This Vietnamese Hu Tieu Nam Vang is going to make every weekend meal a treat! You’ll be amazed by the broth’s smoky chargrill flavor and how incredibly EASY it is to make all the toppings. It’s one of those noodle soups you can have any time of the year!

The Noodle Soup For Every Occasion
If there was a noodle soup I could have every meal of the day, it would be a serving of Hu Tieu Nam Vang, the most magnificent Cambodian-Chinese-Vietnamese fusion.
Every Vietnamese or Cambodian restaurant I walk into will have at least one person slurping down a bowl, and there’s no mistaking why: the dish is light, beautifully flavorful and topped with a variety of meats.
There’s just no dish quite like it!
Still, nothing beats homemade. This is one of those noodle soups where the soup is so wonderfully clean, making it in your own kitchen lets you add ingredients that will INSTANTLY take it to a whole new level.
Our version of Hu Tieu Nam Vang turns the ever popular dish into one that you’ll even want to serve to the most difficult of friends!
We start by adding chargrilled onions, ginger and squid for a broth that’s full of smoky flavor, then balance it out with sweetness from slow cooked meats and vegetables.
It pairs perfectly with clear rice noodles, a slightly chewier cousin of the classic phở.
And as always, our recipes promise to be authentic – intestines, liver and crispy lard included. Our homemade Hu Tieu Nam Vang stays true to its roots!
Why this recipe works
- Chargrilling the onion, ginger and squid adds a smoky depth to the broth for incredible flavor.
- The soup gets naturally sweet from added daikon and meat.
- Panfrying the marinated ground pork ensures that every layer in the dish is well seasoned.
- Pre-soaking the noodles before cooking softens the inside and makes it much faster to get an al dente texture when boiling.
What you’ll need
Don’t be fooled by the extensive list of ingredients! They’re SUPER easy to prepare and will last many servings!
For the Broth
We get dried squid and shrimp in the dried produce section of the local Asian grocery store and come in sealed plastic bags.
The jicama can be found in the fresh produce parts of Asian supermarkets, but if you can’t find it then substitute it for white radish (daikon). You can even use both!
For the Crackling Pork Lard
This is entirely optional, but adds a delicious crispiness to the dish. You can also get it fairly cheap from the butcher.
For the Mince
For the stock, use the one already cooking for this recipe.
The Toppings
You can skip on any of these toppings if they’re not for you and just have more of your favorite ones!
Time-saving tip: Buy canned quail eggs and cooked prawns from the shops.
The Noodles
Hu tieu noodles are sold in many Asian shops and look slightly transparent when dry. These ‘clear’ rice noodles will remain semi-transparent even when cooked.
The Garnish
You can find all of these fresh herbs and greens sold in bundles at the local Asian supermarket.
How to make this recipe
The Broth
Start by charring the ginger, onion and squid over an open flame until blackened, then scrape away the car and put them straight into the broth.
Note: If you don’t have a gas stove for this option, put them in the broiler for 20 minutes and turn them every few minutes for the same result.
Add the lean pork meat, jicama, rehydrated shrimp, chicken bouillon powder, salt, fish sauce and sugar into the broth.
The Crispy Pork Lard
Meanwhile, put the pork fat cubes in a pan and fry them on a low to medium heat until golden. When ready, scoop the crispy cubes out into a serving bowl.
Note: You can choose to keep the oil as lard for future cooking or dispose of it.
The Mince
Mix the pork mince with the chicken bouillon powder, salt and stock.
Heat up a pan to a medium heat, add the cooking oil (or lard) in and brown the garlic. Pour in the mince and cook for 10 minutes or until ready.
Transfer the cooked mince into a serving bowl.
The Pork Intestines, Liver, Heart and Meat
Bring a pot of water to the boil and put the intestines in to cook for 40 minutes or until soft. Drain then cut into 3 cm (1.2″ segments).
In a clean pot, fill it with new water and bring to the boil before cooking the liver for 5 minutes or until firm. Remove the liver from the water and slice thinly.
Repeat the previous step with the heart, cooking for 30 minutes or until there are no traces of red. Drain the water and cut into thin slices.
Take the lean pork meat out of the soup and slice thinly before plating it on a serving dish.
The Noodles
About 20 minutes before eating time, soak the clear noodles in cold water for 10 minutes. Heat up a pot of water to boiling point and put the noodles in to cook for 5 minutes or until al dente.
Drain the water then begin assembling your bowl. Serve with fresh garnish and a squeeze of lime!
FAQs
You can let the broth cool before storing it in the fridge. It will keep well up to 3 days.
Tips to get it right every time
- Season the broth as you cook. Flavors will deepen as the soup simmers, so keep taste testing as you prepare the ingredients to make sure that you have the broth to your liking.
- Make the stock ahead of time for a richer chicken and pork essence. Use my No-Fail Chicken and Pork Stock recipe for a clear and naturally sweet stock.
- Keep the broth at a constant low simmer. This noodle soup is known for its soup clarity and continually boiling it will turn it murky!
Try these other amazing Vietnamese Noodle Soups!
Other than a classic Hu Tieu Nam Vang, there are many delicious recipes to try:
- Vietnamese Chicken Tapioca Noodle Soup (Bánh Canh Gà) – A family favorite that is cooked numerous times a year. It has simple homey flavors and is much easier to make than other noodle soups.
- Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bò Kho) – Earthy, hearty and the ultimate comfort food. If you’re a beef and noodle soup lover, you can’t skip this one!
- Vietnamese Chicken Curry (Cà Ri Gà) – One of my personal favorites for its creaminess. The broth has a wonderful curry flavor and is cooked with chicken until each bite falls apart in your mouth.
- Bún Bò Huế Chay (Vegetarian Spicy Noodle Soup) – You won’t believe this dish is meatless! It’s packed with spicy lemongrass flavor and worth every minute!
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Vietnamese Pork and Prawn Clear Noodle Soup (Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang)
Ingredients
For The Broth
- 5 L / 21 US cups chicken and pork stock
- 25 g / 0.06 lb rehydrated shrimp
- 35 g / 0.08 lb dried squid (we get it in the dry goods section from the Asian grocery)
- 45 g / 0.1 lb peeled ginger
- 1 onion
- 1 jicama (we get it from the local Asian supermarket)
- 1 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 1/4 tbsp salt, or to taste
- 6 tbsp fish sauce
- 55 g / 0.12 lb rock sugar
For The Crackling Pork Lard
- pork fat, cut into 1 cm x 1 cm (0.6" x 0.6") cubes (we get it from the butcher)
For The Mince
- 1 kg / 2.2 lb pork mince
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 US cup chicken and pork stock (use the one cooking for the soup)
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
The Toppings
- peeled prawns
- lean pork
- pork heart
- pork liver
- pork intestines
- quail eggs (we buy the canned ones from the local Asian supermarket)
The Noodles
- hủ tiếu clear rice noodles (found in the dry noodles section of the Vietnamese supermarket)
The Garnish
- garlic chives
- spring onions
- coriander
- Chinese celery
- chrysanthemum greens
- bean sprouts
- lime/lemon wedges
Instructions
The Broth
- Start by charring the ginger, onion and squid over an open flame until blackened, then scrape away the char and put them straight into the broth. Note: If you don't have a gas stove for this option, put them in the broiler for 20 minutes and turn them every few minutes for the same result.
- Add the lean pork meat, jicama, rehydrated shrimp, chicken bouillon powder, salt, fish sauce and sugar into the broth.
The Crackling Pork Lard
- Meanwhile, put the pork fat cubes in a pan and fry them on a low to medium heat until golden. When ready, scoop the crispy cubes out into a serving bowl.Note: You can choose to keep the oil as lard for future cooking or dispose of it.
The Mince
- Mix the pork mince with the chicken bouillon powder, salt and stock.
- Heat up a pan to a medium heat, add the cooking oil (or lard) in and brown the garlic. Pour in the mince and cook for 10 minutes or until ready.
- Transfer the cooked mince into a serving bowl.
The Pork Intestines, Liver, Heart and Meat
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and put the intestines in to cook for 40 minutes or until soft. Drain then cut into 3 cm (1.2" segments).
- In a clean pot, fill it with new water and bring to the boil before cooking the liver for 5 minutes or until firm. Remove the liver from the water and slice thinly.
- Repeat the previous step with the heart, cooking for 30 minutes or until there are no traces of red. Drain the water and cut into thin slices.
- Take the lean pork meat out of the soup and slice thinly before plating it on a serving dish.
The Noodles
- About 20 minutes before eating time, soak the clear noodles in cold water for 10 minutes. Heat up a pot of water to boiling point and put the noodles in to cook for 5 minutes or until al dente.
- Drain the water then begin assembling your bowl.
- Serve with fresh garnish and a squeeze of lime!
Notes
- Season the broth as you cook. Flavors will deepen as the soup simmers, so keep taste testing as you prepare the ingredients to make sure that you have the broth to your liking.
- Make the stock ahead of time for a richer chicken and pork essence. Use my No-Fail Chicken and Pork Stock recipe for a clear and naturally sweet stock.
- Keep the broth at a constant low simmer. This noodle soup is known for its soup clarity and continually boiling it will turn it murky!
- You can find all the fresh herbs and greens sold in bundles at the local Asian supermarket.
- We get dried squid and shrimp in the dried produce section of the local Asian grocery store and come in sealed plastic bags.
- The jicama can be found in the fresh produce parts of Asian supermarkets, but if you can't find it then substitute it for white radish (daikon). You can even use both!
- Pork fat for the crispy lard can be found fairly cheap from the butcher.
- Hu tieu noodles are sold in many Asian shops and look slightly transparent when dry. These 'clear' rice noodles will remain semi-transparent even when cooked.
- Time-saving tip: Buy canned quail eggs and cooked prawns from the shops.
- You can skip on any of the toppings if they're not for you and just have more of your favorite ones!
I love Vietnamese food and this recipe looks like a real winner!
Thanks, Tania!
I’ve never made this soup, but it looks absolutely incredible! I have almost everything I need to make it, so I will be making it for dinner this weekend!
That’s great to hear, Jessica! I hope you enjoy it!
Noodle soups my favorite kind of food on earth and this one looks really amazing. I love that you use so many types of protein. I really wish I could have a bowl of this right now! Love your website and recipes, by the way 🙂
Thanks, Nart! You can definitely make this at home 😉 I LOVE your website and Thai recipes too!
What a lovely soup, I can imagine those rice noodles soaking up all that amazing soup.
It certainly does! Thanks, Nadja!
Can we be neighbors please? I’ll drop by everyday and we can exchange food! You are making me super hungry and super nostalgic with this noodle soup. 🙂
Haha I would love to be your neighbour! I’ve seen all of your AMAZING food and we can share everyday!
Do you chop the jicama into cubes? Are you not eating it or just putting it whole into stock for flavor? Is it to be peeled, rinsed? I’ve never personally prepared jicama before.
Hi Annie, just peel the jicama, rinse it and cut it into large chunks to add to the broth 🙂 You can even just leave it whole. It’s mostly just for added sweetness.
This recipe is delicious
Thanks, Franca!