Vietnamese Mi Quang (Turmeric Noodles with Pork and Shrimp)
Mi quang is a central Vietnamese noodle dish built on turmeric-tinted rice noodles topped with pork, shrimp, and a small amount of concentrated broth - closer to a dressed noodle than a soup. The pork is marinated with fish sauce and turmeric, which simultaneously colors the meat yellow and infuses it with fermented depth. A brief five-minute simmer with chicken stock produces a small quantity of broth with intensely concentrated flavor. The noodles are cooked separately, rinsed, and served in bowls with just enough broth to moisten rather than submerge them, which is the hallmark of authentic mi quang. Bean sprouts and crushed roasted peanuts are added on top, contributing crunch and nuttiness that contrast with the soft noodles and rich broth.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Slice pork thinly and marinate with fish sauce and turmeric.
- 2
Stir-fry pork first, then add shrimp and cook together.
- 3
Add chicken stock and simmer 5 minutes for concentrated broth.
- 4
Cook noodles separately, rinse, and drain.
- 5
Place noodles in bowls and add meat, shrimp, and a small amount of broth.
- 6
Top with bean sprouts and crushed roasted peanuts.
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Tips
Nutrition (per serving)
More Recipes
Cao Lau (Hoi An Chewy Rice Noodles with Braised Pork)
Cao lau is a dish that exists in only one place - Hoi An, a UNESCO-listed port town in central Vietnam - because its unique chewy noodles were traditionally made using water drawn from a specific ancient Cham well and lye from the ash of trees on the nearby Cham Islands. The noodles are thicker and firmer than any other Vietnamese variety, with a distinctive amber color and an almost pasta-like al dente bite. Sliced pork - braised in soy sauce, five-spice, and sugar until deeply caramelized - sits on top alongside a handful of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and torn pieces of crispy fried won ton skin. Only a few tablespoons of the pork braising liquid moisten the bowl - this is not a soup but a dry noodle dish where each element maintains its own texture. The Cham, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese trading cultures that passed through Hoi An's port over centuries all left traces in cao lau - the soy seasoning echoes Japanese udon, the five-spice recalls Chinese cooking, and the fresh herb garnish is unmistakably Vietnamese. It is a dish that cannot be authentically reproduced elsewhere, making it one of the world's most geographically anchored foods.
Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup
Born in the central Vietnamese city of Hue, this spicy beef noodle soup builds its character from a broth simmered low and slow with beef shank, lemongrass stalks, fermented shrimp paste, and dried chilies. A slick of bright-red chili oil floats on the surface, signaling the heat that follows. Each spoonful delivers the shrimp paste's deep umami alongside the citrusy lift of lemongrass, creating a layered spiciness that lingers without overwhelming. The noodles used are bun, a round rice vermicelli thicker and chewier than the flat strands found in pho, giving each strand enough body to hold up against the robust broth. Bean sprouts, shredded banana flower, and a squeeze of lime are added at the table, introducing crisp texture and acidity that cut through the richness. Adding sliced pork blood sausage brings the bowl closer to the version served on Hue's streets.
Vietnamese Grilled Pork Vermicelli
Charcoal-grilled pork sits atop a bed of cool rice vermicelli in this Vietnamese composed noodle bowl. The pork is marinated in fish sauce, sugar, and garlic before hitting the grill, where the sugars caramelize into a smoky-sweet crust while the interior stays moist. Fresh mint, cilantro, and crushed roasted peanuts are scattered over the top, building layers of herbal fragrance and crunch. A drizzle of nuoc cham, the sweet-sour-salty dipping sauce anchored by fish sauce and lime, ties every component together. Even without broth, the bowl feels generous and refreshing, thanks to the temperature contrast between the warm meat and the chilled noodles. Pickled daikon and carrot add a final note of acidity that keeps the palate engaged to the last strand.
Beef Brisket Pho Guksu (Charred Ginger Beef Rice Noodle Soup)
Beef pho guksu is a Vietnamese-style rice noodle soup featuring charred onion and ginger broth ladled over thin beef brisket slices and soaked rice noodles. Dry-charring the onion and ginger in a pan burns off their raw pungency and coaxes out a caramelized sweetness that becomes the broth's aromatic backbone. Fish sauce and a touch of sugar season the strained broth, keeping it full-flavored yet clean on the finish. Pouring the boiling broth directly over the thinly sliced brisket cooks the beef gently in the bowl, leaving it soft and pink at the edges. Bean sprouts, cilantro, and lime wedges are added at the table to adjust freshness and acidity.
Banh Canh Cua (Vietnamese Thick Crab and Pork Noodle Soup)
Banh canh cua is a southern Vietnamese noodle soup where the broth and noodles are equally thick - a departure from the clear, delicate soups of Hanoi. The base is built from crab shells and pork bones simmered together, then strained and thickened with tapioca starch until it coats the back of a spoon. Hand-cut tapioca-rice noodles have a distinctive chew - slippery and dense, unlike any wheat or rice noodle. Chunks of crab meat and a crab-paste egg custard float in the milky broth, making each bowl intensely rich with ocean flavor. Street vendors in Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho ladle it from giant pots at dawn, serving it as a morning meal with fried shallots and fresh herbs on the side.
Bun Bo Nam Bo (Vietnamese Dry Beef Noodle Bowl with Herbs)
Bun bo nam bo - literally 'southern beef noodles' - is a Hanoi interpretation of southern Vietnamese flavors, assembled as a dry noodle bowl rather than a soup. The dish layers cold rice vermicelli, stir-fried beef marinated in lemongrass and garlic, and a generous pile of fresh herbs - cilantro, Thai basil, mint, and perilla. Crushed roasted peanuts and fried shallots scatter on top, adding crunch and sweetness. The binding element is a bowl of nuoc cham - the sweet-sour-salty-spicy dipping sauce made from fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic, and chili - poured over and mixed through at the table. The beef must be seared on maximum heat for under a minute so it stays medium-rare inside while the lemongrass marinade caramelizes on the edges. The beauty of the dish lies in its temperature contrasts: cool noodles, cold herbs, warm beef, and room-temperature sauce all meeting in each chopstick-lifted tangle. Found on nearly every street in Hanoi's Old Quarter, it is lunchtime fuel for office workers who line up at their preferred stall.