Vietnamese Macaroni Soup (Súp Nui): A Symbol of Appreciation

By Salena Truong

Every year, once the leaves began to fall, and the weather turned colder, my siblings and I would eagerly wait for my mom to make one of our childhood favorites. This dish is called Súp Nui, which translates to “noodle soup”. There are many variations of this recipe from different proteins and noodle shapes, but the version that I grew up with—made with pork ribs and macaroni noodles—will always be my favorite.

My mom would prepare the broth the night before, and the aromatics would fill our whole house. Now that my siblings and I are all in college, this soup has become a tradition whenever we come home for the holidays.

Súp Nui was one of the first Vietnamese dishes I learned to make on my own, which is why it holds such a special place in my heart. Over the past few years, I’ve been learning more recipes to feel more connected to my culture, and food has always been the biggest love language in my family. Preparing this meal – not just for my family, but for my mom as a way to show my appreciation – reminds me why I cherish simple, comforting dishes like this one.

Ingredients:

*Serves 4-5 bowls

14 oz of macaroni noodles

*Broth:

1-2lbs pork spareribs
1 White onion
2 small shallots
1 ginger wedge
2 carrots (optional)
2 medium potatoes
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chicken bouillon
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar

*Garnishes

Cilantro
Black pepper
Lime
Fried shallots or onion

Directions:

In a large pot, heat up enough water to cover your ribs.

While the water is heating, prepare your ribs by separating them into individual pieces and cutting in between the bones. Rinse the cut ribs with some salt water and add them into the boiling water.

Boil the ribs for about 5 minutes and then drain and rinse under cold water.

Add 2-3 quarts of cold water back into the pot.

To prepare the broth, peel your onion, shallots, and ginger. (optional: create a cross section in your onion, shallots, and ginger to release more flavor)

Add the pork ribs along with all the aromatics into the pot. Season with salt, chicken bouillon, fish sauce and sugar. Allow pot to simmer on low/medium heat for 45-50 minutes.

While that is simmering, prepare the vegetables and any garnishes. Peel and cut the carrots and potatoes into small chunks.

In a separate pot, cook your macaroni according to the package. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.

Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot for the last 15 minutes.

Add your macaroni into a bowl, add the hot broth along with the ribs and vegetables. Garnish with some cilantro, green onion, a squeeze of lime and ground pepper.

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