- Prep Time
40 minutes
- Cook Time
1 hour 45 minutes
- Difficulty
Easy
Fish noodle soup (Bún mắm) is a famous Mekong Delta dish, known for its unique, delicious, and exotic flavor. The combination of various seafood, vegetables, and roasted pork will provide your family with a delicious meal and a change of pace. Let’s follow along and make it now!
Ingredients for Fish Noodle Soup (Bún Mắm)
Serves 4
Roasted Pork 200 gr
Tilapia 1 fish (800gr)
Striped Catfish Paste 200 gr
Shrimp 400 gr
Squid 300 gr
Snakehead Fish Sauce 300 gr (or Anchovy Fish Sauce)
Eggplant 2
Pineapple 1/2
Chili Peppers 3
Shallots 2
Lemongrass 3 stalks
Long Chili Peppers 5
Green Onions 3 stalks
Chives 20 gr
Herbs (to serve) as needed (bean sprouts/ bitter melon/ water spinach/ rice paddy herb/ banana blossom)
Fresh Rice Noodles 500 gr
Fish Sauce 1/2 tsp
Cooking Oil 7 tbsp
Common Seasonings as needed (salt/ seasoning powder/ ground pepper/ sugar/ MSG)
Equipment
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to Choose Good Quality Fish Sauce
- Choose pre-packaged fish sauce for food safety.
- Prioritize reputable brands with clear origin and ingredient information.
- Avoid fish sauce with an unpleasant odor or unusual oily film on the surface.
How to Choose Fresh Squid
- Choose squid with dark purple skin and milky white flesh.
- Check the freshness by pressing the flesh; it should be firm and springy.
- Avoid squid that is too soft, has a foul odor, or has black spots on the surface.
How to Choose Fresh Shrimp
- Fresh shrimp typically have translucent shells and a characteristic seawater aroma.
- Choose shrimp with the head and body firmly attached and legs neatly arranged inwards.
- Avoid shrimp with soft shells, a slimy feel, or a foul odor.
How to Choose Fresh Pork
- Good quality pork has pinkish-red lean meat and opaque white fat.
- Choose cuts with a balanced ratio of lean meat to fat for better flavor.
- Avoid meat with a slimy surface, dull color, or foul odor.
How to Choose Fresh Tilapia
- Choose tilapia with scales firmly attached to the body and a shiny appearance.
- Fresh fish have clear, slightly bulging eyes. Avoid fish with slimy or cloudy eyes.
- Avoid fish that lack firmness or have a foul odor.
Instructions for Fish Noodle Soup (Bún Mắm)
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Prepare Ingredients
Trim and clean lemongrass, mince 1 stalk. Peel and clean shallots, halve one and mince the other. Trim and clean green onions, set aside the white part and chop the green part. Slit long chilies lengthwise and remove seeds. Mince regular chilies. Peel, core, and chop pineapple. Wash and chop eggplant.
Clean tilapia, remove guts, scales, and fins. Cut the fish into 3 sections: head, tail (reserve for other dishes), and middle section (for this recipe). Remove bones from the middle section and rinse thoroughly. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Peel and clean squid. Cut roasted pork into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2 finger-thick.
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Cook the Fish Sauce
In a pot, add 500ml water and 300g snakehead fish sauce. Mash the fish until it breaks down and cook until softened. For a more fragrant fish sauce, add 1 stalk of lemongrass and 1 shallot.
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Make Chili Fish Cakes
Mix chopped green onions with fish paste. In a plastic bag, combine fish paste with 1 tsp seasoning powder, 1/3 tsp MSG, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp oil. Knead well to combine. Add 1/2 tsp fish sauce and mix again.
Stuff the chili peppers with the fish paste mixture. Fry the stuffed chilies in 3 tbsp of hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
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Boil Shrimp, Squid, and Fish
Boil water with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/3 tsp MSG. Boil squid for 2 minutes, then add shrimp and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and drain. Boil fish for 4 minutes, then remove and drain.
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Make the Broth
Boil 2 liters of water. After 30 minutes of cooking the fish sauce, strain it to remove solids. Add the strained fish sauce and chopped pineapple to the boiling water and simmer for 1 hour.
Strain the water used to boil the seafood and add it to the broth. Sauté minced lemongrass in 3 tbsp hot oil for 1 minute, then add minced chili and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add this mixture to the broth.
Season with 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp seasoning powder, and 1/2 tsp MSG. Add eggplant and simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Turn off heat and add chives for aroma.
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Assemble the Dish
Place noodles in a bowl. Top with shrimp, squid, fish, and broth. Add roasted pork and chili fish cakes. Garnish with bitter melon. Mix well and enjoy!
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Final Product
The finished fish noodle soup has a clear, beautiful broth. The broth is rich, sweet, and flavorful with the combination of various fresh ingredients, creating a delicious and satisfying experience.
Fresh, savory ingredients, served with tamarind sauce for extra flavor. This dish is sure to be a family favorite.
Tips for Successful Fish Noodle Soup:
- When cooking the fish sauce, don’t add too much water as it will dilute the flavor.
- To make the fish noodle soup less heavy, you can add bitter melon, water spinach, or bean sprouts.
With just a few simple steps, you can successfully make a delicious and authentic Fish Noodle Soup, just like restaurant quality, and bring your family a delicious and unique meal. Good luck!
