What is Mì Quảng?
Mì Quảng is a popular noodle dish that originated from Quảng Nam Province in central Vietnam. It is a must-try noodle dish if you ever visit the popular city of Hội An and the northern neighboring city of Đà Nẵng.
Mì Quảng is made with flat yellow rice noodles, served in a small amount but intensely flavored broth with a medley of fresh herbs and vegetables. There are many variations of tasty toppings that go with Mì Quảng but the most popular toppings include slices of pork belly, whole shrimp, toasted peanuts, sesame rice crackers, and hard-boiled quail eggs.
This noodle soup offers a unique blend of flavors and textures, thanks to its diverse array of toppings. It is best enjoyed in the summer when it’s too hot to enjoy a traditional bowl of noodle soup and when the garden is in full bloom of Vietnamese herbs that need to be used up.
Mì Quảng Broth
The broth in Mì Quảng is what sets it apart from other noodle dishes. Unlike traditional noodle soups that use a lot of broth, Mì Quảng uses only a small amount. There is just enough concentrated broth in each serving to wet the noodles and bring everything together. If you are doing it right, you shouldn’t be able to see the broth in the finished bowl.
The stock for the broth is made by simmering pork bones and shrimp heads to create a flavorful base. The pork bones add depth, while the shrimp heads contain the roe that adds a seafood richness and a beautiful red color.
It’s finished with salt, sugar, and fish sauce. For more umami, I also add chicken bouillon powder and/or MSG but these are optional. Highly recommended but optional.
You can also use jarred minced crab and prawns (pictured above) as a quick alternative to fresh crab or shrimp roe. This is the same store-bought ingredient that is added to a quick version of Vietnamese Pork and Crab Noodle Soup (Bún Riêu Cua Thịt).
Mì Quảng Yellow Noodles
This noodle dish features flat rice noodles that are physically similar to the more well-known chow fun noodles. However, unlike chow fun noodles, these rice noodles are naturally dyed yellow with turmeric powder and they are chewier with the addition of tapioca starch. In other words, do not use chow fun noodles that you see in styrofoam trays typically sold at Asian grocery stores. They are not yellow which is not a big deal. More importantly, they are too delicate and will break apart easily.
You can get the correct yellow noodles in most Asian supermarkets in the dry goods aisle. They are hard to miss and are typically labeled Mi Quang Noodles or Quang-Style Noodles. Look for the ones that are naturally colored with turmeric powder.
If you can’t find these yellow noodles, simply use dried flat phở noodles. They are the same noodles, just without the yellow color. You can dye them yellow by adding turmeric powder to the water when boiling or simply use them as is.
Other Dishes to Try
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also enjoy the following popular recipes with turmeric powder:
- Coconut Chicken Curry (Ga Ri Ga)
- Vietnamese Sizzling Crepe (Banh Xeo)
- Hanoi Famous Fried Fish with Turmeric & Dill (Cha Ca La Vong)
- Easy Fried Fish with Turmeric & Lemongrass
- Steamed Turmeric Whole Chicken
- Vietnamese Savory Mini Pancakes (Banh Khot)
Central Vietnam Must-Eat Noodle Dish: Mi Quang
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
A must-try noodle dish from Quang Nam Province. This soup features turmeric rice noodles in a flavorful broth with fresh herbs and vegetables.
Ingredients
Broth
- 3 lbs pork bones (neckbones or leg/marrow bones)
- 1 lb pork belly
- 1 lb large whole shrimp with heads
- 2 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (divided)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (divided)
- 1 tablespoon paprika (divided, little heat, mainly for color)
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder (divided)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and quartered)
- 2 large shallot (peeled and finely chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
Noodles, Vegetables and Garnishes
- 2 10.5–oz bags of Quang Nam yellow rice noodles
- Fried shallots
- Green onions (sliced thin)
- Cilantro (sliced thin)
- Yellow onion (sliced thin)
- Toasted peanuts
- Bean sprouts
- Green or red cabbage
- Lettuce
- Lemons or limes
- Sesame rice crackers
Instructions
Prepare the Proteins
- Cleaning: Place pork and shrimp them into a large mixing bowl and scrub them down with 2 tablespoons coarse salt then rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Drain dry.
- Prepare pork: Slice the pork belly into long strips. Then slice it into thin pieces. Transfer to a bowl and marinate with a bit of salt, sugar, fish sauce, paprika and turmeric. Set aside.
- Prepare shrimp: Detach the shrimp heads from the bodies. Set shrimp heads aside to make the broth later. Shell the shrimp if preferred and devein. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and marinate with a bit of salt, sugar, fish sauce, paprika and turmeric. Set aside.
Make the Broth
- Pan fry shrimp heads: To the bottom of a large pot, heat a tablespoon oil on medium-high. Add shrimp heads and pan fry for 5 minutes. Using the back of a ladle, smash the shrimp heads to release its head fat, which will naturally color the broth a beautiful red/orange.
- Simmer: Add pork bones, yellow onion, and 2 quarts of water and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, leave the pot uncovered, and let it simmer for 45 minutes. Once done, remove all the solids and discard.
- Sauté pork belly: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add half the shallots and garlic, and pan-fry until fragrant (20 seconds). Add the marinated pork belly slices, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the outside is caramelized. Transfer the pork belly to the stock pot and continue to cook the stock for an additional 15 minutes.
- Sauté shrimp: Return to the empty skillet and heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add remaining shallots and garlic and pan-fry until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add the marinated shrimp and cook for about three minutes or until they are no longer translucent. Once cooked, set the shrimp aside.
- Season stock to taste: Add remaining salt, sugar, fish sauce, paprika and turmeric. Adjust to taste. If you find the broth a little underwhelming, add a bit of MSG or chicken bouillon powder.
Prepare the Accompaniments
- Noodles/vegetables/herbs/limes: Cook the noodles per packaged instructions. Wash and thinly slice choice of vegetables and herbs. Slice the lemons or limes into wedges. Set aside.
- Make rice crackers: Light wet rice crackers with water. You can use a water spritzer on both sides or dab them with a wet paper towel. Ensure that the microwave plate is clean and place the crackers directly on it. Heat them for 30 seconds, flip them over, and heat for another 30 seconds until they puff up evenly. Break the crackers into small pieces and set aside.
Assemble
- Vegetables/herbs: Add your choice of vegetables to the bottom of the bowl.
- Noodles: Layer the cooked noodles on top of the bed of vegetables.
- Broth: Pour about a cup of broth over the noodles, making sure to include slices of pork belly.
- Toppings: Add shrimp, rice crackers, peanuts, and fried shallots on top of the noodles.
- Garnish and serve: Add thinly sliced green onions, cilantro, and yellow onions. Serve with lime or lemon wedges on the side and enjoy.
Notes
- You can also use pork spare ribs for the broth and save them to use as a meaty topping.
- For a quicker version of stock, use 4 cups store-bought chicken stock and 4 cups water. Cooking time will be less. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- If you don’t have shrimp heads, use jarred or canned minced crab and shrimp (about 5 oz). No need for paprika if using this. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
