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
Noodles with broth, fish cakes, dill, scallions, cilantro.
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
360 kcal24 g protein8 g fat48 g carbs
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