Tiếng ViệtHue Snakehead Fish Noodle Soup – An Easy Home Recipe with Dried Noodles
Hue-style snakehead fish noodle soup combines cooked snakehead fish, a hot savory broth and thick noodles with scallions, pepper and chili added to taste.
This recipe uses dried Hue-style noodles to skip the step of making fresh rice-flour noodles from scratch. It is a convenient home-cooking version rather than an exact reproduction of the traditional Thuy Duong preparation.
How Are Dried Noodles Different from Traditional Hue Banh Canh?
Traditional snakehead fish banh canh in the Thuy Duong area is associated with fresh noodles made from rice flour, rolled and cut before cooking. This home recipe replaces that step with dried wheat-based noodles.
Because thickness and ingredients vary between dried noodle products, use the preparation instructions on the package as your primary guide.
Ingredients for About 4 Servings
Adjust the amount of noodles and broth to suit your serving size.
Cook the Snakehead Fish and Separate the Meat
Clean the fish thoroughly, removing the gills and any internal parts you do not intend to use. Rinse it again before cooking.
Bring water to a gentle boil and cook the fish until the flesh is fully cooked, opaque and separates easily from the bones.
Remove the fish and let it cool enough to handle. Separate the meat into bite-size pieces. Keep the head and bones if you want to use them for the broth.
Food Safety Note
Prepare the Broth
Return the fish head and bones to the cooking liquid and keep the broth at a gentle simmer to extract flavor. Strain carefully afterward to remove bones and sediment.
For a richer broth, you can also prepare pork bones separately and combine the two broths. Pork bones are optional rather than a defining ingredient of Hue snakehead fish noodle soup.
Season the broth with salt and fish sauce to taste. A small amount of sugar can be added for balance if needed, but the broth should not become distinctly sweet.
Season the Fish
Sauté a small amount of shallot or small Vietnamese shallots if using. Add chili powder according to your preferred heat level.
Add the cooked fish pieces, then season lightly with fish sauce and black pepper. Turn the fish gently so it absorbs the seasoning without breaking apart.
There is no need to cook the fish until it becomes dry. The goal is simply to give the pieces more flavor before serving.
Cook the Dried Noodles
Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and add the dried noodles. Cooking time varies according to the product.
If Using Phuoc Hanh Dried Hue Noodles
Assemble the Soup
Divide the cooked and drained noodles among serving bowls. Arrange the seasoned snakehead fish on top and ladle over the hot broth.
Finish with chopped scallions, black pepper and chili according to taste. Vietnamese coriander or cilantro can also be added if you enjoy them.
Serve the soup while hot. If adding extra fish sauce or chili, taste the broth first so the finished bowl does not become overly salty or spicy.
What Does This Version Change from the Traditional Preparation?
A Convenient Dried Noodle Option
If you do not want to make fresh banh canh noodles from scratch, packaged dried noodles can shorten the preparation time. Phuoc Hanh Dried Hue Noodles are made from wheat flour and can be boiled for about 5–7 minutes before rinsing briefly and draining.
Explore More Vietnamese Cooking Guides
For another recipe that focuses on batter technique and dipping sauce, see our Banh Xeo Quang Ngai recipe. Or return to
Vietnamese Cooking Guides for more recipes.
