Name: Hủ tiếu gõ — Saigon street-style pork noodle soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 120 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 700 g pork soup bones, cut into short sections if needed; 2.2 L water, plus extra for blanching and soaking; 20 g dried shrimp, rinsed and soaked; reserve 100 ml strained soaking water; 250 g daikon, peeled and cut into three large pieces; 120 g yellow onion, peeled and halved; 10 g rock sugar; 6 g fine salt; 15 ml fish sauce; 300 g boneless pork loin, in two thick pieces; 150 g ground pork, kept chilled; 10 g shallot, peeled and finely minced; 5 ml neutral oil; 5 ml fish sauce; 1 g white pepper; 240 g dried hủ tiếu rice noodles, soaked and cooked to package directions; 250 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained; 40 g garlic chives, rinsed and cut into 4 cm lengths; 20 g scallions, rinsed and thinly sliced; 20 g fried shallots; 20 g pork cracklings (tóp mỡ); 1 lime, cut into wedges

A bowl of clear pork-bone noodle soup topped with sliced pork, minced pork, bean sprouts, chives and fried shallots. — Hủ tiếu gõ is served with a squeeze of lime and chili on the side.

Yield 4 bowls

Cook time 65 minutes

Passive time 30 minutes for soaking

Total time 120 minutes

Calories per serving about 570 kcal

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Hủ tiếu gõ — Saigon street-style pork noodle soup

Hủ tiếu gõ is a modest Saigon noodle-soup style associated with mobile street vendors and late-evening meals. A clear, gently sweet pork broth, rice noodles and a small selection of toppings are more characteristic than a lavish assortment. Vendor bowls vary: minced pork, sliced pork, bean sprouts, chives, fried shallots and pork cracklings appear in different combinations.

This four-bowl home version simmers pork bones with daikon and dried shrimp, then uses both thin slices of whole pork loin and a little fully cooked minced pork. It is intentionally distinct from richer hủ tiếu Nam Vang, which can include prawns, pork offal and quail eggs. Keep the broth light and clear, and add toppings just before serving.

Practical

Tips for successBlanch the bones briefly, discard that water and start the broth in a clean pot; skim during the simmer. Remove the pork loin as soon as it reaches 63°C / 145°F, then rest it before slicing. Cook ground pork separately to 71°C / 160°F; minced meat has a higher safe endpoint.

Ingredients

Clear broth

700 g pork soup bones, cut into short sections if needed
2.2 L water, plus extra for blanching and soaking
20 g dried shrimp, rinsed and soaked; reserve 100 ml strained soaking water
250 g daikon, peeled and cut into three large pieces
120 g yellow onion, peeled and halved
10 g rock sugar
6 g fine salt
15 ml fish sauce

Pork toppings

300 g boneless pork loin, in two thick pieces
150 g ground pork, kept chilled
10 g shallot, peeled and finely minced
5 ml neutral oil
5 ml fish sauce
1 g white pepper

Noodles and garnish

240 g dried hủ tiếu rice noodles, soaked and cooked to package directions
250 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
40 g garlic chives, rinsed and cut into 4 cm lengths
20 g scallions, rinsed and thinly sliced
20 g fried shallots
20 g pork cracklings (tóp mỡ)
1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

Rinse the dried shrimp and soak it in clean water for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve 100 ml of the soaking water. Soak the noodles as directed on their package, then drain.
Bring the bones to a boil in a stockpot of fresh water and boil for 5 minutes. Discard that water carefully. Transfer the bones to a clean pot with 2.2 L fresh water, the shrimp and strained soaking water, daikon and onion. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim the surface and simmer uncovered for 35 minutes.
Add the pork loin for the final 15–20 minutes. Check the thickest center with a thermometer; it must reach 63°C / 145°F. Transfer to a clean board and rest for 5 minutes (at least 3), then slice thinly. Continue simmering the broth and bones until the simmer totals 55 minutes. Season with rock sugar, salt and 15 ml fish sauce; keep hot.
While the broth finishes, heat oil in a skillet. Add ground pork and shallot, breaking the meat into small crumbles. Stir in 5 ml fish sauce and white pepper. Cook until every part reaches 71°C / 160°F.
In a separate pot, boil bean sprouts for 3 minutes until steaming hot; drain. Cook the soaked noodles in fresh boiling water according to the package, usually 1–2 minutes, then drain well.
Divide noodles, sprouts, chives, sliced pork and minced pork among four bowls. Ladle in hot broth and add daikon. Finish with scallions, fried shallots and pork cracklings. Serve lime wedges on the side.

Practical

Practical guidance

Taste the broth after adding the fish sauce; different brands vary in saltiness. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil for a clearer soup. Prepare toppings while the broth cooks, but keep raw pork and its utensils away from cooked ingredients. Serve as soon as the bowls are assembled.

Troubleshooting

The broth looks cloudy: lower the heat and skim foam instead of stirring vigorously. The noodles clump: loosen them in hot water just before serving and drain thoroughly.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the broth ahead? Yes. Chill it promptly in a shallow container and refrigerate separately from noodles and toppings. Reheat the broth to a boil before serving. Can I omit the dried shrimp? Yes, but the broth will have less of its characteristic savory depth. Check fish sauce labels if avoiding fish allergens; replacing it changes the flavor.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Serving sizeone bowl, about 450 ml broth with noodles, pork and toppings
Calories570 kcal
Carbohydrate57 g
Protein29 g
Fat21 g
Fibre3 g
Sodium1,000 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains crustaceans (dried shrimp) and fish (fish sauce). Check packaged noodles and toppings for wheat, soy or cross-contact. Keep raw pork at or below 4°C and use separate boards and utensils. Whole pork loin must reach 63°C / 145°F and rest at least 3 minutes; ground pork must reach 71°C / 160°F. Cook bean sprouts until steaming hot. Refrigerate broth and toppings separately within 2 hours, use within 3–4 days, and reheat pork leftovers to 74°C. Do not store noodles in the broth.

To finish

Ladle the clear broth over noodles only when ready to eat.
Add lime at the table to brighten the pork and dried-shrimp broth.

Hủ tiếu gõ — Saigon street-style pork noodle soup

Practical

Ingredients

Clear broth

Pork toppings

Noodles and garnish

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Allergens and food safety

To finish

Vietnamese National Dishes

Bánh căn Đà Lạt — mini rice cakes with quail egg and xíu mại broth

Bánh in Huế — pressed mung-bean cakes

Bánh trứng kiến Cao Bằng — ant-egg cakes in fig leaves