Vietnamese Bún Bò Huế (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)

  • Total time - 3-4 hours
  • Preparation - 30 minutes
  • Cooking time - 2.5-3.5 hours
  • Servings: 4
  • Country: Vietnam
A rich bowl of Vietnamese Bún Bò Huế soup with beef, pork hock, noodles, and herbs.

Preparing authentic Bún Bò Huế is a marathon, not a sprint, but the result is absolutely worth it. The deep, complex, and spicy flavor of the broth with prominent notes of lemongrass is truly unforgettable. This recipe will show you how to achieve this perfection step by step, from preparing the broth to the final serving.

Ingredients

For the Broth

  • 1 kg beef bones (marrow bones)
  • 500 g beef shank
  • 500 g pork hock
  • 3 pieces lemongrass stalks, bruised
  • 2 pieces shallots, charred and peeled
  • 1 slice ginger, charred and peeled
  • fish sauce, salt, sugar
  • 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (mắm ruốc)

For the Chili Oil

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon chili flakes
  • shallots and garlic, finely minced

For Serving

  • 400 g thick round rice vermicelli noodles (bún)
  • congealed pig's blood (huyết), cubed (optional)
  • Vietnamese pork sausage (chả lụa), sliced
  • fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, perilla), bean sprouts, shredded cabbage
  • lime wedges and sliced red onion

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the broth

Blanch the beef bones and pork hock in boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinse well. Place them in a large pot with lemongrass, charred shallots, and ginger. Fill with water and simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours. Add salt and sugar to taste.

Step 2: Prepare the chili oil and season the broth

In a small bowl, dissolve the shrimp paste in a little hot broth, strain, and add to the pot. In a pan, heat oil and sauté finely minced shallots and garlic. Add chili flakes and stir quickly. Add this mixture to the broth and stir.

Step 3: Prepare the meat and noodles

Cook the beef shank in the broth until tender. Remove, let cool, and slice thinly. Cook the pork hock until tender. Cook the noodles according to package directions, rinse with cold water, and drain. Prepare the other toppings.

Step 4: Assemble the soup

Place a portion of noodles in a serving bowl. Top with slices of beef, pork hock, cubes of congealed blood, and sliced Vietnamese sausage. Ladle the hot, fragrant broth over the ingredients and top with chili oil.

Step 5: Serve

Serve immediately with a side plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, sliced onion, and lime wedges for garnishing.