tender aromatic fish, and unique flavors specific to each region. Every locality has its own way of cooking fish noodles, creating a diverse and irresistible appeal. If you are looking for a delicious and easy-to-make fish noodle recipe at home, let’s explore these 6 authentic recipes in this article by Ola Squid!

1. How to cook delicious Hanoi-style fish noodle soup

Hanoi-style fish noodle soup impresses with its light, clear broth and fish that is crispy on the outside while remaining tender on the inside, served with signature fresh dill.

1.1. Ingredients

To cook an authentic and delicious bowl of Hanoi fish noodles, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

• 800g tilapia
• 400g pork bones
• 500g fresh rice noodles, 10g shallots
• 2 pieces of soft tofu
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon MSG
• ½ tablespoon shrimp paste or regular fish sauce
• ½ tablespoon lime juice
• Side vegetables: dill, green onions, cilantro, perilla, tomatoes (about 100g)

1.2. Instructions

Detailed guide on how to cook Hanoi-style fish noodles:

• Step 1 – Simmer the broth: Fillet the tilapia, keeping the head and bones. Blanch the pork bones and fish bones to remove any fishy smell and impurities, then simmer in a pot with enough water to create a clear, naturally sweet broth.
• Step 2 – Prepare ingredients: Slice the fish fillets into bite-sized pieces and cut the tofu into cubes. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and mince the shallots. Chop the green onions and dill, and wash all the fresh herbs.
• Step 3 – Marinate the fish: Marinate the fish with lime juice, shrimp paste, turmeric powder, and seasonings to neutralize the fishy odor and make the meat firm and flavorful. Marinate for 15-20 minutes.
• Step 4 – Fry fish and tofu: Next, deep-fry the tofu until golden and crispy, then remove and drain. Lightly coat the fish in crispy frying flour and deep-fry until golden, crispy on the outside but still soft inside.
• Step 5 – Cook the broth: Sauté the minced shallots, add tomatoes and a pinch of turmeric powder, then add this mixture to the broth. Remove the fish and pork bones, then season to taste to achieve the signature light acidity of Hanoi fish noodles.
• Step 6 – Serve: Place the noodles in a bowl, arrange the fried fish, tofu, and fresh herbs on top, and pour the hot broth over them. A perfect bowl of Hanoi fish noodles features a clear, light broth, crispy aromatic fish, and fresh greens.

>>> Read more: How to cook Da Nang-style fish cake noodle soup that everyone loves

2. How to prepare Chau Doc-style fish noodle soup

Chau Doc fish noodle soup carries the bold flavors of the Mekong Delta with a rich broth, fragrant with fermented fish sauce and lemongrass.

2.1. Required ingredients

Ingredients for Chau Doc fish noodle soup:

• 800g fresh rice noodles
• 1 snakehead fish
• 400ml fresh coconut water
• 20g fresh turmeric, 80g lemongrass
• 30g “ngai bun” (a type of ginger root), 15g rock sugar
• 1 shallot, 3 chili peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, 10g fermented shrimp paste (or fermented linh fish/sac fish)
• 1 liter of water
• Side vegetables: aromatic herbs, sesbania flowers, Vietnamese coriander, banana blossom, water spinach, water mimosa, bean sprouts, chives,…
• Common seasonings: salt, fish sauce, seasoning powder…

2.2. Cooking instructions

How to cook authentic Chau Doc fish noodles:

• Step 1 – Prepare ingredients: Clean the snakehead fish, remove the slime with salt, rinse, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Mince some lemongrass and crush the rest; mince shallots and garlic; slice chilies. Peel and wash the turmeric, and prepare the side vegetables.
• Step 2 – Cook the broth: Crush the lemongrass, turmeric, and “ngai bun,” then place in a pot with coconut water and water, bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the snakehead fish to cook, then remove and set aside to cool. Strain the broth to remove the spice particles, add the diluted fermented paste and seasonings until the broth is rich.
• Step 3 – Sauté the fish: Debone the cooked fish and shred it into pieces. Sauté minced lemongrass, shallot, and garlic until fragrant, then add the fish and stir quickly to firm up the meat and lock in the flavor. Return the fish to the broth to absorb the taste and keep a beautiful color.
• Step 4 – Completion: Put noodles in a bowl, top with fish and fresh vegetables, and pour the hot broth over. Authentic Chau Doc fish noodles should have a broth fragrant with lemongrass and “ngai bun,” with firm fish meat that doesn’t break, paired with fresh herbs for an unforgettable flavor.

3. How to cook authentic Hai Phong-style fish noodle soup

3.1. Prepare ingredients

Ingredients you need to prepare:

• 2 tilapia (about 0.5 – 1kg)
• 1 fresh ginger root, 1 turmeric root
• 6 tomatoes, 6 stalks of elephant ear stem (doc mung)
• 300g bun rối (fresh rice noodle bundles), 100g crispy frying flour
• 1 bunch of water dropwort, 2 teaspoons custard powder
• 10 fresh shallots, 5 dry shallots
• Green onions, dill: 2 stalks each
• 1 tablespoon annatto seed oil, 6 tablespoons fermented rice vinegar (giam bong)
• 500ml cooking oil, 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry roasted salt

3.2. Cooking steps

Instructions to cook authentic Hai Phong fish noodle soup:

Step 1:

• Clean the tilapia, fillet the meat, cut into bite-sized pieces, and marinate with salt and pepper for 15 minutes. Simmer the fish bones with grilled shallots and grilled ginger for about 60 minutes to create a sweet, clear broth.
• Massage the elephant ear stems with salt and rinse thoroughly to remove slime. Prepare the water dropwort and elephant ear stems by cutting into bite-sized pieces.
• Wash and chop the green onions, dill, shallots, and tomatoes.
• Crush fresh turmeric, mix with water, strain for turmeric juice, and add a little lime juice.

Step 2: Sauté shallots in annatto oil, add tomatoes and sauté until soft and vibrant red, then turn off the heat.

Step 3: Fry shallots in oil until golden and crispy, then remove and drain. Coat the marinated fish in the flour and custard powder mixture, deep-fry until golden brown on both sides, then drain.

Step 4: Remove the fish bones from the broth. Add the sautéed tomatoes, turmeric juice, roasted salt, sugar, fish sauce, and fermented rice vinegar, bring to a boil, and adjust the seasoning.

Step 5: Put noodles in a bowl, arrange the blanched elephant ear stems and water dropwort, add tomatoes, fried fish, fried shallots, green onions, and dill. Pour the hot broth over and enjoy.

4. Simple guide to cooking Nha Trang fish noodle soup

4.1. Ingredients

To make this dish, you need to prepare:

• 1kg tuna
• 500g rice noodles, 500g fried fish cakes
• 1 garlic bulb, 1 ginger root
• ½ cabbage, 3 shallots
• Green onions, 3 tomatoes
• ¼ pineapple
• Lime, lettuce, bean sprouts, herbs (fish mint, basil,…)
• Seasonings: fish sauce, salt, MSG, seasoning powder, pepper, cooking oil,…

4.2. Instructions

Steps to make Nha Trang fish noodle soup:

• Step 1: Mince garlic and ginger; chop green onions. Divide shallots into two parts: mince one part, grill the rest to bring out the aroma. Peel and slice pineapple; cut tomatoes into wedges. Wash the vegetables and drain. Fillet the tuna, keep the head and bones for the broth.
• Step 2: Blanch the fish head and bones to remove fishiness, then simmer in a pot for broth. Once boiling, strain the broth until clear, then add grilled shallots, pineapple, and sautéed tomatoes. Season to taste, simmer gently, then turn off the heat to keep the clear, sweet flavor.
• Step 3: Marinate the tuna fillets with seasoning, minced ginger, and a little alcohol to firm up the meat. Steam until cooked, then leave in large pieces or flake slightly as desired.
• Step 4: Sauté minced shallots and garlic until golden. Slice the fried fish cakes and warm them up so they are aromatic.
• Step 5: Place noodles in a bowl, arrange flaked tuna and fish cakes on top, and pour the hot broth with tomatoes and pineapple over. Finally, sprinkle with green onions, fried shallots, and fried garlic, serving with raw vegetables and a side of chili fish sauce to complete the authentic Nha Trang experience.

Similar delicacies: How to cook Phu Yen-style squid noodle soup: clear broth, crunchy squid

5. How to cook Hai Duong swamp eel (Ca ro dong) noodle soup

5.1. Required ingredients

Ingredients for swamp eel noodle soup:

• 500g swamp eel
• 500g fresh rice noodles, 300g pork bones
• 4 tomatoes, 2 shallots
• ½ bunch of dill and green onions
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 fresh ginger root
• 1 bunch of Malabar spinach and seasonings

5.2. Cooking steps

Instructions to cook delicious Hai Duong fish noodle soup:

• Step 1: Clean the eel, separate the meat and bones. Drain the meat. Wash the bones and head. Mince shallots and julienne ginger. Chop green onions and dill, wedge tomatoes. Wash the Malabar spinach and drain.
• Step 2: Boil the eel, let it cool to firm up, then debone and shred into pieces, marinating with seasoning, ginger, pepper, and turmeric. Crush the bones and head, strain for the liquid. Sauté shallots, cook tomatoes until soft, add to the pot with pork bones, fish boiling water, and the bone extract. Simmer for about 1 hour for a sweet broth, adjust seasoning, and add ginger to remove any fishy smell.
• Step 3: Finally, deep-fry half of the marinated eel until golden and crispy; sauté the rest with shallots. Blanch the noodles and Malabar spinach, place in a bowl, top with fried and sautéed eel, pour the hot broth, and sprinkle with green onions and dill to enjoy.

6. How to cook Quy Nhon tuna fish noodle soup

6.1. Ingredients needed

Ingredients for Quy Nhon fish noodle soup:

• 500g tuna
• 1 turmeric root, 4 shallots
• 2 tomatoes, ½ pineapple
• 2 stalks of green onion, 4 lemongrass stalks
• 1 handful of coriander, 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 5 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 teaspoon annatto oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, 3 teaspoons salt
• 4 teaspoons seasoning powder, 3 teaspoons MSG
• 2 teaspoons sugar

6.2. Instructions

How to cook Quy Nhon tuna fish noodle soup:

• Step 1: Wedge the tomatoes, cut the pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Chop green onions and coriander. Mince shallots, crush lemongrass and turmeric, then cut into pieces.
• Step 2: Marinate the tuna with seasoning, turmeric, pepper, and fish sauce, let sit for 20 minutes. Then fry the fish over low heat until golden on both sides.
• Step 3: Sauté shallots, lemongrass, and turmeric; add tomatoes, pineapple, and annatto oil, sauté until aromatic.
• Step 4: Bring water to a boil, add the sautéed mixture, bring to a boil again, then drop the tuna in. Season to taste, simmer for a few minutes for the fish to absorb the flavor, then turn off the heat.
• Step 5: Place noodles in a bowl, arrange fish on top, and pour the hot broth over. Serve with raw vegetables to fully experience the signature sweet and savory flavor of Quy Nhon fish noodle soup.

These are the insights to help you understand how to cook delicious, authentic, and easy-to-make fish noodle soup at home. With just a little attention to detail in choosing ingredients and preparation, you can bring the unique regional flavors to your family’s table. If you love Vietnamese cuisine and want to explore more recipes, kitchen tips, and other useful culinary information, don’t forget to visit the Ola Squid Blog to update new articles every day! For the best quality dried products to use in your daily dishes, visit our shop.