3 Irresistible Ways to Make Crab Noodle Soup at Home

Crab noodle soup (Banh canh cua) is a familiar dish in Vietnamese cuisine, standing out with its sweet broth from crab, soft and chewy noodles, and attractive toppings. If you are looking for a way to cook delicious, thick, and flavorful crab noodle soup just like at a restaurant, do not miss this article. Below, join Ola Squid to discover 3 detailed and easy-to-follow ways to cook crab noodle soup at home right now!

1. How to cook rice paddy crab noodle soup

Rice paddy crab noodle soup carries a rustic flavor, a naturally sweet taste, and is especially suitable for family meals.

1.1. Ingredients

To cook a delicious and flavorful bowl of rice paddy crab noodle soup, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

• 300g rice flour noodles
• 200g minced rice paddy crab
• 3 fresh shrimp, 200g pork ribs
• 1/4 pineapple, 2 tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, 1 chicken egg
• 5g herbs, 5g green onions
• 1 small packet of seasoning

1.2. Instructions

• Step 1 – Prepare ingredients: Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges. Peel the pineapple, remove the eyes, and slice into bite-sized pieces. Peel the shrimp, remove the back veins, and rinse with water. Rub the pork ribs with diluted saltwater to remove odors, then wash and chop into bite-sized pieces.
• Step 2 – Filter and cook the crab paste: Next, mix the minced crab with a little salt, stir well, and filter to get the crab juice. Boil the crab juice over medium heat; when the crab paste floats to the surface, gently scoop it out and set aside. Use the remaining liquid as the base for the broth.

Pro-tip: When grinding crab at home, soak it in diluted saltwater for about 10 minutes to clean off mud, remove the shell and apron before grinding. Add a little salt when cooking so the crab paste solidifies beautifully.

• Step 3 – Stir-fry ingredients: Then, sauté garlic until fragrant, add the ribs, and stir until firm before removing. Continue sautéing garlic, add tomatoes, and stir until soft and nicely colored.
• Step 4 – Cook the broth and finish: Add the sautéed ribs and tomatoes into the crab broth pot, add pineapple and seasoning to taste. Simmer on low heat until the ribs are soft, the broth is aromatic, and has a naturally sweet taste. Finally, blanch the noodles, put them in a bowl with ribs, shrimp, and crab paste. Pour the hot broth over and sprinkle with green onions to finish.

See more: What dishes to make with rice paddy crab? Suggestions for 11 nutritious delicacies

2. How to cook sea crab noodle soup

If you prefer a richer sweet taste, firmer meat, and a more luxurious feel, you can try the sea crab version.

2.1. Ingredients

The ingredients needed to cook a rich and authentic sea crab noodle soup include:

• 3 fresh sea crabs
• 1kg pork bones
• 100g straw mushrooms
• 250g pork hock
• 15 quail eggs
• 500g rice flour, 500g tapioca starch
• Common spices: salt, seasoning powder, sugar, pepper,…

2.2. Cooking method

• Step 1 – Make the noodles: First, boil about 500ml of water, mix with tapioca starch, rice flour, and a pinch of salt, then knead until the dough block is smooth and non-sticky. Roll it thin and cut into bite-sized strips. Boil the noodles in boiling water until they float, then remove and soak immediately in cold water to maintain chewiness.
• Step 2 – Prepare and stir-fry the crab: Next, wash the sea crabs, steam them, then separate the meat and roe. Sauté garlic until fragrant, add the crab meat, and stir gently with a bit of fish sauce and pepper to enhance the aroma. Stir-fry the crab roe separately to maintain its characteristic color and richness.
• Step 3 – Prepare other ingredients: Soak straw mushrooms in diluted saltwater, wash, halve, and lightly stir-fry them. Boil the quail eggs, peel, and set aside. Boil the pork hock until soft and cut into bite-sized slices.
• Step 4 – Finishing: Blanch the pork bones in boiling water, wash them, and simmer to get a clear, sweet broth. When the broth is clear and flavorful, add the mushrooms. Mix some tapioca starch with water, pour slowly into the pot, and stir well to create a slight thickness. Finally, put the noodles in a bowl, arrange the pork hock, crab meat, crab roe, and quail eggs on top, pour the broth over, add green onions, herbs, and a sprinkle of ground pepper to serve.

See more: What to make with sea crab? See the list of 15 super attractive dishes now

3. How to make crab noodle soup with pork hock

3.1. Ingredients

The ingredients you need to prepare for crab noodle soup with pork hock include:

• 600g rice flour noodles
• 500g pork hock, 50g dried shrimp
• 2 sea crabs
• 2 liters of pork bone broth
• 1 onion, 1 carrot
• 4 stalks of green onions, 3 shallots
• A little bird’s eye chili, 4 stalks of cilantro
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch, 4.5 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp cooking oil, 2 tsp annatto oil
• A little fried shallot, 1 tbsp minced shallot and garlic
• Basic spices: sugar, salt, seasoning powder

3.2. Implementation guide

• Step 1 – Clean and blanch the pork hock: First, soak the pork hock in warm water mixed with salt, scrape off hair, and rinse thoroughly many times. Boil a pot of water with a little salt, blanch the hock for about 1 minute to remove odors, then rinse with clean water. You can rub it with vinegar or white wine to make the meat smell better and appear clearer.
• Step 2 – Prepare ingredients: Next, wash the dried shrimp, soak them in warm water for 15-20 minutes until soft, then grind them. Steam the crabs and extract the meat. Peel the onion, clean the carrot, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Wash the green onions, cilantro, and chili, then chop them finely.
• Step 3 – Stir-fry shrimp and crab: Proceed to sauté the oil until fragrant, add the dried shrimp, and stir until aromatic. In another pan, sauté shallots and garlic, then add the crab meat to stir-fry together with fish sauce and annatto oil so the crab meat has a beautiful color.
• Step 4 – Stew pork hock: Then, bring the pork bone broth to a boil, add the pork hock, salt, and seasoning powder. When the water boils again, continue adding the onion, shallot, carrot, and the sautéed shrimp. Lower the heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes until the hock is soft. While cooking, remember to skim the foam to keep the broth clear.
• Step 5 – Cook noodles: When the hock is cooked, remove it and soak in ice water so the skin is crunchy and whiter. Add more water, adjust seasonings to taste, then add the crab meat and noodles, cooking until the noodles are soft. Mix tapioca starch with water, pour slowly into the pot, and stir well to create a slight thickness.
• Step 6 – Finishing: Finally, scoop the noodle soup into a bowl, arrange the pork hock on top, and sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, and fried shallots. A hot bowl of crab noodle soup with pork hock features a naturally sweet broth, soft and chewy hock, and aromatic, sweet crab meat.

See similar delicious dishes: How to cook delicious and authentic squid noodle soup

Hopefully, with the detailed sharing above, you have grasped how to cook delicious, thick, and flavorful crab noodle soup right at home. Wishing you success in applying the recipe and preparing this dish. Also, if you want to discover more useful cooking tips and attractive recipes, don’t forget to visit the Culinary Corner of the Ola Squid Blog. If you are interested in high-quality dried seafood ingredients, feel free to visit our shop for the best products.