Bun Rieu Vietnamese Soup

My mom would make Bun Rieu Vietnamese soup on Sundays for our family.  When she younger, she made Bun Rieu to sell to the fisherman on the docks of Saigon.  She would sell out of the Bun Rieu by noon of each day. 

I learned to make Bun Rieu by watching my mom and of course made some modern tweaks like using my food processor.  Growing up she would make Bun Rieu by pounding freshly caught crab in a make shift mortal and pestal.  The process would be very time consuming with crab shells flying all over the place.

The sight was also a spectacle.  Most of the time, fresh quality crab is not available and the canned/jar crab is full of preservatives, I usually make my Bun Rieu with fresh and dried shrimp.  My Bun Rieu is not what you would see traditionally at a Vietnamese restaurant because the combination of shrimps can be expensive.  

The quintessential Rieu will be soft and pillowy and be floating in a broth with gently cooked tomatoes and soft onions with various herbs and vegetables such as lettuce, sprouts, and water spinach

If you have any questions please let me know if the comments section.

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Bun Rieu Vietnamese Soup

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• Author: Palate Teaser
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 10
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

I learned to make Bun Rieu by watching my mom and of course made some modern tweaks like using my food processor. Growing up she would make Bun Rieu by pounding freshly caught crab in a make shift mortal and pestal. The process would be very time consuming with crab shells flying all over the place.

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Ingredients

• 1 block of Tofu
• ½ lb Shrimp
• 1 Shallot
• 4 oz Dried Reconstituted Shrimp
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 pinch Pepper
• 1 Egg
• 5 cloves Garlic
• ½ Onion
• 2 lbs Roma Tomatoes
• 6 qts Chicken Stock
• 1 head of Ramaine Lettuce
• 1 bunch of Cilantro
• 3 Green Onions
• 1 bunch of Shiso
• 1 bunch of Vietnamese Herb
• 2 Lemons
• 1 package Rice Vermicelli

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Instructions

1. Cut one block of tofu into cubes. Fry tofu in oil on high until golden brown
2. Peel a half pound of shrimp
3. Thinly slice on shallot
4. Add shallot and oz. reconstituted shrimp to mixer
5. Add a 1/2 tsp of salt and a dash of pepper to mixer
6. Pulse ingredients 3 times and then puree for 1 minute
7. Add raw shrimp to mixer. Puree for 2 minutes
8. Lightly beat one egg
9. Add shrimp mixture and egg to a small bowl
10. Mince 5 cloves of garlic, slice 1/2 onion, and quarter 2 lbs of roma tomatoes
11. Cover hot pan with olive oil and add onions and sautee onlions
12. Add garlic, 1/2 of our tomatoes, 6 quarts chicken stock
13. Once boiling add shrimp mixture and remaining tomatoes
14. For garnish; slice one head of romaine lettuce, 1 bunch of cilantro, 3 green onions, 1 bunch of shiso, 1 bunch of Vietnamese herb, and quarter 2 lemons

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