4 Heart - Bún Cha Cá

Bún Chả Cá


Fish Cake Noodle Soup

A light and savory noodle soup with chewy fish cakes, tomatoes, and fresh herbs, popular in coastal cities like Đà Nẵng and Nha Trang.

Other variations:

Bún chả cá Đà Nẵng, Bún chả cá Nha Trang, Bún chả cá Huế, Bún chả cá Quảng Nam

Category

Noodle Soup

Region

Popular Nationwide

Preparation Time

1h42

Servings

4–5

Difficulty

Medium

About this recipe

Bún Chả Cá is a coastal Vietnamese specialty, often made with mackerel or barracuda fish cakes. The broth is delicately flavored with fish bones and aromatics, balanced with tomatoes and pineapple for sweetness and acidity.

Ingredients List

300 g fish cakes (sliced) 500 g fish bones or head 400 g dried rice vermicelli 3 tomatoes (quartered) 150 g pineapple (chunks) 2 shallots (minced) 2 cloves garlic (minced) 1 tbsp annatto seeds 3 tbsp fish sauce fresh herbs (dill, cilantro, scallions) lime wedges

Materials & Tools

Large soup pot ladle strainer knife and chopping board mixing bowls

Preparation steps

Total Time :

1h42

Active Time :

42 min

Cooking Time

1h00

Step 1

Make Broth

Simmer fish bones 45–60 min, strain.

1h00

Step 2

Color Oil

Fry annatto seeds, sauté shallots, garlic, tomatoes until soft.

10 min

Step 3

Flavor Broth

Add pineapple, fish sauce, tomato mix to broth.

10 min

Step 4

Cook Fish Cakes

Slice fish cakes, simmer 5–7 min.

7 min

Step 5

Cook Noodles

Boil vermicelli, drain.

10 min

Step 6

Assemble Bowl

Noodles with broth, fish cakes, dill, scallions, cilantro.

5 min

Step 7

Step 8

Chef’s Tips

Use dill generously for authentic coastal flavor; avoid overcooking fish cakes to keep them springy.

Serving Suggestions

Fresh herbs, lime wedges, chili paste

Nutritional info

360kcal
24g protein
8g fat
48g carbs

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