Overview
Bún suông (Trà Vinh shrimp noodle soup)
The shape is a familiar hallmark, while local cooks vary the broth and may fry the shrimp pieces or add pork blood. Here the suông are poached directly in the pot for a clear, practical home method.
Vietnamese National Dishes
Bún suông (Trà Vinh shrimp noodle soup)
Bún suông is a southern Vietnamese noodle soup known for its long, tapered shrimp cakes, or suông. In this home version from Trà Vinh, they are poached in a savory pork-and-shrimp broth brightened with tamarind and fermented soybean paste. Tender pork hock, whole shrimp, rice vermicelli and fresh herbs make each bowl generous without hiding the chewy shrimp centerpiece.
Vietnamese National Dishes
Practical
Practical
- Tips for successKeep the pork broth at a quiet simmer so it stays clean-tasting. Skim foam during the first part of cooking and top up only if the bones stop being covered. Pulse the shrimp just until tacky and cohesive. Over-processing can make it pasty; chilling helps it hold the tapered shape. Keep the broth barely simmering while piping the suông. Give each piece room and poach in batches so the temperature does not crash. The suông are ready when firm and opaque throughout and a thermometer in the center reads 71°C, since this version uses egg white. Floating is a useful visual cue but not the only check. Tamarind and fermented soybean paste vary in strength and salt. Taste the finished broth before adding any extra fish sauce or salt.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Pork and shrimp broth
- 900 g pork soup bones, cut into pieces
- 600 g bone-in pork hock
- 3,800 ml potable water, divided: 1,000 ml for blanching and 2,800 ml for broth
- 300 g daikon, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces
- 150 g yellow onion, halved
- 20 g dried shrimp, rinsed
- 200 g raw shrimp heads and shells
- 15 ml neutral oil
- 15 g shallot, minced
- 8 g garlic, minced
- 30 g seedless tamarind concentrate
- 35 g fermented soybean paste (tương hột), mashed
- 20 ml fish sauce
- 12 g granulated sugar
- 8 g fine salt
Shrimp suông
- 500 g raw peeled shrimp, patted dry
- 30 g tapioca starch
- 30 g pasteurized egg white
- 8 g garlic, finely grated
- 10 ml fish sauce
- 5 g granulated sugar
- 4 g fine salt
- 1 g ground white pepper
Bowls and tamarind fish-sauce dip
- 300 g raw peeled shrimp, patted dry
- 900 g cooked fresh rice vermicelli (bún), about 150 g per bowl
- 200 g bean sprouts
- 150 g shredded banana blossom
- 100 g mixed fresh herbs, such as mint, Thai basil, perilla and cilantro
- 25 g scallions, thinly sliced
- 20 ml lime juice, divided: 10 ml for soaking the banana blossom and 10 ml for the dip
- 45 ml fish sauce
- 15 g seedless tamarind concentrate
- 20 g granulated sugar
- 100 ml potable water
- 8 g garlic, finely minced
- 5 g red chili, thinly sliced; use less for a milder dip
Method
Method
Method
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Blanch the pork. Bring 1,000 ml water to a boil in the stockpot. Add the pork bones and hock, boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Rinse the pork and pot; discard the blanching water.
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Simmer the broth. Return the bones and hock to the clean pot with 2,800 ml fresh water, daikon, onion and dried shrimp. Bring to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for about 85 minutes, skimming as needed. Check the thickest part of the hock away from bone: it must reach at least 63°C and rest for 3 minutes, then continue simmering until tender enough to slice.
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Add shrimp-shell flavor. Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Cook the shallot and garlic for about 30 seconds, add the shrimp heads and shells, and stir until bright orange. Add a ladle of broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain this liquid into the stockpot; discard the shells and aromatics.
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Season the broth. Stir in the tamarind concentrate, mashed fermented soybean paste, fish sauce, sugar and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then taste for a savory, gently tart balance. Keep the broth at a low simmer.
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Make the shrimp paste. Pulse 500 g shrimp with the tapioca starch, egg white, grated garlic, fish sauce, sugar, salt and white pepper until cohesive and tacky. Do not blend until liquid. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
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Shape and poach the suông. Pipe or spoon tapered logs about 7 cm long directly into the gently simmering broth, working in batches. Poach for 4–6 minutes, turning once, until firm and opaque throughout and at least 71°C in the center. Transfer to a clean tray.
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Cook the topping shrimp. Add the remaining 300 g shrimp to the broth. Cook for about 2–3 minutes, depending on size, until pearly and opaque throughout; remove promptly. Lift out the hock, separate the meat from the bone and slice it. Prepare the cooked vermicelli according to its package directions.
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Prepare the dip and greens. Dissolve the tamarind concentrate in the water, then stir in the fish sauce, sugar, 10 ml lime juice, garlic and chili. Soak the banana blossom briefly in cool water with the remaining 10 ml lime juice, then drain. Rinse and thoroughly dry the sprouts and herbs.
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Build the bowls. Divide warm noodles, sliced hock, whole shrimp, suông and scallions among six bowls. Ladle over boiling-hot broth. Serve immediately with bean sprouts, banana blossom, herbs, lime and the dipping sauce.
Practical
Practical
Practical guidance
If you cannot find tương hột, mashed fermented yellow soybean paste is the closest practical substitute; use a smaller amount at first because brands vary in salt and sweetness. Fresh rice vermicelli is ideal. If using dried noodles, cook and drain them as directed on the package before portioning. For a less spicy table, serve the sliced chili separately and leave it out of the dip. The broth, pork and suông can be prepared ahead and refrigerated separately. Reheat the broth to a full boil and the other cooked components until steaming hot before serving. Banana blossom browns quickly after shredding. Keep it in cool water with lime, then drain well so it does not dilute the soup.
Troubleshooting
The shrimp paste will not hold a tapered shape: Chill it longer, or mix in 5 g more tapioca starch. Keep the paste cold between batches. The broth tastes flat: Add a little more tamarind for brightness or a measured splash of fish sauce for savoriness. Make small adjustments because the soybean paste and fish sauce are already salty. The broth is cloudy: It boiled too hard or was not skimmed early. Keep a gentle simmer next time and strain before serving if needed. The shrimp cakes are rubbery: They may have been over-processed or cooked too long. Pulse only until sticky and remove them as soon as they are cooked through.
Frequently asked questions
What does “suông” mean in this dish? It refers to the long, tapered shrimp paste pieces that make the soup distinctive. The dish name has more than one local explanation, so this recipe does not claim a single origin for the word. Can I fry the shrimp cakes instead? Some versions fry them, but this method poaches them in the broth for a softer texture and a simpler home preparation. Can I make the soup without pork? Pork bones and hock are part of this version's broth and topping. A seafood or vegetable broth would be a different adaptation and would need its own seasoning balance.
Nutrition per serving (estimate)
Nutrition per serving (estimate)
- Serving sizeOne bowl with noodles, broth, pork, shrimp, suông and fresh garnishes
- CaloriesAbout 550 kcal
- CarbohydrateAbout 62 g
- ProteinAbout 43 g
- FatAbout 14 g
- FibreAbout 4 g
- SodiumAbout 2,000 mg
Allergens and food safety
Allergens and food safety
Contains shrimp, fish sauce, fermented soybean and egg white. Check packaged noodles, sauces and starch for additional allergens or cross-contact. Keep raw pork and seafood at or below 4°C and separate from cooked food and produce. Wash hands, thermometer, boards and utensils after raw contact. Cook the hock to at least 63°C and let it rest for 3 minutes; continue simmering until tender. Cook the egg-white shrimp paste to at least 71°C at the center and whole shrimp until opaque throughout. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C, use within 3 days, and reheat to 74°C.
To finish
To finish
- Bring the herbs, bean sprouts, banana blossom and dip to the table so everyone can add crunch and acidity to taste.
- Serve the bowls piping hot, with extra lime and chili on the side.
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