How to cook Nam Vang southern-style noodle soup

Nam Vang southern-style noodle soup originated from Phnom Penh in Cambodia and was introduced to Vietnam over a hundred years ago. The dish has evolved with many variations, including pork intestines, quail eggs, and minced meat.

- 1 kg pork bones

- 400 grams of white radish

- 50 grams of dried shrimp (optional: dried squid)

- Shallots, ginger, garlic

- 300 grams pork tenderloin

- 200 grams shrimp

- 200 grams of pork heart

- 150 grams of pork liver

- 150 grams of ground pork shoulder

- 20 quail eggs

- 10 grams dried shrimp

- Hu tieu noodles

- Vegetables and side dishes: Lettuce, celery, crown daisy (optional), bean sprouts, fried garlic, pickled garlic, lime, chili, chives, or green onions.

- Spices: Fish sauce, salt, sugar, stock powder, pepper, rice wine

- Chop the pork bones in half to enhance natural sweetness during stewing.

- Soak the bones in diluted salt water and then wash them.

- Cut the pork liver, remove tendons, and make a few slits.

- Soak the liver in diluted salt water or milk, and wash. The purpose of this soaking is to eliminate toxins or undesirable flavors from the liver.

- Wash pork heart and pork tenderloin.

- Boil a pot of water, add a little salt, crushed ginger, and a touch of rice alcohol for flavor during the blanching process.

- Once the water simmers slightly, add pork bones to remove impurities.

- Wash the bones thoroughly to ensure cleanliness.

- Continue by blanching the tenderloin, liver, and heart in the simmering water.

- Wash the dried shrimp and let it dry.

- Marinate ground pork with a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of fish sauce for seasoning.

The fresh meat and pork liver display a vivid red color. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Wash the vegetables and let them dry.

- Divide the garlic into two parts for different uses in the dish.

One part for stewing:

- Use one part of the garlic, along with onions, in its whole form.

- Fry these whole cloves and shallots until they achieve a golden brown color.

- Add this fried mixture later into the stew. This contributes to an amber yellow color and imparts a fragrant aroma to the broth.

One part for garnish:

- Fry this portion until it becomes crispy, but it won't be added to the stew.

- Sprinkle the crispy fried garlic on the finished dish when serving.

Green vegetables add vibrant color and elevate flavor with their essence. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

2. Cooking process

For the toppings:

- Roast the dried shrimp until they produce a clicking sound, signifying a fragrant aroma.

- If available, grill dried squid and add it to the stew for added deliciousness.

Roasting the dried shrimps makes them firmer and brings out a brighter red color. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Boil pork bones, tenderloin, and heart in a pot of water to make the broth.

- Boil the liver separately to prevent cloudiness in the broth.

- Add onion, crushed ginger, and rice alcohol when boiling the liver for deodorization and fragrance.

- Once cooked, soak meat, heart, and liver in cold water before slicing to prevent darkening.

- Boil the quail eggs. Once they are cooked, soak the eggs in cold water for easy peeling.

Slicing the meat after soaking in cold water ensures an even color and makes it easy to cut. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Roast dried shrimp, grind or pound finely, and mix with ground pork.

- Sauté shallots, add the mixture of ground pork and dried shrimp, stir-fry, and adjust seasoning.

- Cover the meat with a bit of water to prevent discoloration and set aside.

The stir-fried ground pork should be light brown with a hint of redness from the dried shrimp. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy.

- Boil another pot of water with crushed shallots, salt, and seasoning.

- Add shrimp, turn off the stove when the water boils again, and let the shrimp cook slowly for one minute.

- Soak shrimp in boiling water to keep the shrimp firm and naturally sweet without shriveling or drying.

- Peel off the shell.

After boiling, the shrimps will curl up, forming a C-shape. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

For the broth:

- Add radishes, roasted dried shrimp, grilled ginger, fried garlic and shallots to the pot with the bones.

- Skim off foam when the water boils again, cook over low heat until the broth is clear.

- Season the broth with fish sauce, salt, and sugar to taste.

The broth looks yellow because of the fried shallots and garlic. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

3. Presentation

- Cook the noodles in boiling water.

- Place the noodles in a bowl, topping them with shrimp, sliced pork loin, liver, heart, quail eggs, and ground pork.

- Ladle hot broth over the ingredients.

- Add the veggies, and a sprinkle of fried garlic.

- The dish is served with pickled garlic, lime, and chili.

Finished product:

A bowl of Nam Vang noodle soup showcases red from shrimp, green from veggies, light brown from meat toppings, and the white of noodles. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

The finished dish presents a harmony of soft, chewy noodles, a rich broth, sweet shrimp, pork liver, and quail eggs, complemented by a crunchy pork heart.