Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang — Full Recipe
The broth is clean and subtly sweet — pork bones and dried seafood doing quiet, serious work. No heaviness. No showing off. Just depth.
Ingredients
For the broth
- 3–4 lbs pork bones spine or neck bones
- 2.5–3 L water
- 1 medium daikon radish cut into large chunks (~400–500g)
- 1 large onion
- ½ cup dried shrimp ~40–50g
- 4–5 pieces dried squid
- 1–1½ tbsp salt start lower, adjust later
- 1–2 tbsp rock sugar
For the toppings (mix and match)
(You don't need all — this is a generous "full bowl" setup)
- 200 g char siu xá xíu, sliced
- 200 g ground pork
- 300 g shrimp about 12–16 pieces
- 150 g squid sliced
- 150 g pork liver
- 8–12 quail eggs optional
- 200 g fish balls or imitation crab optional
Fresh toppings
- 1 cup Chinese celery or celery leaves, cut
- 1 cup garlic chives or green onions, cut
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1–2 chilies sliced (optional)
For the noodles
- 400–500 g hủ tiếu Nam Vang noodles
- For the dry sauce / hủ tiếu khô sauce per 3–4 servings
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp water
- 3–4 tbsp fried shallots added after reducing
Instructions
Make the broth
- Parboil and rinse pork bones. Add to a clean pot with water, daikon, onion, dried shrimp, and dried squid (pan-fried and cleaned). Season lightly with salt and rock sugar. Simmer and skim until clear.
Prepare toppings
- Ground pork: Heat a bit of oil, sauté minced shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add ground pork and break it up into small pieces. Cook until lightly browned, then add a ladle of broth to keep it juicy. Set aside
- Shrimp: Bring water to a boil with a few slices of ginger. Add shrimp and cook just until pink (1–2 minutes). Remove, rinse under cold water, then peel (leave tail on if you like)
- Squid: Slice into small pieces, if fresh. Blanch in boiling water for 30–60 seconds until just cooked. Remove immediately to avoid toughness
- Liver (optional): Rinse and soak in milk for ~30 minutes. Simmer gently for about 10–12 minutes. Cool and slice thinly
- Quail eggs: Boil for 4–5 minutes, then cool and peel. If using canned, remove and give them a quick blanch.
- Fish balls / imitation crab: Slice if needed, then blanch briefly and set aside
Prepare fresh toppings
- Chinese celery: wash well, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Garlic chives: trim ends, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Bean sprouts: rinse thoroughly and drain
- Chili: slice thin (optional)
- Limes: cut into wedges
- Set everything aside on a platter for easy assembly.
Make pork cracklings (tóp mỡ)
- Dice pork fat into small pieces. Add to a pan over medium heat and let the fat slowly render. Stir occasionally until pieces are golden and crispy. Remove and set aside. Reserve the rendered fat (you'll use this for garlic)
Make fried garlic
- In the rendered pork fat (or oil), add minced garlic over medium-low heat. Cook until just lightly golden. Remove immediately (it will continue to darken). Let cool on paper towel to crisp up
Cook noodles
- Boil for 5–7 minutes until tender with a slight bounce. Drain, rinse, and toss with a bit of oil.
Make the sauce (for hủ tiếu khô / dry version)
- Combine all sauce ingredients. Sauté garlic in oil or pork fat, then add sauce and simmer for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in fried shallots at the end.
Assemble
- Soup version: Noodles → toppings → broth → finish with fried garlic and pork cracklings
- Dry version (hủ tiếu kho): Noodles → sauce → toss → toppings → finish with fried garlic and pork cracklings. Serve broth on the side.
Notes
- The broth should be light, not heavy. You're aiming for something clean, slightly sweet, and balanced — not overly salty or rich.
- The sauce is the star of hủ tiếu kho. Let it reduce properly so it thickens slightly and coats the noodles well.
- Prep everything before assembling. This dish comes together quickly at the end, so having all your toppings ready makes it much easier.
- Texture is everything. Soft noodles, juicy proteins, fresh herbs, and crispy toppings — that contrast is what makes the bowl.