There are many many noodle dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. One of my favorites is Bun Rieu. What makes this dish so aromatic and distinctive in flavor is the fresh vegetables and the shrimp paste. My mama Thu used to make this all the time when I was little and what I really love about it is the flavor and consistency of the chicken balls and the broth. A perfect bite includes a bite of rice noodles with a bite of chicken followed by a spoonful of broth. YUM! Happy Cooking.
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Ingredients:
One bunch of green onions that you will split between steps 1 and 2 (diced up for meat mixture/cut into 1 inch pieces for the soup mixture)
2 medium white onions (chunky cut)
3 eggs
1 lb ground chicken or ground pork
5 chicken bullion cubes
Roma tomatoes
shrimp paste
cilantro (mint leaves, shredded iceburg and basil are optional)
tbls sugar
dash of salt
pepper to taste
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Step 1
Combine ground chicken, 3 eggs, diced green onion, tbls sugar, dash of salt, cracked fresh white pepper. Mix all ingredients and set aside.
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Step 2
In a large pot add 2 tbls of olive oil. When the pot is hot add the 1 inch pieces of green onion and the chunks of white onion. Once the veggies are sauteed add 10 cups of water, bullion cubes and tbls sugar. Bring to a boil.
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Step 3
Take a small spoon and scoop up meat mixture and drop by the spoonful into the boiling pot. Take a large spoon and skim the layer of fat off the top of the boiling soup. The meatballs will eventually float to the top when they are cooked.
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Step 4
Add the diced Roma tomatoes last. Let them cook for just a few minutes and take the pot off the stove, put the lid on and set aside.
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Step 5
Bring another pot of water to a boil and add the rice vermicelli noodles. Boil for about 7 minutes then strain the noodles while rinsing them under cold water.
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Plating:
Add noodles to a bowl
Garnish with cilantro
Add a few ladels of the soup mixture with chicken balls
Top with chili garlic sauce and shrimp paste.
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