Vietnamese National Dishes

Mì Quảng (Quảng Nam Turmeric Noodles with Pork and Shrimp)

Wide rice noodles with a little fragrant broth, herbs, peanuts and sesame cracker

Vietnamese National Dishes
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Wide table view of Mì Quảng with pork, shrimp, turmeric noodles, herbs, peanuts and sesame cracker
A shared-table serving of Mì Quảng with herbs, peanuts and crisp sesame rice cracker.
Yield 4 servings
Cook 35 minutes
Passive 20 minutes
Total 1 hour 30 minutes
Calories About 640 kcal per serving
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Mì Quảng (Quảng Nam Turmeric Noodles with Pork and Shrimp)

Mì Quảng is a Central Vietnamese noodle dish associated with Quảng Nam and Đà Nẵng. Wide rice noodles meet a small amount of richly seasoned cooking liquid, pork and shrimp, then fresh vegetables, herbs, peanuts and a crisp sesame rice cracker. This home version uses turmeric in the pork marinade and broth, and banana blossom when available. Versions vary from household to household and town to town, so think of this as one Quảng Nam-inspired bowl, not a single definitive formula.

Mì Quảng is known for its turmeric-yellow wide rice noodles and restrained amount of broth. The liquid seasons and lightly coats the noodles instead of turning the bowl into a soup. Pork and shrimp are a familiar pairing, while chicken and fish also appear in regional versions. Fresh herbs and vegetables balance the rich toppings; peanuts and sesame rice cracker add crunch.

The recipe uses fresh wide rice noodles, thin pork shoulder and shrimp in a shallow, concentrated stock. Banana blossom is a characteristic garnish when you can find it; finely shredded cabbage is a practical substitute. Keep the toppings generous and the broth modest, then mix the bowl as you eat.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Noodles and protein

  • 600 g fresh wide rice noodles, or 300 g dried mì Quảng or wide rice noodles prepared according to package directions
  • 300 g boneless pork shoulder, thinly sliced across the grain
  • 250 g raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and patted dry

Pork marinade and cooking liquid

  • 20 ml fish sauce, for the pork
  • 20 g shallot, finely minced and divided
  • 8 g garlic, finely minced and divided
  • 2 g ground turmeric, for marinade and broth
  • 4 g granulated sugar
  • 1 g ground black pepper
  • 15 ml annatto oil or neutral oil
  • 800 ml unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock
  • 100 ml water
  • 3 g fine salt, adjust after tasting the stock
  • 15 ml fish sauce, for the cooking liquid; adjust to taste

Vegetables and herbs

  • 120 g banana blossom, sliced very thin and soaked in water with lime; or use finely shredded cabbage
  • 100 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
  • 80 g lettuce, washed, dried and shredded
  • 20 g fresh Thai basil, washed and leaves picked
  • 15 g fresh cilantro, washed and roughly chopped
  • 25 g scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)

Toppings

  • 40 g roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
  • 4 sesame rice crackers (bánh tráng mè), about 60 g total, toasted and broken into bite-size pieces
Method

Method

Method

  1. Prepare the noodles. Cook fresh or dried rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain well and keep warm; do not rinse unless the package instructs you to.

  2. Marinate the pork. Mix the sliced pork with 20 ml fish sauce, half the shallot and garlic, turmeric, sugar and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

  3. Prepare the toppings. Thinly slice the banana blossom and soak it briefly in water with a squeeze of lime to limit browning; drain well. Prepare the sprouts, lettuce, herbs, scallions, lime and optional chilli. Crush the peanuts and break the crackers.

  4. Start the pork. Heat the annatto oil in a heavy saucepan. Cook the remaining shallot and garlic until fragrant. Add the pork and marinade and stir until the surfaces change colour.

  5. Simmer the cooking liquid. Add the stock, water, salt and 15 ml fish sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the pork is tender and reaches at least 71°C at the centre of representative pieces. Keep the liquid concentrated rather than soup-like.

  6. Cook the shrimp. Add the shrimp and simmer just until pearly and opaque, about 3–5 minutes depending on size. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep the liquid shallow and concentrated; if it reduces too far, add a small splash of hot water.

  7. Assemble and serve. Divide the warm noodles among four bowls. Arrange the pork, shrimp, banana blossom or cabbage, sprouts, lettuce, herbs and scallions on top. Spoon a modest amount of hot cooking liquid over each bowl. Finish with peanuts, sesame rice cracker, lime and optional chilli. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C and reheat to 74°C.

Practical

Practical

Practical guidance

Slice the pork thinly across the grain so it cooks evenly and stays tender. Prepare the vegetables and toppings while the pork marinates. Taste the cooking liquid before assembling; it should be more concentrated than a soup broth because only a little goes into each bowl. If using dried noodles, follow the packet's soaking and cooking instructions so they remain pleasantly chewy. For a head start, marinate the pork in the refrigerator and prepare the dry toppings in advance; cook the noodles and assemble the bowls just before serving.

Troubleshooting

The bowl looks like soup: ladle in less cooking liquid. Mì Quảng is served with enough to dress the noodles, not submerge them. The pork is firm: slice it thinner across the grain and simmer gently rather than boiling hard; check doneness with a thermometer. The noodles clump: drain them thoroughly and toss gently while warm; avoid leaving them in a deep pool of water. The toppings taste flat: taste the cooking liquid before serving and adjust fish sauce, lime and salt in small increments.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 bowl with noodles, pork, shrimp, cooking liquid, vegetables, peanuts and one rice cracker

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving size1 bowl with noodles, pork, shrimp, cooking liquid, vegetables, peanuts and one rice cracker
  • Calories640 kcal
  • Carbohydrate59 g
  • Protein39 g
  • Fat26 g
  • Fibre5 g
  • Sodium1,500 mg
Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains shrimp (crustaceans), peanuts and fish (fish sauce). Check the labels on noodles, stock and sesame crackers for wheat, soy and cross-contact statements. Keep raw pork and shrimp separate from vegetables, herbs and cooked noodles. Marinate pork in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. Cook pork pieces to at least 71°C at the centre, using a clean instant-read thermometer. Cook shrimp until pearly and opaque throughout. Refrigerate cooked pork, shrimp and cooking liquid within 2 hours at or below 4°C; store fresh toppings separately and reheat leftovers to 74°C.

To finish

To finish

  • Serve the noodles warm with just enough cooking liquid to coat them lightly.
  • Crush the sesame rice cracker into the bowl and mix a bite with herbs, lime and peanuts.
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