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Vegetarian bun rieu
Bún riêu chay: Hanoi tomato noodle soup with soft tofu-and-egg curds, fried tofu and a pile of herbs
In Hanoi, bún riêu is a mid-morning bowl bought from street sellers who set up on low plastic stools: a tangy red tomato broth with rice vermicelli and soft, floating curds that are normally made from pounded paddy crab. Vegetarian cooks and Buddhist temple kitchens make bún riêu chay instead, folding crumbled tofu, egg and chopped shiitake into the same loose, spongy curds, and seasoning the broth with fermented tofu rather than shrimp paste. It arrives with fried tofu, lime, chilli, shredded water spinach and perilla, so each spoonful is sour, savoury and fresh at once. Chef's tip: let the tomatoes fry in the annatto oil until they collapse into a jammy paste before any stock goes in; that is where the broth gets its colour and depth.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the broth
For the tofu curds (riêu)
To serve
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Hold 1 onion cut-side down in a dry frying pan over a high heat for about 5 minutes until the face is charred black in patches.
5 minStep 2: Put 8 ¼ cups water, the charred onion and 10 ½ oz daikon (white radish) in a large pot. Squeeze 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, chop them finely and set them aside for the curds; pour their soaking liquid (not the grit at the bottom) into the pot. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently over a low heat for 25 minutes. The stock should smell sweet from the radish.
25 minStep 3: Meanwhile, warm 3 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp annatto seeds in a small pan over a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oil turns deep orange. Don't let it smoke. Strain out and discard the seeds.
3 minStep 4: Crumble 10 ½ oz firm tofu into a bowl with your fingers until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Beat in 3 eggs, ½ tsp black pepper, half the chopped shiitake and a pinch of the ⅓ tsp salt. The mixture should be loose, like scrambled eggs before they hit the pan.
Step 5: Heat the annatto oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 3 shallots for 2 minutes until soft and golden, then add 5 ripe tomatoes and the remaining chopped shiitake. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, pressing the tomatoes with a spoon, until they collapse into a thick, glossy red paste.
10 minStep 6: Lift the onion and daikon out of the stock. Scrape the tomato paste into the pot and stir in 2 cubes fermented tofu (chao), 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and the rest of 1 tsp salt. Bring back to a gentle simmer.
Step 7: Spoon the tofu-egg mixture in large dollops around the surface of the barely simmering broth. Don't stir. Within 3 to 4 minutes the curds float up, turn pale yellow and firm into soft, spongy rafts. Common mistake: boiling hard or stirring now breaks the curds into a cloudy mess, so keep the heat low and leave them alone.
4 minStep 8: Slide in 5 ½ oz fried tofu puffs and simmer for 3 minutes so they soak up the broth. Taste and add 1 tbsp rice vinegar a little at a time until the broth is clearly sour, then adjust with salt or sugar. It should taste tangy first, then savoury.
3 minStep 9: Cook 14 oz rice vermicelli (bún) in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes (follow the packet) until soft and white all through. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again so the noodles don't clump.
5 minStep 10: Divide the noodles between deep bowls. Ladle over the hot broth, scooping curds and tofu puffs onto each. Top with 2 spring onions and serve with 5 ½ oz water spinach stems or shredded lettuce, 3 ½ oz bean sprouts, 1 handful perilla or Thai basil leaves, 1 lime and 2 red chilli on a plate so everyone adds their own.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 86 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetarian bun rieu take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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