Banh Canh Cua (Vietnamese Crab & Shrimp Tapioca Noodle Soup)

Banh Canh Cua is a unique noodle soup in Vietnamese cuisine. It’s made with a thick broth filled with thick tapioca noodles and a variety of toppings. In this post, learn all the tips and tricks on how to make the perfect pork bone broth and how to customize your toppings to your tastes!

Part of the reason I started this blog was to learn how to make Vietnamese dishes I couldn’t get normally. Two that fall into this category are this dish banh canh cua and hu tieu. Even in large Vietnamese communities, these dishes are not found at every restaurant because they’re just not that popular. For banh canh cua in particular, part of the reason is that it’s definitely an acquired taste. It’s made with a thick soup and large chewy noodles. The noodle texture can be off putting to a lot of people. I personally didn’t like it that much growing up, but it definitely grew on me as I got older. Now, I wish I could find it more places!

Some deets about key ingredients

Broth

• Pork shoulder – Pork shoulder is my favorite cut of meat for soups because the fat content makes for a rich broth. For this recipe, I used pork shoulder with bone because the bone ups that richness. If you can’t find pork shoulder with bones, I would get 2 pounds of pork shoulder and then 1 pound of other pork cuts with bones.
• Yellow onion – Adds sweetness to the broth. A good substitute would be white onions.
• Dried shrimp – Substitute with 1/4 pound of raw shrimp if needed.
• Daikon – If you can’t find daikon, I would add another yellow onion to compensate.
• Chicken broth powder – Chicken broth powder is essentially the powder form of chicken bouillon. A good substitute is 1 can of chicken broth.
• Tapioca starch – Gives the broth its thick, sticky texture. Since this noodle soup is centered around tapioca starch, I would definitely try to use it if you can find it. If you need to substitute, I would use corn starch.
• Annatto seeds & vegetable oil – Simmering these 2 ingredients together creates the annatto oil which gives the broth its orange color. If you can’t find annatto seeds, I would just leave it out.

Noodle Soup Toppings

Below are the traditional toppings I’ve seen, but feel free to go wild with yours. I’ve also seen fish balls, blood cake, and even Chinese fried donuts used.

• Crab meat – This is the main topping on this dish. I got cooked crab meat from the store, but it’s best to use crab meat from fresh crabs.
• Shrimp – Any kind of shrimp should work for this recipe.
• Banh canh – These tapioca noodles can usually be found at Asian grocery stores, but if you can’t find them, I would substitute with udon.
• Fried shallots – Fried shallots add a crunchy texture to the noodle soup.

Making my banh canh cua

Prep your ingredients for the broth

The first few steps are all about prepping the ingredients for the broth. First, preheat the oven to broil and bake the onion for 20 minutes until the onion is charred on the outside. Next, soak the dried shrimp in a bowl of water. Set aside. Parboil the pork shoulder. Add the pork to a soup pot and cover with water so that it just covers the pork. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Take out the pork pieces and throw out the water. Clean the pot and add the pork pieces back to the pot.

Making your banh canh cua broth and noodle bowls

Now you’re ready to make your broth. Add the broiled onion, soaked shrimp, daikon, and salt to the pot. Cover the ingredients with water until it just covers the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure to check the soup every 15 minutes for impurities. Scoop away any impurities that you see. While the broth is simmering, prepare your toppings. Boil your shrimp and banh canh. Set aside. After simmering for 45 minutes, the pork should be done. Take the pork out and separate the bones from the meat. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Put the bones back in the broth. Add chicken broth powder and fish sauce and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Tip: Once you begin simmering your broth, make sure the broth doesn’t reach a point where it starts boiling again. If the broth boils too much, it will result in a cloudy broth.

While the broth is simmering, make your annatto oil. Combine annatto seeds and vegetable in a sauce pan. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the oil turns orange. Set aside. After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, mix tapioca starch with 2/3 cup of water and add to the broth. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. Lastly, add the annatto oil, and your broth is done! Now it’s time to assemble your noodle bowls. Add banh canh to a bowl. Top with pork, crab meat, shrimp, green onions, and fried shallots and serve!

The importance of parboiling pork

A clean, clear broth comes from parboiling the pork. This is an essential technique for Vietnamese soup broths. Pork has a lot of gross little bits that come out when you first start to boil it. They make the broth cloudy and unappetizing. Also! Make sure to clean the pot before adding back the pork because those gross bits will stick to the pot. If you master this technique, you can master not only this dish, but also other Vietnamese favorites like canh chua and bun rieu.

Did you make this dish?

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