Name: Súp cua — Vietnamese crab and egg soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 1.2 L unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock; 300 ml boiling potable water, for soaking the shiitake; 25 g dried shiitake mushrooms, briefly rinsed; 150 g cooked crab meat, drained and checked for shell fragments; 8 cooked quail eggs, peeled; 2 large chicken eggs; 28 g cornstarch; 60 ml cool potable water, for the slurry; 15 ml fish sauce; 1 g fine salt, or to taste; 0.5 g ground white pepper; 20 g scallions, rinsed and thinly sliced; 10 g fresh coriander (cilantro), rinsed, dried and chopped; 5 g fresh red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

A wide table view places Súp cua on the right, with extra quail eggs and fresh herbs on a plate at left. — A small plate of peeled quail eggs and fresh herbs accompanies the crab soup.

Yield 4 snack bowls

Cook time 25 minutes

Passive time 15 minutes

Total time 60 minutes

Calories per serving about 170 kcal

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Súp cua — Vietnamese crab and egg soup

Súp cua is a thick, spoonable Vietnamese crab soup often enjoyed as a warm snack in Sài Gòn. A bowl can bring together sweet crab, mushrooms, egg ribbons and a softly set broth. Toppings differ from one vendor and household to another: some versions add corn, shredded chicken, century egg or other extras.

This home version keeps the combination simple: cooked crab meat, shiitake, chicken stock, beaten egg and two cooked quail eggs per serving. A little cornstarch gives the broth a light sheen and enough body to hold the ingredients together. The soup should remain silky and easy to ladle, not stiff or gluey.

Practical

Tips for successSoak the dried shiitake in boiling water until soft, then strain the liquid through a fine sieve and keep it for the broth. Stir the cornstarch into cool water until completely smooth, and pour it into the simmering soup a little at a time. Lower the heat before adding the beaten egg. A thin stream and a gentle stir form soft ribbons instead of large clumps.

Ingredients

Soup

1.2 L unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock
300 ml boiling potable water, for soaking the shiitake
25 g dried shiitake mushrooms, briefly rinsed
150 g cooked crab meat, drained and checked for shell fragments
8 cooked quail eggs, peeled
2 large chicken eggs
28 g cornstarch
60 ml cool potable water, for the slurry
15 ml fish sauce
1 g fine salt, or to taste
0.5 g ground white pepper
20 g scallions, rinsed and thinly sliced
10 g fresh coriander (cilantro), rinsed, dried and chopped
5 g fresh red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

Method

Put the dried shiitake in a heatproof bowl, cover with 300 ml boiling potable water and soak for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, reserving all the liquid. Slice the softened mushrooms thinly.
Pour the chicken stock and reserved mushroom liquid into a 3 L pot. Bring to a gentle boil, add the shiitake and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the cooked crab meat, fish sauce, 1 g salt and white pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring gently, until the crab is thoroughly hot. Taste before adding more salt.
Mix the cornstarch with 60 ml cool water until smooth. Stir the soup and pour in the slurry gradually. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the broth lightly coats a spoon; stop before it becomes gluey.
Lower the heat so the soup barely simmers. Beat the eggs lightly, then pour them in a thin, steady stream while gently stirring in one direction. Let the strands set for about 20 seconds before stirring again.
Add the peeled quail eggs and simmer for 2 minutes until hot throughout. Stir in the scallions and coriander, then remove the pot from the heat.
Divide the soup among four bowls, placing two quail eggs in each. Serve hot with optional sliced chili and extra white pepper.

Practical

Practical guidance

Use pasteurized or canned cooked crab meat, or cook fresh crab until its flesh is pearly or white and opaque before picking it. Check the meat carefully for shell fragments and keep it refrigerated until you are ready to cook. If your stock or fish sauce is salty, taste the soup before adding the measured salt. The mushroom soaking liquid adds flavor; strain it carefully to catch any grit. For a make-ahead start, soak and slice the mushrooms, then refrigerate them with their strained liquid and use within a day. Cool leftover soup in shallow containers within 2 hours, refrigerate at or below 4°C for 3–4 days, and reheat to 74°C. The starch thickens as the soup cools, so loosen it with a little hot stock or water while reheating.

Troubleshooting

The soup is too thick: Stir in hot stock or water a little at a time until it is easy to ladle. The broth looks cloudy or lumpy: The slurry may have gone in too quickly or the soup may have boiled hard. Whisk the cornstarch fully into cool water and add it gradually at a gentle simmer. The egg forms large clumps: Lower the heat and pour the beaten egg in a finer stream; let it set briefly before stirring.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make the egg ribbons fine? Let the soup barely simmer, pour in the beaten egg slowly and keep the spoon moving gently in one direction. Wait about 20 seconds for the strands to set before stirring again. Can I use canned crab? Yes. Use cooked crab meat, drain it well, check for shell fragments and add it near the end so it heats through without becoming tough.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Serving sizeabout 450 ml, one of four bowls
Caloriesabout 170 kcal
Carbohydrateabout 13 g
Proteinabout 15 g
Fatabout 6 g
Fibreabout 1 g
Sodiumabout 750 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains crustacean shellfish (crab), egg and fish (fish sauce). Chicken stock, crab products and fish sauce can have additional allergens or cross-contact; check their labels. Keep crab meat chilled at or below 4°C until use, and use clean utensils for raw eggs and ready-to-eat crab. Cook fresh crab until the flesh is pearly or white and opaque. Cook the egg ribbons until fully set, and heat the cooked crab and quail eggs until steaming hot. Cool leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, refrigerate at or below 4°C, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74°C.

To finish

Serve the soup as soon as it is hot and silky, with two quail eggs in each bowl.
Set chili and extra white pepper on the table so each person can season their bowl.

Súp cua — Vietnamese crab and egg soup

Practical

Ingredients

Soup

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Allergens and food safety

To finish

Vietnamese National Dishes

Gà nướng mắc khén — Northwest Vietnamese roast chicken

Heo rẫy nướng — Central Highlands grilled pork

Hủ tiếu gõ — Saigon street-style pork noodle soup