Bánh Canh Cua Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup

Name: Bánh Canh Cua Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1.75 lb (800 g) pork spare ribs; 2 medium daikon, about 14 oz (400 g), cut into chunks; 1 large yellow onion, about 7 oz (200 g); 1.5 oz (40 g) fresh ginger; 1.75 oz (50 g) shallots; 1 gallon (3.8 L) water; 3 tbsp annatto oil; 2.2 lb (1 kg) whole sea crab, about 4 crabs; 3.5 oz (100 g) shrimp; 7 oz (200 g) pork blood cake; 20 quail eggs; 3.5 oz (100 g) pork skin; 7 oz (200 g) straw mushrooms; 2.2 lb (1 kg) fresh bánh canh noodles; 40 g tapioca starch; 1/3 cup (80 ml) cool water; 1/2 tsp sesame oil, optional; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 3–4 stalks green onion, sliced; 3–4 stalks cilantro, chopped; 2.5 tbsp fish sauce; 1/2 tbsp salt; 2 tbsp sugar; 1/3 tbsp bouillon powder; 1 tsp seasoning powder; 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 1/2 cup fried shallots; 1 lime, cut into wedges; 2 Thai chilies, sliced; 1 cup bean sprouts

10 steps

Prep:40minCook:2h

Bánh Canh Cua is a Southern Vietnamese crab noodle soup made with thick chewy noodles, sweet seafood broth, crab, shrimp, quail eggs, mushrooms, and traditional toppings. This comforting bowl features a silky orange-red broth made from pork ribs, crab roe, and annatto oil. Tapioca starch creates a smooth texture that lightly coats the noodles without becoming overly thick. The recipe combines fresh seafood, savory broth, and chewy bánh canh noodles for a satisfying Vietnamese meal finished with herbs, lime, chili, and fried shallots.

Updated at: Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:50:40 GMT

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Ingredients

8 servings

Instructions

Step 1

Scrub the crabs thoroughly under cold water to remove dirt and grit. Parboil pork ribs and pork skin with ginger, shallots, and salt, then rinse and clean the pot before making the main broth.

Step 2

Return cleaned pork ribs and pork skin to the pot with fresh water. Simmer gently while removing foam to create a clear and sweet broth.

Step 3

Blanch pork blood cake, shrimp, and prepare quail eggs. Slice pork skin and reserve all toppings for final assembly.

Step 4

Remove the crab shell, discard gills, collect crab roe, and cut crab bodies into pieces. Sauté crab roe with annatto oil to develop color and aroma.

Step 5

Fry garlic and shallots until fragrant. Sauté straw mushrooms briefly and season before adding them to the soup.

Step 6

Remove onion, daikon, and aromatics from the broth after simmering. Add sautéed crab, shrimp, pork skin, blood cake, quail eggs, mushrooms, and crab roe.

Step 7

Season the broth with salt, sugar, MSG, and fish sauce. Mix tapioca starch with water and gradually add the slurry until the broth lightly coats a spoon.

Step 8