A bright and fragrant Vietnamese soup where a red tomato broth embraces rice vermicelli, soft tofu, and clouds of crab or shrimp. Fresh herbs and lime wake up each bowl at the last moment.
Ingredients
- 400 g rice vermicelli
- 350 g crab meat or peeled raw shrimp
- 600 g ripe tomatoes
- 300 g fried firm tofu or plain firm tofu
- 2 pieces eggs
- 1.2 l water
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- 2 pieces lime
Method
- Soak the rice vermicelli in hot water until they become pliable but keep a slight bite, then drain and rinse them to stop the cooking.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the tofu into even pieces; roughly chop the crab meat or shrimp to achieve a sticky but not smooth texture.
- Heat the oil in a large pot, add the tomatoes, and sauté until they begin to soften, release their juices, and color the oil orange-red.
- Pour in the water, add the fish sauce and sugar, then simmer until the broth smells like cooked tomato and becomes slightly cloudy.
- Beat the eggs with the crab meat or shrimp, then gently pour this mixture into the simmering broth; do not stir right away, so tender curds can form on the surface.
- Add the tofu, lower the heat, and simmer until it is heated through and has taken on the color of the broth.
- Taste the broth: it should be salty, tangy, and briny; adjust with a little fish sauce if the flavor seems flat.
- Briefly reheat the vermicelli in the bowls, top with broth, tofu, and crab curds, then serve piping hot with cilantro, mint, and lime wedges.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 722.8 kcal
- Protein
- 47.11 g
- Carbohydrate
- 87.24 g
- Fat
- 19.02 g
- Fibre
- 6.94 g
- Calcium
- 115.71 mg
- Iron
- 3.08 mg
- Magnesium
- 94.35 mg
