Vietnamese National Dishes

Hủ tiếu Nam Vang (Saigon Phnom Penh-Style Pork and Shrimp Noodle Soup)

Clear pork-bone broth, chewy noodles and a generous mix of pork, shrimp and herbs

Vietnamese National Dishes
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A Saigon bowl of clear hủ tiếu Nam Vang with pork, shrimp, liver, quail egg and fresh greens; wide table view with bowl and lime.
Hủ tiếu Nam Vang with clear pork broth, chewy noodles and fresh table garnishes. Wide serving with herbs and lime.
Yield 4 servings
Cook 2 hours 10 minutes
Passive 15 minutes
Total 3 hours
Calories About 780 kcal per serving
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Hủ tiếu Nam Vang (Saigon Phnom Penh-Style Pork and Shrimp Noodle Soup)

Hủ tiếu Nam Vang is a southern Vietnamese noodle soup associated with Phnom Penh-style hủ tiếu and Saigon's own noodle-stall traditions. Bowls differ: some include heart or pork blood, and noodles may be served dry with broth on the side. This home version is a clear, gently simmered soup with pork loin, ground pork, liver, shrimp and a fully cooked quail egg.

The name Nam Vang is the Vietnamese name for Phnom Penh. The dish's culinary history reflects Chinese, Cambodian and Vietnamese influences, and no single topping list defines every bowl. In Saigon, hủ tiếu can arrive as a soup or as a dry noodle dish with broth served separately. The version here focuses on a clear, savory-sweet broth and the chewy rice or rice-and-tapioca noodles often used for hủ tiếu.

Blanching the bones first and keeping the stock at a gentle simmer help produce a cleaner broth. Dried shrimp and a little dried squid deepen its savory character; omit the squid if unavailable. Pork loin is poached whole and sliced, while liver and ground pork are cooked separately so they are easy to check and the broth stays clear. Add the fresh greens, lime and chilli at the table to suit each bowl.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Broth

  • 1.2 kg pork bones, rinsed
  • 2.6 L cold water for the broth
  • 25 g dried shrimp, rinsed
  • 15 g dried squid, palm-sized piece, lightly toasted (optional; used in some versions)
  • 250 g daikon, cut into thick rounds
  • 150 g yellow onion, peeled and halved
  • 20 g fresh ginger, smashed
  • 15 g rock sugar
  • 30 ml fish sauce
  • 4 g fine salt, plus a little for blanching

Toppings

  • 300 g pork loin, in one piece
  • 150 g ground pork
  • 150 g pork liver, in one thick piece
  • 200 g raw peeled shrimp
  • 4 quail eggs
  • 5 ml neutral oil for the ground pork
  • 5 ml fish sauce for the ground pork

Noodles and garlic oil

  • 320 g dried hủ tiếu noodles (rice or rice-and-tapioca blend)
  • 15 g garlic, finely minced
  • 30 ml neutral oil for the garlic oil

For the bowls

  • 100 g bean sprouts, rinsed
  • 100 g leaf lettuce, shredded
  • 50 g garlic chives, cut into 4 cm lengths
  • 30 g scallions, thinly sliced
  • 20 g cilantro leaves
  • 2 limes (about 140 g), cut into wedges
  • 5 g red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1 g ground black pepper
Method

Method

Method

  1. Put the pork bones in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and wash the pot to remove scum.

  2. Soak the rinsed dried shrimp in warm water for 15 minutes. Lightly toast the dried squid if using. Return the bones to the clean pot with 2.6 L fresh water, dried shrimp, squid, daikon, onion and ginger. Bring just to a boil, skim, then simmer gently with the lid partly on for 2 hours. Keep the stock from boiling hard.

  3. Boil the quail eggs for about 5 minutes, until both white and yolk are firm. Cool and peel them. Meanwhile, fry the minced garlic in 30 ml oil over medium-low heat until pale gold; immediately pour the garlic and oil into a heatproof bowl so it does not keep browning.

  4. During the last 20–30 minutes of simmering, poach the pork loin in the broth. Check the thickest part with a clean thermometer; it must reach 63°C. Rest on a clean board for 3 minutes before slicing. Remove the bones and solids, strain the broth, and adjust with boiling water to about 2 L if needed. Season with the fish sauce, salt and rock sugar.

  5. In a small saucepan, cook the liver in a little strained broth until its centre reaches 71°C, then slice it. In a separate small pan, cook the ground pork with 5 ml oil and 5 ml fish sauce, breaking it into small pieces, until it reaches 71°C throughout. Keep cooked toppings covered and away from raw meat and its utensils.

  6. Poach the shrimp in gently simmering broth until pearly and opaque, about 2–3 minutes depending on size, then lift them out. Cook the noodles according to the package directions; rinse only if the package directs. Drain well and divide among four bowls.

  7. Divide the pork loin, ground pork, liver, shrimp and one quail egg among the bowls. Add the bean sprouts, lettuce, garlic chives, scallions and cilantro. Ladle about 500 ml hot broth into each bowl and finish with garlic oil, pepper, lime and optional chilli. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C, and reheat to 74°C.

Practical

Practical

Practical guidance

Soak the dried shrimp while the bones blanch and the stockpot is cleaned. Keep the stock at a quiet simmer; a rolling boil can make it cloudy. Start the pork loin near the end of the broth simmer so it remains tender. Let it rest before slicing, and use a clean probe for each protein. Noodle cooking times vary by brand and thickness. Follow the package and drain thoroughly so the broth is not diluted. For a lighter broth, chill it and lift off the solidified fat. For a richer bowl, leave some of the skimmed fat in the stock. Keep the fresh garnishes chilled and separate until serving. Rinse sprouts and herbs under clean running water. Dried squid is optional. If omitted, the broth will be a little less ocean-savoury; do not replace it with extra fish sauce without tasting first.

Troubleshooting

The broth is cloudy: It may have boiled too vigorously or not been skimmed. Keep it barely simmering and strain it through a fine sieve. The broth tastes flat: Add fish sauce and salt in small increments, tasting after each. A little lime at serving can brighten the bowl without changing the pot. The noodles clump: Drain them thoroughly and portion immediately. Keep cooked noodles separate from the stock until each bowl is assembled. The pork slices crumble: Chill the cooked loin briefly before slicing, or use a sharp knife and cut across the grain.

Frequently asked questions

Is this normally a soup or a dry noodle dish? Both are served. This recipe is the soup version; some stalls serve the seasoned noodles dry and bring broth separately. Can I leave out the liver or dried squid? Yes. Liver is a topping in many bowls but can be omitted. Dried squid is optional here; the dried shrimp still gives the broth a seafood note. What noodles should I buy? Look for dried hủ tiếu noodles made from rice or a rice-and-tapioca blend. Thickness and texture vary, so cook them according to the package.

Nutrition

These are approximate values based on generic ingredient composition. Noodle and fish-sauce brands, broth fat and optional garnishes can change the result; this is not laboratory analysis.

Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving sizeOne bowl with one quarter of the listed ingredients
  • Calories780 kcal
  • Carbohydrate75 g
  • Protein54 g
  • Fat28 g
  • Fibre4 g
  • Sodium1,650 mg
Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains pork, shrimp, egg and fish sauce. Dried shrimp and dried squid are seafood; check noodle and condiment labels for wheat, soy and cross-contact information. Keep raw pork, liver and shrimp and their utensils separate from cooked toppings, noodles and ready-to-eat greens. Wash hands and surfaces between handling raw proteins and garnishes. Cook whole pork loin to 63°C and rest it for 3 minutes; cook ground pork and pork liver to 71°C. Shrimp should be pearly/white and opaque, and quail egg white and yolk should be firm. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C and reheat to 74°C.

Serve it this way

Serve it this way

  • Set lime wedges, pepper and chilli on the table so each person can season their own bowl.
  • Keep any extra broth hot and pour it just before eating, while the noodles and greens are ready.
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