Vietnamese food is rich in aromas and flavours, which make each meal satisfy your taste buds and keep you full. This brings us to their delicious Vietnamese noodle soup. It’s a bowl full of everything that will leave you satisfied yet wanting more since it’s so great, but what are the most delicious Vietnamese noodle soup recipes?
Food is a great way to learn about a country’s culture. Noodle soup explains a lot about Vietnamese culture because it varies by area. The soup gets thicker and spicier in Huế, the former capital city and home to many of Vietnam’s indigenous ethnic minorities, drawing inspiration from tropical ingredients and peasant food essentials of the agricultural south and Mekong Delta districts.
So, let’s get started on the Vietnamese noodle soup recipes we’ll be discussing, and we have several options that will satisfy all of your cravings.
4 Vietnamese Noodle Soup Recipes That Tickle Your Taste Buds
We have so many options, from spicy noodles to more subtle ones, and of course, for proteins, we also have verities: we have chicken, beef and pork. All you have to do is pick the recipe that speaks to you and try it out.
Vietnamese Beef Pho Recipe
httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR3rVyy6RfY
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 3hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6
The first rule of eating Vietnamese noodle soup is to slurp it. The first Vietnamese noodle soup dish we have is the traditional Vietnamese Pho recipe. Usually cooked from scratch with a distinctive broth that’s light yet flavourful, it’s filled with spices like cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom. From the first slurp, you’ll be addicted and craving it all the time.
Ingredients
Aromatic:
150g / 5oz ginger, sliced down the centre
2 large onions, halved
Spices:
1.5 tbsp coriander seeds
10 star anise
3 cloves
4 cardamom pods
4 cinnamon quills
Beef Bones:
1.5kg / 3lb beef brisket
1kg / 2lb marrow bones (leg, knuckle), cut to reveal the marrow
1kg / 2lb meaty beef bones
3.5 litres / 3.75 quarts water (15 cups)
Seasoning:
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp white sugar
40 ml / 3 tbsp fish sauce
Noodle soup – per bowl:
3 – 5 brisket slices (used for broth)
30g / 1 oz beef tenderloin, raw, very thinly sliced
50g / 1.5 oz dried rice sticks (or 120g/4oz fresh)
Toppings:
Beansprouts, handful
Coriander/cilantro, 3 – 5 sprigs (or more basil)
Finely sliced red chilli
Hoisin sauce
Lime wedges
Sriracha (for spiciness)
Thai basil, 3 – 5 sprigs
Directions
Aromatics
We will begin by heating the skillet over high heat without adding oil, even if smoke appears.
Now, cut the onion and ginger in half and cook for a few minutes in the pan until browned before flipping to the other side. Set away once completed.
In a separate skillet, roast the spices for 3 minutes over medium-high heat.
Remove impurities:
Rinse the bones and brisket thoroughly before placing them in a large stock pot topped with water. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes before draining.
Then, take the bone and brisked that you just boiled and thoroughly rinse them under running water.
Broth:
In a clean pot, bring 3.5 litres / 3.75 quarts of water to a boil. Then add the bones and brisket, as well as the spices, onion, ginger, sugar, salt, and just enough water to cover everything. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 3 hours.
After three hours, remove the brisket; it should be so tender that it comes apart. Allow it to cool in the refrigerator because we will need it later.
Uncover the pot and leave the remaining soup to boil for 40 minutes.
Strain the broth into a clean pot, discarding the bones and seasonings. Reduce the amount if you have more than 2.5 litres / 2.65 quarts.
Add fish sauce, salt, and sugar to the boiling stock as needed. Just know that the soup should be meaty, spiced, savoury, and barely sweet. So take a spoon and see whether it tastes good.
Assemble:
Everything will come together in this step. Just before serving, prepare rice noodles according to package directions.
Place the noodles in the bowl and top with the raw beef and brisket. Pour over 400 mL/14 oz hot broth to cook beef to medium rare. Don’t forget to serve the toppings separately.
Vietnamese chicken pho soup (Pho GA) Recipe
httpss://www.youtube.com/shorts/SCP7M1lcPl8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 – 6
If beef isn’t your thing, try the Vietnamese noodle soup recipes below. If you like Pho, you’ll like this chicken version because it’s easier to make than beef Pho. There’s no need to hunt down certain bones; just use chicken bits! Chicken Pho, often known in Vietnamese as Pho Ga, is the chicken version of Vietnam’s beef Pho.
Keep in mind that while the soup looks to be simple, it is actually full of rich yet subtle spice-infused flavours. That is something exceptional that makes it unforgettable and impossible to stop eating.
Ingredients:
Charred Aromatics:
1 tbsp oil, vegetable or canola or other plain oil)
1 small bunch each Thai Basil, min, coriander/cilantro
2 limes, cut into 4 wedges
Hoisin sauce
Red chillies, finely sliced (optional)
Sriracha
Directions
Broth:
In a 6-litre-pot, heat the oil over high heat. Then, add the ginger and onion to the pot facedown for 2 minutes or until they are browned. Turn it over and leave it for 2 minutes more.
Now, we’ll throw everything into the pot. Begin by adding water, then the remaining broth components (excluding the salt, which will be added later). Bring everything to a simmer, then reduce the heat so it’s simmering with the lid on but open a crack.
You will boil everything for 1.5 hours. Remove any unclean foam that comes off during this procedure. That comes to the top once or twice throughout the boiling process.
Remove the chicken and pour the soup into another clean pot. The broth should be 1.5 litres/1.5 quarts. What if you have more? Boil to reduce, and if you have less, add additional water.
Now comes the salting stage; add salt and allow the broth that you just placed into a separate pot to boil. Remember that the broth should be slightly salty because it will dilute when you add the noodles.
Keep the soup heated until ready to serve, then shred the chicken meat and discard the bones and skin.
Assembling:
Now, we will put everything together. Arrange the toppings on the table. Reheat the chicken we prepared earlier, or simply dump it into the soup. Drain the noodles thoroughly to remove any excess water that may have diluted the soup.
Take your serving bowl and add the noodles, topped with chicken, and 375ml / 1.5 cups broth. Top with green onion for a delicious flavour. Then add any extra toppings of your choice, but don’t forget to squeeze lime into the soup and stir everything together.
Vietnamese Thick Noodle Soup (Banh Canh) Recipe
httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_sQynTYUhs
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours
Total Time: 2 Hours & 15 Minutes
Servings: 5
The last Vietnamese noodle soup recipe we have for you today is the Vietnamese Thick Noodle Soup called Banh Canh. The thick noodles combined with the rich, flavourful pork broth make this the perfect winter soup. There are fewer components in this Vietnamese noodle soup than in others. Proteins found in Banh Canh variations such as Banh Canh Cua include crab, prawns, fish balls, and fried fish cakes. In restaurants, the noodle is served with Vietnamese herbs and greens on the side.
Ingredients
3 lb pork bones (neck bones and/or spareribs)
3 liters water
1 large yellow onion or 4 shallots (leave whole)
1 tablespoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon annatto oil (optional)
1.5-2 lbs Banh Canh or Udon Noodles
1/2 stick Vietnamese Ham (Cha Lua or Gio Lua)
1/2 stick fried fish cakes
2 scallions and/or a small bunch of cilantro (thinly sliced)
Ground black pepper
Directions:
Begin by baking the onion or shallots at 400°F for about 15 minutes. Scrape off any burnt parts to avoid colouring the soup, then set aside.
Okay, this is an optional step, but it’s fantastic since it helps get rid of any remaining bad pork scent, which no one likes. Boil the pork bones to remove any contaminants. Begin by Fill a large stockpot halfway with water to cover the pork bones.
Boil the bones for 10 minutes or until there is a lot of foam on top. Fill a bowl with cold running water and drain the contents of the pot. This helps clean the bones, keeping the stock clear.
You now have two options: use the same pot that was used to blanch the bones, which must be thoroughly cleaned, or use a new pot. Bring 3 litres of water to a boil before adding blanched bones, onions, or shallots. Then, reduce the heat to the lowest range and leave it to boil for two hours, uncovered.
After two hours, strain the broth and discard the bones and onions. You can leave the bones in if they have a lot of meat on them.
Season the stock with salt and pepper before adding the chicken, mushroom bouillon powder, fish sauce, and sugar. This stage is optional; however, annatto oil can be used to colour the broth red or orange.
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Here is a nice trick: if the noodles are sticking together, mix them briefly with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable or sesame seed oil.
To serve this delicious dish, add a handful of noodles to a bowl. Mix in some Vietnamese ham and fried fish cakes. Pour into the hot broth. Garnish with scallions/cilantro and a sprinkle of ground black pepper and enjoy the fantastic flavours.
Vietnamese Vegetarian Pho Noodle Soup Recipe
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Who says vegans can’t appreciate a delicious bowl of Pho soup? This Vietnamese noodle soup recipe is perfect for you, simply because we know the traditional Pho is made with beef and the broth is flavoured with fish sauce. However, this vegetarian recipe checks all the boxes because instead of beef, we used shiitake mushrooms instead of fish sauce, tamari or soy sauce. Plus, it’s so simple to create that you’ll be hooked from the first slurp.
Ingredients
Soup
1 large white onion*, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon avocado oil, mild extra-virgin olive oil or your neutral-flavoured oil of choice
2 Frontier Co-op star anise
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
3 Frontier Co-op whole cloves
4 cups (32 ounces) of vegetable stock or broth
4 cups water
4-inch piece of fresh ginger*, peeled and halved lengthwise
5 ounces thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
6 ounces (one large handful) rice noodles
Salt
Two 3-inch Frontier Co-op cinnamon sticks
Garnishes
Mung bean sprouts
Small wedges of lime
Sprigs of fresh basil (use Thai basil if you can find it) or cilantro
Sprigs of fresh mint
Thinly sliced green onions (mostly green parts)
Very thinly sliced fresh jalapeño (omit if sensitive to spice)
Directions
Grab a medium soup pot, and let’s get started on this delish soup. Toast the cloves, cinnamon sticks, and star anise over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add the onion, vegetable stock, ginger, tamari, and water to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a moderate simmer as needed. Simmer for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to blend.
Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to package directions and set aside when done.
It’s time to start preparing the shiitake mushrooms. Warm the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it crackles. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and lightly browned, then set aside.
Once the broth is ready, drain out the onion, spices, and ginger to leave only the soup. Season with more tamari or salt to bring out the flavours of the spices.
Let’s put it all together: pour the broth into bowls, top with cooked noodles and mushrooms, and fresh garnishes. The most important thing is the lime. Finally, savour the noodle soup’s tasty flavours.
Different Types of Noodles
Vietnam is well-known for producing a diverse range of rice noodles. The question is, how many do you know about? We will tell you everything. If you’re wondering where you can buy noodles, Asian speciality stores primarily sell them dry; however, fresh noodles are occasionally available.
Bánh Phở:
Flat rice stick noodles, usually coloured white, are used in Phở and pad Thai.
Bún:
The Bún noodles are usually found in Southeast Asian soups, noodle salads, and stir-fries. If you guessed it right, it’s a thing: springy rice vermicelli.
Hủ tiếu:
hủ tiếu dai refers to chewy and clear thick tapioca noodles, while bánh Phở refers to smaller rice stick noodles. It is known as kuy teav in Cambodia and is used in traditional Khmer morning meals.
Mì:
Mì could refer to whole wheat noodles or egg noodles, depending on the meal. In Vietnamese, instant noodles are known as mì gói, which translates as “package noodle.” It’s unclear why, but Mì Quảng, which is made with rice noodles, is an exception.
Miến:
The clear “cellophane noodles” are made from mung beans or cassava starch. They’re used in dishes like Korean japchae and Thai glass noodles.
Final Words
Let’s agree that any Vietnamese dish is delicious, and if it is a noodle soup, it’s probably 10 times tastier. Generally, Vietnamese noodle soups are suitable for any season, but you may feel that they are especially suitable for winter because most soups are packed with flavours and ingredients to keep you warm on cold nights. The question is, which Vietnamese noodle soup would you slurp first?
Salma Ihab 
Shaimaa Olwan