Hue Rice Vermicelli Soup

Hue rice vermicelli soup is a popular dish both in the north and the south of Vietnam. The dish has a typical sweet taste of mam ruoc (a special shrimp paste in the south), the aroma of lemongrass and the peppery flavour of stewed dried chilli. Rice vermicelli threads used for the dish must be white, soft and big.

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The traditional rice vermicelli soup of Hue consists of three kinds, including rice vermicelli with beef soup, rice vermicelli with pig’s trotter soup and rice vermicelli with beef and pig’s trotter soup. Each dish is processed with different materials that helps create the distinctiveness. VNP introduces to readers the way to cook rice vermicelli with beef and pig’s trotter soup.
Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
– Cow bone: 1kg; pig’s trotters: 1kg; beef: 300g (frank and fillet meat); chopped crab meat pie: 100g; onion: 1 bulb; lemongrass: 5 bulbs; sliced banana flower, green bean sprouts, spring onion and eryngo: 200g; lemon: two fruits; mam ruoc: 1 small bowl and a little lard liquid; cashew oil: 4 teaspoons; and rice vermicelli: 1kg
Preparation:
– Clean cow bones and pigs’ trotters and chop them into large pieces.
– Clean and cut lemongrass into pieces and tie them in a bundle
– Slice beef fillet and onion and eryngo
– How to cook the broth: Pour 3 litre of water into a pot and add ½ teaspoon of salt and the lemongrass bundle. Bring to a boil and put the frank meat and cow bones into the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pigs’ trotters and continue cooking until the frank meat and pig’s trotters are soft. Take them out.
– Filter mam ruoc and pour the paste into the pot. Add a dash of salt and fish sauce to your taste and cashew oil to give the broth a beautiful colour.
– Put some rice vermicelli in a large bowl and then one piece of pig’s trotter, some sliced frank meat and scalded beef filet. Lastly cover with sliced onion, eryngo and pour the broth over all.
– Serve hot with a dash of lemon juice, chilli and sliced banana flower, spring onion and eryngo and green bean sprouts.
 
Story: Duc Thinh – Photos: Tra My