3 Vietnamese Noodle Soup Dishes You Need to Try

There’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup, whether it’s the classic Pho, the spicy Bun Bo Hue or the zingy Bun Rieu.

If you’ve never tried any of these incredible noodle and broth combos, we reckon these dishes are about to become your new favourites.

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup (Pho Bo)

With its aromatic broth laced with spices, thinly sliced beef, slippery rice noodles and topped with a flurry of fresh herbs, crunchy beansprouts and shaved onion, traditional Pho Bo is like a big warm hug from your grandma. Top your fragrant bowl of broth with rare beef (the heat from the soup will gently cook it), braised brisket, beef meatballs or, for the adventurous eaters, chewy strips of beef tendon. Get our recipe for Pho Bo to cook this up at home.

Bun Bo Hue

Hailing from Hue in Central Vietnam, Bun Bo Hue is far more intense that its Pho cousin. The rich, rust-red broth is made from pork and beef bones, which are simmered for hours, then flavoured with lemongrass, chilli oil, fermented shrimp sauce and sugar. Rather than the flat rice noodles of Pho, Bun Bo Hue uses cylindrical rice noodles, similar in shape to spaghetti, but softer in texture. Traditional toppings including marinated beef shank, oxtail and pork knuckle, along with coriander, spring onion, cabbage, mint, bean shoots and perilla. This is one Vietnamese soup that packs a serious punch.

Bun Rieu Cua

Rounding out the trio of essential Vietnamese soups is the less popular, but by no means less delicious Bun Rieu Cua. This soup has sour notes thanks to the use of tomato and tamarind, which pairs well with the additions of crab, fried tofu and pork. Traditional versions get their red hue from the addition of pork blood, but this can be skipped when making Bun Rieu Cua at home. Here’s our recipe for authentic Bun Rieu Cua to try at home.