Bun Bo Hue – Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup
8-10 Servings
1:00 Prep
4:00 Cook
Advanced - Give it a go!
Bun Bo Hue vs Pho
If there is one debate that can divide a Vietnamese household, it is which Vietnamese noodle soup is better: Pho or Bun Bo Hue.
Both are iconic Vietnamese noodle soups, but they couldn't be more different. Pho is delicate, fragrant and aromatic, while Bun Bo Hue is bold, spicy, savoury and packed with the unmistakable aroma of lemongrass and fermented shrimp paste.
Growing up, I loved both, but if you asked me which one I could eat over and over again, Bun Bo Hue would win every time.
What Makes Bun Bo Hue Different?
Bun Bo Hue, originates from Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. The cuisine of Hue is known for its complexity and bold flavours, and Bun Bo Hue is one of the best examples of this.
The broth is made by slowly simmering beef marrow bones, pork hock and beef shin with plenty of lemongrass, aromatics and fermented shrimp paste. Unlike Pho, which is traditionally served with thin flat rice noodles, Bun Bo Hue uses thick, round rice noodles that have more texture to them.
The combination of rich beef broth, pork, lemongrass, chilli and mắm ruốc Huế gives Bun Bo Hue its distinctive flavour. It's spicy, deeply savoury and incredibly aromatic, especially when finished with fresh Vietnamese herbs and greens.
My Mum's Bun Bo Hue
Growing up, my mum would make big pots of Pho and Bun Bo Hue, and because making a proper Vietnamese broth is such a labour of love, we'd eat it over several days.
This is actually how I decided that Mum's Bun Bo Hue was better.
After three bowls of Pho over two days, I'd usually had enough. But with Bun Bo Hue, I could happily have five bowls over three days and still be excited when another bowl came out of the kitchen.
There was something about the spicy broth, lemongrass, fermented shrimp paste, beef and pork that kept me coming back for another bowl.
For me, that's the real test of a great broth. Not just how good the first bowl tastes, but whether you're still craving it several bowls later.
My Tips for the Best Bun Bo Hue
The sate is one of the most important parts of this recipe, so don't rush it. Cook the shallots, garlic, lemongrass and chilli slowly until fragrant and golden, then add fish sauce, anchovy salt or mắm ruốc Huế to build that deep savoury umami flavour.
My other big tip is to use as much lemongrass as possible. The recipe calls for 4 to 6 stalks, but if you can find or afford more, use 12 to 16. It is one of the defining flavours of Bun Bo Hue.
A little money-saving tip: look for frozen Vietnamese lemongrass at your local Asian supermarket. It is incredibly affordable compared with buying fresh lemongrass by the kilogram, and works perfectly in a long-simmered broth like this.
If you have the time, make the broth the day before and allow it to chill overnight. This gives the flavours more time to develop and makes it much easier to remove the excess beef fat before reheating.
This Bun Bo Hue recipe takes some time and effort, but the reward is a rich, spicy and deeply aromatic Vietnamese beef noodle soup that is well worth the wait.
Give it a go and let me know whether you're Team Pho or Team Bun Bo Hue.
Ingredients:
Bun Bo Hue broth:
2kg beef bone marrow bones, cut into medium chunks
1kg Pork Hock (Gio Heo), sliced 3cm thick.
500g beef shin (medium gravy beef)
4-6 stalks of lemongrass, crushed and cut into 12-15cm pieces
1 brown onions
70g ginger, slightly crushed
½ bunch spring onions
1 bunch coriander stalks
2 tablespoons sea salt
45g dried sandworms or dried shrimp
1 small pineapple, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons mam ruoc hue
40ml Son fish sauce
2 teaspoons anchovy salt
2 ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
7L water
3 tablespoons mam ruoc hue
500ml water
Bun Bo Hue paste:
125ml anatto oil
2 star anise
4g cassia bark or cinnamon
2 Thai shallots or 1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
2 birds eye chillies, finely chopped
1 tablespoons red pepper/chilli flakes
1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Other:
1 container pork blood jelly
½ tablespoon sea salt
1 small knob of ginger, crushed
1kg Jiang Xi Rice Vermicelli (thick rice noodles)
½ bunch spring onions, finely sliced
1 bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced.
1 bunch water spinach stems, shredded or ¼ white cabbage, thinly sliced
1 bunch mint
1 bunch Vietnamese perilla leaves
Method:
How to make Bun Bo Hue Broth:
1. In a large stock pot half-filled with water, bring to the boil then add beef bone marrow bones (sometimes referred to as beef knuckle bones), pork hock, beef shin and return to the boil then discard water to remove impurities and wash well under running cold water. Return bones and meat back to clean stock pot along with lemongrass stalks, brown onion, ginger, ½ bunch spring onions, coriander stalks, sea salt, dried sandworms or dried shrimp and 7.5L water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 3 ½ hours.
Duncan’s tip: Skim off any impurities and foam throughout the simmering process for a clear broth.
2. Meanwhile, combine the 3 tablespoons of mắm ruốc Huế and 500ml water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the paste has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes to allow the sediment to settle. Carefully spoon off the clear liquid (mam ruoc water) from the top and set aside, leaving the sediment behind, then discard the sediment.
Duncan’s Tip: If you are unable to source mắm ruốc Huế, skip this step and substitute with 2 teaspoons of anchovy salt or 4 tablespoons of fish sauce.
3. After 1 ½ hours, remove pork hock set aside and add pineapple.
4. After 2 ½ hours, remove beef shin and set aside then add the mam ruoc water.
5. At the end of the 3 ½ hour simmer, collect and discard as many lemongrass, spring onions, onions, ginger and pineapple as possible. Skim off excess tallow and discard.
6. Add half the bun bo hue paste in Season broth with 40ml fish sauce, 2 teaspoons anchovy salt, 2 teaspoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon MSG. If you prefer you broth on the sweeter side, season with up to 40g rock sugar to your taste.
Duncan’s tip: For best experience, allow broth to chill over night to allow the flavours to develop and serve the following day.
How to make Bun Bo Hue Paste:
1. Add annatto oil, star anise and cassia bark into large fry pan, cook on low-medium heat for 1 minute.
Duncan’s tip: To make annatto oil, in a small pot add 100ml neutral cooking oil and heat on low-medium for 3 minutes then add 2 tablespoons of annatto seeds and heat until oil turns bright red. Remove from heat and strain annatto seeds out.
2. Add Thai shallots, garlic, minced lemongrass, red chillies and cook on low-medium, occasionally stirring for 15-20 minutes or until fragrant and golden.
3. Once golden, add red pepper flakes, sugar and fish sauce and mix well for 3-5 minutes on low heat.
4. Remove off heat and set aside.
How to cook pork blood jelly:
1. Segment pork blood jelly into thirds, keeping it in the box, pour over boiling water to clean it then discard water.
2. Place pork blood jelly into a large pot, cover well with water, add ½ tablespoon of salt and a knob of ginger (20g). Slowly bring close to the boil on low-medium and occasionally stir.
3. Once almost boiling, reduce heat to very low for 20 minutes then cover and remove from heat to allow residual heat to cook pork blood jelly through for 20 minutes.
Duncan’s tip: Do not allow water to reach the boil as this will introduce bubbles into the jelly
4. Remove and place in a water bath for 20 minutes, then slice into large bite sized pieces.
How to cook Bun Bo Hue noodles:
1. While waiting for the broth, cover the dried rice noodles well in water, soak for an hour, then strain.
2. Boil noodles per packet instructions or until soft in lightly salted water then drain and rinse well under cold water.
How to make a bowl of bun bo hue:
1. Add pork blood jelly to pot of broth and bring to the boil then keep on a low simmer.
2. In a large serving bowl, add noodles then top with sliced beef shin, pork hock and pork blood jelly. Ladle over the hot Bun Bo Hue broth, garnish with spring onions, coriander, red onion then finish with a small handful of water spinach, mint leaves and Vietnamese perilla leaves. Add extra Bun Bo Hue sate and fresh chilli to taste. Serve immediately.
Duncan’s tip: Use a vegetable peeler to shred the water spinach stems and soak in cold water and a squeeze of lemon to get them to curl.
