Bun rieu is not frequently found on restaurant menus. Nowadays, nearly everyone (Vietnamese or not) is familiar with pho noodles! They are without a doubt popular! But Vietnamese cuisine transcends pho noodles. I may be biased because I grew up in Southeast Asia, but I truly adore Southeast Asian cuisine for its incredibly complex flavors. Bun rieu cua is essentially a noodle soup topped with crabmeat, egg, and occasionally minced pork, served in a delicious rich broth, tomatoes, and garnished with fresh herbs such as tia to (Vietnamese perilla), Vietnamese balm (lemon mint), split water spinach stems, and congealed pig’s blood cake.
Pork Stock
1, Clean the bones (optional but recommended): Place pork bones and enough water to cover them in a big stockpot. 5 minutes, or until contaminants (foam) rise to the surface. Place a colander in the sink, then place the bones in the colander and thoroughly rinse them with cold water.
2, Return the stock pot to the burner after a thorough cleaning. Add five liters of water and boiled bones. Simmer for one hour on medium-low heat.
Crab mixture:
In a food processor, finely mince rehydrated dried salted shrimp and leave aside.
Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic and shallots. Saute until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add crab seasoned in a jar and dried shrimp. Combine, then remove the skillet from the heat to avoid frying the eggs. Add beaten eggs and blend thoroughly.
Bring the stock pot’s heat to a rolling boil. Pour the crab mixture into the stockpot slowly. We would like it to cook rapidly so that it remains in one piece. The mixture will rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook the food for ten minutes.

Tomato Mixture
Heat additional vegetable oil in the now-empty skillet and sauté garlic and onions. Once aromatic and browned, add tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring gently, or until tomatoes have released their juices.
Slowly incorporate the tomato combination into the crab mixture in the stockpot, taking care not to break up the crab mixture.

Season the Stock
Season to taste with salt , chicken/mushroom bouillon powder
Before adding the ketchup and shrimp paste to the stockpot, liquefy them in a small bowl with a ladle of the hot broth from the stockpot.
Add tofu that has been fried to the stockpot.

Assembly
Add some cooked rice noodles to the bowl. Incorporate soup from the stockpot. Add pork spare ribs, a little portion of the crab mixture, and fried tofu.
Add your preferred vegetables, a squeeze of lime, and some green onions.
Additional shrimp paste should be served on the side