Name: Hủ tiếu Sa Đéc — Sa Đéc rice-noodle soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 1 kg pork soup bones, rinsed for blanching; 3 L fresh water; after straining, top up with boiling water if needed to yield 2.4 L broth; 200 g daikon, peeled and cut into large chunks; 100 g yellow onion, halved and dry-charred; 15 g dried shrimp, rinsed; 15 ml fish sauce; 8 g rock sugar; 3 g fine salt; 1 g ground white pepper; 320 g dried wide Sa Đéc rice noodles; 250 g raw pork shoulder, one intact piece; 160 g raw ground pork; 180 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined; 8 raw quail eggs; 15 ml neutral oil; 10 g shallot, finely minced; 150 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained; 50 g garlic chives, rinsed and cut into 4 cm lengths; 30 g scallions, thinly sliced; 120 g lettuce, rinsed, dried and torn; 12 g ready-to-serve fried shallots; 80 g lime, cut into wedges; 5 g fresh red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

Wide table view of Hủ tiếu Sa Đéc with pork, shrimp, quail eggs and herbs beside lettuce and lime. — The soup bowl sits with fresh lettuce and lime wedges for serving at the table.

Yield 4 large bowls

Cook time 180 minutes

Passive time 0 minutes

Total time 210 minutes

Calories per serving about 700 kcal

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Hủ tiếu Sa Đéc — Sa Đéc rice-noodle soup

Hủ tiếu Sa Đéc is associated with the Mekong Delta city of Sa Đéc in Đồng Tháp. The local rice-flour craft has a long history, and official provincial reporting records its recognition on Vietnam’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2024. Sa Đéc noodles are often described as broad, pale and pleasantly chewy. Local cooks serve both broth and dry versions, and toppings vary from stall to stall.

This home version follows the clear-broth style: pork bones, daikon and onion make a gently simmered stock, while sliced pork, ground pork, shrimp and quail eggs turn each bowl into a hearty meal. The recipe is one practical combination, not a claim that every Sa Đéc bowl uses the same toppings. Use wide rice noodles made for hủ tiếu when available, and follow the package if its soaking time differs.

Practical

Tips for successBlanch and rinse the bones before simmering, then keep the stock at a gentle bubble so it stays clear. Soak dried noodles until pliable and blanch them only until tender but still springy. Cook and portion the toppings separately, then ladle the hot broth into the bowls just before serving.

Ingredients

Clear pork broth

1 kg pork soup bones, rinsed for blanching
3 L fresh water; after straining, top up with boiling water if needed to yield 2.4 L broth
200 g daikon, peeled and cut into large chunks
100 g yellow onion, halved and dry-charred
15 g dried shrimp, rinsed
15 ml fish sauce
8 g rock sugar
3 g fine salt
1 g ground white pepper

Noodles and toppings

320 g dried wide Sa Đéc rice noodles
250 g raw pork shoulder, one intact piece
160 g raw ground pork
180 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 raw quail eggs
15 ml neutral oil
10 g shallot, finely minced
150 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
50 g garlic chives, rinsed and cut into 4 cm lengths
30 g scallions, thinly sliced
120 g lettuce, rinsed, dried and torn
12 g ready-to-serve fried shallots
80 g lime, cut into wedges
5 g fresh red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

Method

Blanch the pork bones in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse them under cool running water. Wash the pot to remove the scum.
Dry-char the onion halves in a skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, turning until browned in spots. Put the rinsed bones and 3 L fresh water in the clean stockpot. Bring just to a boil and skim, then lower to a gentle uncovered simmer. Add the daikon and charred onion. Simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes, skimming as needed; add the dried shrimp for the final 45 minutes. Strain the broth, discard the bones and spent aromatics, and measure 2.4 L, adding boiling water if needed. Season with fish sauce, rock sugar, salt and white pepper. Keep hot at a gentle simmer.
While the broth simmers, cover the quail eggs with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes so the whites and yolks set. Cool briefly in cold water, peel and halve.
Soak the dried rice noodles in cold water for 15–20 minutes, or according to the package, until pliable. Drain. Keep raw pork and shrimp refrigerated until their cooking steps; use separate utensils and boards for raw proteins and ready-to-eat produce.
Poach the intact pork shoulder in gently simmering broth until its centre reaches at least 63°C. Rest it on a clean plate for 3 minutes, then slice thinly. Return any collected juices to the broth. In a small skillet, heat 15 ml neutral oil and cook the minced shallot for 30 seconds. Add the ground pork, break it into small pieces and cook until browned and its centre reaches at least 71°C; keep warm.
Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer. Poach the peeled shrimp for about 2–3 minutes, turning once, until pearly and opaque throughout; remove with a clean slotted spoon. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and blanch the soaked noodles for 1–2 minutes, or until tender but springy according to the package. Drain well.
Divide noodles among four warmed bowls. Arrange sliced pork, cooked ground pork, shrimp and halved quail eggs on top. Add bean sprouts and garlic chives, ladle about 600 ml hot broth into each bowl, and finish with scallions and fried shallots. Serve with lettuce, lime wedges and optional chili at the side.

Practical

Practical guidance

Skim the stock as it simmers and avoid a rolling boil; vigorous bubbling can make it cloudy. If the finished stock is stronger than you like, dilute it with a little boiling water before seasoning. Packaged rice noodles vary in width and soaking time, so use the tender-but-springy cue and the package directions together. For serving, keep the noodles and toppings warm but separate until the bowls are assembled. If preparing ahead, refrigerate the strained broth and cooked toppings in separate shallow containers within 2 hours. Store at or below 4°C for 3–4 days. Reheat the broth to a rolling boil and bring leftovers to 74°C. Cooked noodles soften in storage, so blanch only what you plan to serve when possible.

Troubleshooting

The broth is cloudy: it boiled too vigorously or the bones were not rinsed after blanching. Keep it at a gentle simmer and skim the surface. The noodles are sticky or mushy: they were soaked or blanched too long. Follow the package and drain as soon as they are tender but springy. The broth tastes flat: adjust fish sauce and salt a little at a time after straining; the broth should remain clean and gently savoury.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the broth ahead? Yes. Strain and chill it promptly in a shallow container, then reheat to a rolling boil. Keep noodles and toppings separate until you assemble each bowl. Can I serve this as dry hủ tiếu? Dry versions are also eaten in Sa Đéc, but this recipe is for the clear-broth bowl. For a dry version, use a separate recipe because the sauce and seasoning balance are different.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Serving sizeabout 1 kg, one large bowl with broth and toppings
Caloriesabout 700 kcal
Carbohydrateabout 79 g
Proteinabout 40 g
Fatabout 24 g
Fibreabout 5 g
Sodiumabout 1,300 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains shrimp and dried shrimp (crustacean shellfish) and fish sauce (fish). Rice noodles are usually made from rice, but check the package for wheat ingredients and cross-contact warnings. Keep raw pork, shrimp and eggs at or below 4°C until needed, and use separate utensils for raw proteins and ready-to-eat produce. Cook the intact pork shoulder to at least 63°C and rest it for 3 minutes; cook ground pork to at least 71°C. Shrimp should be pearly and opaque throughout, and quail eggs should have firm whites and yolks. Cool leftovers in separate shallow containers within 2 hours, refrigerate at or below 4°C, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74°C.

To finish

Serve each bowl as soon as the hot broth meets the noodles and toppings.
Put lettuce, lime and optional sliced chili on the table so everyone can season their bowl.

Hủ tiếu Sa Đéc — Sa Đéc rice-noodle soup

Practical

Ingredients

Clear pork broth

Noodles and toppings

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Allergens and food safety

To finish

Vietnamese National Dishes

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Súp cua — Vietnamese crab and egg soup

Gà nướng mắc khén — Northwest Vietnamese roast chicken