Ingredients for Crab and Vermicelli Soup
Broth and Crab Paste
Field crabs: 500g (about 5-6 crabs)
Tomatoes: 4 (about 400g)
Shallots: 3 bulbs
Garlic: 1 bulb
Cooking oil: 2 tablespoons
Rice vinegar: 3-4 tablespoons (or tamarind, green mango for sourness)
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Sugar: 1 teaspoon
Seasoning powder: 1 teaspoon
Fish sauce: 1 tablespoon
Pork bones (leg bones or ribs): 500g (for broth)
Onion: 1 (optional, for sweeter broth)
Tofu: 2-3 slices (about 200g)
Fish cake, pork cake, or pork: 200g (optional)
Pig’s blood curd: 200g (optional)
Scallion oil: 2 tablespoons of finely chopped scallions mixed with cooking oil
Accompaniments
Finely shredded water spinach, banana blossom, perilla, and basil
Bean sprouts: 200g
Fresh chili, lime, and shrimp paste (to taste)
Vermicelli
Fresh vermicelli: 1kg
How to Cook Delicious Crab and Vermicelli Soup
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Preparing the field crabs:
Clean the crabs, remove the shells, and set the crab roe aside.
Pound or blend the crab bodies with 1 teaspoon of salt, then mix with 1 liter of water. Strain the mixture to obtain crab juice, discarding the solids.
Preparing the other ingredients:
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges.
Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces and fry until golden brown.
Rinse the pork bones and blanch them in boiling water to remove impurities.
Finely chop the shallots and garlic.
Boil the pig’s blood curd and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Pick and rinse the herbs, then soak them in a brine solution and drain.
Step 2: Make the Broth
Place the pork bones in a pot with 2 liters of water and simmer for 1-2 hours to create a flavorful broth. Adding onion is optional but will enhance the aroma. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface to clarify the broth.
After simmering, strain the broth and season it with 1 teaspoon each of salt and seasoning powder, along with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Step 3: Prepare the Crab Paste
Gently heat the strained crab juice until the crab paste rises to the surface in clumps. Remove the paste with a ladle and set it aside, being careful not to break it up.
Sauté the shallots and garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until fragrant. Add the crab roe and tomatoes, stirring until the tomatoes are soft. Season with a pinch of salt and sugar to enhance the flavor. Transfer this mixture to the broth.
Step 4: Finalize the Broth
Add the strained crab juice to the pork bone broth and gently heat it. Introduce sourness to the broth by adding rice vinegar (or tamarind/green mango juice). Adjust the flavor with salt, sugar, and fish sauce to your liking. Return the crab paste to the broth.
Step 5: Presentation and Service
Briefly dip the fresh vermicelli into boiling water and arrange them in serving bowls. Top with fried tofu, fish cake (or pork cake/pork), pig’s blood curd, and crab paste. Ladle the hot broth into the bowls and garnish with scallion oil and chopped scallions. Serve with the herbs, bean sprouts, chili, lime, and shrimp paste on the side.
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