Vietnamese Pork and Prawn Clear Noodle Soup (Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang)
This Vietnamese Pork and Prawn Clear Noodle Soup is the perfect way to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Hu Tieu Nam Vang balances a simple broth with a variety of meats and fresh herbs!
Servings: 10
Calories: 819kcal
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!
Nutrition
Calories: 819kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 188mg | Sodium: 3174mg | Potassium: 1276mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 4mg