Bun Rieu

Ingredients

• 200 g crab paste
• 4 large tomatoes
• 400 g rice vermicelli
• 100 g tofu puffs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp shrimp paste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp annatto oil
• 3 stalks scallions
• 15 g vietnamese perilla
• 100 g bean sprouts
• 1 lime

Steps

1. Blend crab paste with eggs, form into a loose mixture; bring 1.5L water to a gentle simmer, carefully slide in the crab-egg mixture — it will float to the surface as a delicate cake, do not stir.
2. Quarter tomatoes, fry in annatto oil until softened and oil turns red-orange, add to the broth with fish sauce and shrimp paste, simmer 20 minutes.
3. Halve tofu puffs, add to the soup; cook rice vermicelli in separate boiling water 2-3 minutes until tender, drain into bowls.
4. Break the floating crab cake into chunks, ladle tomato-crab broth over noodles, add tofu puffs, garnish with scallions, perilla, bean sprouts, and lime wedges.