Bowl of bún bò Huế with round noodles, blood cubes, pork sausage and spring onions, beside a plate of herbs, sprouts and banana blossom — Photo: Minh28397 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Vietnamese · Lunch · Dinner

Bún Bò Huế (Spicy Lemongrass Beef Noodle Soup)

Name: Bún Bò Huế (Spicy Lemongrass Beef Noodle Soup)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 135 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 700 g beef shank, trimmed of visible fat; 300 g pork tenderloin; 12 cups (3 litres) water, for the broth; 1 cup water, for dissolving the shrimp paste; 16 cups (4 litres) water, for blanching the meat and boiling the noodles; 6 stalks lemongrass stalks; 1 medium yellow onion, halved; 4 small shallots, finely minced; 6 cloves garlic, finely minced; 2 tbsp fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc); 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp annatto seeds; 2 tsp dried chili flakes; 500 g dried thick round rice noodles (bún bò); 2 cups mung bean sprouts; 2 cups cabbage or banana blossom, finely shredded; 1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves; 1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves; 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped; 4 stalks spring onions, thinly sliced; 2 medium limes, cut into wedges; 2 small fresh red chilies, sliced

Bún bò Huế

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · How we make recipes

A fragrant, fiery broth perfumed with lemongrass and shrimp paste, ladled over thick rice noodles with tender lean beef shank and pork, and piled with crisp sprouts, cabbage and fresh herbs. This lighter version keeps the bold Huế flavour while using lean cuts and just a spoonful of chili oil.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 110 min
Total: 135 min
Serves: 6

Medium
Dairy Free
High protein

32%

Per serving630kcal32% of a 2,000 kcal day

44gProtein

88gCarbs

11gFat

5gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 56% · Fat 15% · Protein 29%

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Ingredients

For 6 servings

700 gbeef shank, trimmed of visible fat
300 gpork tenderloin
12 cups (3 litres)3,000 gwater, for the broth
1 cup250 gwater, for dissolving the shrimp paste
16 cups (4 litres)4,000 gwater, for blanching the meat and boiling the noodles
6 stalks150 glemongrass stalks
1 medium150 gyellow onion, halved
4 small60 gshallots, finely minced
6 cloves18 ggarlic, finely minced
2 tbsp30 gfermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc)
2 tbsp36 gfish sauce
1 tbsp12 gsugar
1 1/2 tbsp20 gvegetable oil
1 tbsp8 gannatto seeds
2 tspdried chili flakes
500 gdried thick round rice noodles (bún bò)
2 cups200 gmung bean sprouts
2 cups150 gcabbage or banana blossom, finely shredded
1 cup loosely packed30 gThai basil leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed15 gmint leaves
1/2 cup15 gcilantro, chopped
4 stalks30 gspring onions, thinly sliced
2 medium130 glimes, cut into wedges
2 small30 gfresh red chilies, sliced (optional)

Steps

1
Bring about 2 litres of the blanching water to a boil, add the beef shank and pork tenderloin, and boil for 5 minutes.
2
Drain the meat, rinse off any scum, and discard the blanching water.
3
Cut 4 lemongrass stalks into 10 cm lengths and bruise them with the back of a knife; finely mince the remaining 2 stalks and set aside.
4
Put the 3 litres of broth water, beef, pork, onion halves and bruised lemongrass in a large pot and bring to a boil.
5
Reduce to a gentle simmer, skimming the surface now and then.
6
Stir the shrimp paste into the 1 cup of water, let it settle for 10 minutes, then pour only the clear liquid into the pot and discard the sediment.
7
After about 40 minutes, remove the pork once it reaches 63 °C / 145 °F inside, cool it, and slice thinly.
8
Keep simmering the beef for about 90 minutes in total, until tender, then remove, cool and slice thinly.
9
Meanwhile, warm the oil with the annatto seeds over low heat for 3 minutes until deep red, then strain out and discard the seeds.
10
Return the red oil to the pan and gently fry the minced shallots, garlic and minced lemongrass for 3–4 minutes until fragrant.
11
Stir in the chili flakes off the heat.
12
Remove the onion and lemongrass pieces from the broth, then stir in half of the chili-lemongrass oil.
13
Season the broth with the fish sauce and sugar, tasting before adding the full amount.
14
Boil the rice noodles in the remaining water according to the packet, usually 10–12 minutes, then drain and rinse briefly.
15
Divide the noodles among 6 bowls and top with the sliced beef and pork.
16
Ladle the boiling broth over the top and sprinkle with spring onions and cilantro.
17
Serve with the bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, basil, mint, lime wedges, sliced chilies and the rest of the chili oil on the side.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use chicken thighs instead of pork tenderloin if you prefer, simmering them about 30 minutes until cooked through.
Replace the shrimp paste with an extra tablespoon of fish sauce plus a little miso for a milder broth that is easier to shop for.
For a gluten-free bowl, choose a fish sauce and rice noodles labelled gluten-free, since some brands add wheat.
Swap the banana blossom for finely shredded red or green cabbage, which is easier to find and stays crisp.

Storage

Refrigerate the broth, sliced meat and noodles in separate containers within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating the broth until steaming hot before pouring it over. The broth freezes well for up to 3 months, but the noodles and fresh herbs are best fresh and should not be frozen.

Make ahead

Make the broth and cook and slice the meat up to 2 days ahead, chilling them so you can lift off any set fat. The chili-lemongrass oil can also be made up to 4 days ahead and kept in the fridge, while noodles and herbs are best prepared just before serving.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: CrustaceansFish

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (1,635 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	630 kcal	39 kcal
Protein	44.2 g	2.7 g
Carbohydrates	87.9 g	5.4 g
of which sugars	7 g	0.4 g
Fiber	4.7 g	0.3 g
Fat	10.6 g	0.6 g
of which saturated	2.6 g	0.2 g
Sodium	795 mg	49 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.