Name: Bún sứa Nha Trang — clear fish noodle soup with jellyfish
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 100 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 900 g fish frames or heads, rinsed; 2.6 L water; 180 g yellow onion, halved; 250 g daikon, peeled and cut into chunks; 250 g ripe tomato, cut into wedges; 180 g peeled pineapple, cut into chunks; 30 ml fish sauce; 6 g fine salt; 8 g sugar; 320 g thin dried rice vermicelli; 400 g boneless white fish fillet, cut into pieces; 300 g fully cooked Vietnamese fish cake, sliced; 300 g drained, commercially prepared edible salted or cured jellyfish; 200 g bean sprouts; 120 g lettuce and mixed fresh herbs; 2 limes, cut into wedges; 1 red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

A wide tabletop view of Nha Trang jellyfish noodle soup with lime, bean sprouts and herbs alongside. — Bún sứa served with fresh lime and herbs at the side.

Yield 4 servings

Cook 65 minutes

Passive 0 minutes

Total 100 minutes

Calories About 610 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bún sứa Nha Trang — clear fish noodle soup with jellyfish

Bún sứa is associated with Vietnam’s central and south-central coast, especially Nha Trang. Its appeal comes from contrast: fine rice noodles and a clear, gently sweet fish broth meet the crisp, springy texture of prepared jellyfish. Fish cake and tender poached fish make the bowl more substantial, while herbs, bean sprouts, lime and optional chili add freshness at the table. Nha Trang versions differ in the fish used and in their garnishes, so this is a practical home interpretation rather than a claim to one definitive formula.

Use only commercially prepared, food-grade jellyfish sold as ready to eat. Curing raw wild jellyfish is a specialized process and is not a home step in this recipe. Follow the product label for rinsing or soaking; salt levels differ.

Practical

Keys to successBlanch and rinse the fish frames before simmering for a cleaner-tasting broth. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer and skim it; vigorous boiling can cloud it. Taste before adding much salt because fish cake and fish sauce can both be salty. Prepare jellyfish as its package directs and add it at serving so its texture stays crisp. Use separate utensils for raw fish and ready-to-eat garnishes.

Ingredients

Clear fish broth

900 g fish frames or heads, rinsed
2.6 L water
180 g yellow onion, halved
250 g daikon, peeled and cut into chunks
250 g ripe tomato, cut into wedges
180 g peeled pineapple, cut into chunks
30 ml fish sauce
6 g fine salt
8 g sugar

Noodles and toppings

320 g thin dried rice vermicelli
400 g boneless white fish fillet, cut into pieces
300 g fully cooked Vietnamese fish cake, sliced
300 g drained, commercially prepared edible salted or cured jellyfish
200 g bean sprouts
120 g lettuce and mixed fresh herbs
2 limes, cut into wedges
1 red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

Method

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add fish frames for 2 minutes, drain, rinse away foam and blood under cold running water, and wash the pot.
Return frames to the clean stockpot with 2.6 L fresh water and onion. Bring just to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Skim and simmer uncovered for 35 minutes without vigorous stirring.
Strain broth into a clean pot. Discard frames and onion. Add daikon and simmer 12 minutes, until nearly tender. Add tomato, pineapple, fish sauce, salt and sugar; simmer 8 minutes. Taste lightly, remembering fish cake is seasoned.
Prepare packaged jellyfish exactly as its label directs, including any rinsing or soaking. Drain well and refrigerate until serving. Do not use raw wild jellyfish or treat this step as cooking.
Cook rice vermicelli according to its package directions. Drain and rinse briefly with cool potable water to stop sticking. Divide among four warm bowls.
Keep broth at a gentle simmer. Add fish and poach until the thickest piece reaches 63°C / 145°F on an instant-read thermometer; it should also be opaque and flake easily. Add cooked fish cake and simmer until piping hot. Transfer fish and cake to bowls, then ladle over broth and vegetables.
Top each bowl with chilled prepared jellyfish, bean sprouts and herbs. Serve immediately with lime and optional chili. Keep raw-fish utensils and surfaces separate from ready-to-eat toppings.

Practical

Practical guidance

Choose fresh frames from a mild white fish and keep them chilled until cooking. Cook noodles shortly before serving. The broth can be made earlier, cooled promptly and refrigerated; bring it to a boil when reheating. Keep ready-to-eat jellyfish and washed garnishes refrigerated until assembly. Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F). Store leftover broth and cooked fish promptly in shallow covered containers and use within 3–4 days. Reheat to 74°C / 165°F. Keep jellyfish separate and follow its package storage instructions. If Vietnamese fish cake is unavailable, use extra cooked white fish; flavor and texture will differ. Do not substitute raw or home-cured jellyfish.

Troubleshooting

Cloudy broth: The frames may have boiled hard or been stirred. Keep a gentle simmer and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Too salty: Dilute with hot water or unsalted broth and add lime at the table. Fish cake and fish sauce vary by brand. Rubbery fish: Remove it as soon as it reaches 63°C / 145°F; do not simmer it for the full broth time. Jellyfish too salty: Repeat the package-directed rinse or soak, tasting as you go. Do not improvise a curing process.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the broth ahead? Yes. Cool and refrigerate it promptly, then bring it to a boil when reheating. Cook noodles and assemble toppings close to serving. Does the jellyfish need to be cooked? This recipe specifies a commercial ready-to-eat product. Follow its label; adding it to the bowl is for texture, not a cooking or safety step.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: One bowl with one quarter of all listed components. Approximate values: 610 kcal; 102 g carbohydrate; 38 g protein; 6 g fat; 7 g fibre; 2,400 mg sodium. Calculated from listed amounts and generic composition values; labels, broth yield and seasoning change the result. Not laboratory analysis.

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeServing size: One bowl with one quarter of all listed components. Approximate values
Calories610 kcal
carbohydrate102 g
protein38 g
fat6 g
fibre7 g
sodium2,400 mg

Allergens and safety

Contains fish. Check fish cake and fish sauce labels for additional allergens and cross-contact. Keep seafood refrigerated until cooking. Wash hands and clean tools and surfaces after raw-fish contact. Cook fish to 63°C / 145°F. Use only packaged, food-grade ready-to-eat jellyfish, prepared as directed on its label; this recipe does not explain processing raw jellyfish.

Serve it well

Keep lime and chili on the side so each person can season the clear broth.
Assemble just before eating to preserve the contrast between hot soup and crisp toppings.

Bún sứa Nha Trang — clear fish noodle soup with jellyfish

Practical

Ingredients

Clear fish broth

Noodles and toppings

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and safety

Serve it well

Vietnamese National Dishes

Bánh hỏi lòng heo Phú Yên — fine rice threads with pork and offal

Bánh xèo tôm nhảy Bình Định — crisp shrimp rice pancakes

Bánh căn Phan Rang Ninh Thuận — Vietnamese mini rice cakes with shrimp and quail egg