Photo: HungryHuy · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Bowl of tomato broth with rice vermicelli, golden tofu, crab and pork patties, tomato and green onion, with herbs, lime and chilli nearby. — Photo: HungryHuy · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Vietnamese · Lunch · Dinner

Bún Riêu (Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Noodle Soup)

Name: Bún Riêu (Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Noodle Soup)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 300 g (about 10.5 oz) Dried rice vermicelli; 2 litres Water for boiling noodles; 1 1/4 cups Crab meat, drained; 200 g (7 oz) Extra-lean ground pork; 2 large Eggs; 1 tsp Fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm); 2 tsp Fish sauce; 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper; 2 cups Low-sodium chicken broth; 6 1/4 cups Water for the soup; 1 tbsp Tamarind paste; 2 tsp Vegetable oil; 3 medium Shallots, sliced; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 4 medium Tomatoes, cut into wedges; 1 tsp Sugar; 300 g (10.5 oz) Firm tofu, cubed; 1 1/2 cups Bean sprouts; 2 cups Lettuce, shredded; 1 cup loosely packed Fresh mint leaves; 3 stalks Green onions, sliced; 1 medium Lime, cut into wedges; 1 small Red chilli, sliced

Bún riêu cua

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 20, 2026 · How we make recipes

A bright, tangy tomato broth topped with tender clouds of crab, lean pork and egg, served over rice vermicelli with tofu and a big handful of fresh herbs and crunchy sprouts.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Serves: 4

Medium
Dairy Free
High protein

32%

Per serving632kcal32% of a 2,000 kcal day

45gProtein

82gCarbs

15gFat

7gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 51% · Fat 21% · Protein 28%

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

300 g (about 10.5 oz)Dried rice vermicelli
2 litres2,000 gWater for boiling noodles
1 1/4 cups170 gCrab meat, drained
200 g (7 oz)Extra-lean ground pork
2 large100 gEggs
1 tsp6 gFermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm)
2 tsp12 gFish sauce
1/2 tspGround black pepper
2 cups500 gLow-sodium chicken broth
6 1/4 cups1,500 gWater for the soup
1 tbsp20 gTamarind paste
2 tsp9 gVegetable oil
3 medium60 gShallots, sliced
3 cloves9 gGarlic, minced
4 medium500 gTomatoes, cut into wedges
1 tspSugar
300 g (10.5 oz)Firm tofu, cubed
1 1/2 cups150 gBean sprouts
2 cups100 gLettuce, shredded
1 cup loosely packed15 gFresh mint leaves
3 stalks45 gGreen onions, sliced
1 medium65 gLime, cut into wedges
1 small15 gRed chilli, sliced (optional)

Steps

1
Bring the 2 litres of noodle water to a boil, add the rice vermicelli and cook 4–5 minutes until just tender.
2
Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water and divide between 4 bowls.
3
In a bowl, mix the crab meat, ground pork, eggs, half the shrimp paste, 1 tsp of the fish sauce and the black pepper until evenly combined.
4
Pour the chicken broth and the 6 1/4 cups of soup water into a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer.
5
Stir the tamarind paste into the broth until dissolved.
6
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat and soften the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes.
7
Add the tomato wedges and sugar to the pan and cook 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to collapse.
8
Spread the tofu cubes in a dry non-stick pan over medium-high heat and sear 5–6 minutes, turning, until golden on several sides.
9
Lower the broth to a bare simmer and spoon the crab mixture over the surface in small mounds; do not stir.
10
Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the crab curds float and are firm; the pork should be cooked through to 71 °C / 160 °F.
11
Gently slide the tomatoes and tofu into the pot and simmer 5 more minutes.
12
Season the broth with the remaining fish sauce and shrimp paste, tasting as you go.
13
Ladle the broth, crab curds, tomatoes and tofu over the noodles.
14
Top with green onions and serve with bean sprouts, lettuce, mint, lime wedges and chilli on the side.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use all crab meat or all ground pork instead of the mix if one is easier to find or fits your budget.
Swap the ground pork for ground chicken or turkey, cooking it through to 74 °C / 165 °F.
Replace the shrimp paste with an extra teaspoon of fish sauce if you can't find mắm tôm or prefer a milder flavour.
Use low-sodium vegetable broth in place of chicken broth; for a gluten-free bowl, choose broth, fish sauce and shrimp paste labelled gluten-free.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keeping the broth with its crab curds, tofu and tomatoes separate from the noodles and fresh herbs, and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the broth gently until steaming hot, and pour it over fresh or briefly rinsed noodles; this soup is best not frozen, as the crab curds and tofu turn spongy.

Make ahead

Make the tamarind broth with the cooked tomatoes up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate, then bring it back to a simmer and cook the crab mixture in it just before serving. Wash and prep the lettuce, mint, sprouts, green onions and lime the day before and keep them chilled in a covered container.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: CrustaceansEggsFishSoyCelery

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

Full nutrition

	Per serving (1,517 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	632 kcal	42 kcal
Protein	45.1 g	3 g
Carbohydrates	82.3 g	5.4 g
of which sugars	10.2 g	0.7 g
Fiber	7.3 g	0.5 g
Fat	15.2 g	1 g
of which saturated	3.3 g	0.2 g
Sodium	786 mg	52 mg

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