Vietnamese Macaroni Soup with Pork (Sup Nui)

5 from 3 votes

This Vietnamese Macaroni Soup with Pork, or Sup Nui, is the ultimate comfort food! Macaroni noodles, soft carrots, and ground pork are nestled in a homemade pork broth. It's a popular Vietnamese breakfast but also great as a light lunch or dinner, especially on sick days.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 40

Servings servings

Calories 455

Author Jessica Kwon

Ingredients

2 lbs pork bones
2½ liters water (10 cups) plus more for blanching
1 inch knob of ginger peeled and halved
½ shallot
½ onion
1 bunch cilantro 15-20 wilted and large stems set aside
20 g yellow rock sugar about a 1 inch piece
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
2½ cups (12 oz) elbow pasta
½ cup carrots minced
¾ lb ground pork
Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place bones in a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 30 minutes. Then drain and rinse the bowls.
Bring a large stockpot or Dutch oven of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the bones, hard boiling for 5 minutes. Carefully drain and thoroughly rinse and scrub the bones clean of any blood or residue. Clean the pot and wipe dry.
Add bones back into the pot, along with 2.5 L water and 2 teaspoon salt. Bones should be covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, removing any scum or browned bits that floats to the top.
Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a gentle, rolling simmer. Add ginger, shallot, onion, cilantro stems, rock sugar, fish sauce, and peppercorns. Simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour, removing any foam or scum on top. Limit stirring the bones.
While the bones are simmering, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, cooking 1 minute less than box instructions say. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large plate. Set aside. Add more water if needed, then add carrots and boil until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to an ice bath and set aside.
Season ground pork with salt and pepper. Add to pot of boiling water and cook for 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
Once the pork broth is done simmering, strain and season to taste. You should end with about 6 cups of pork broth. Reserve meat on bones, if any.
To serve, add pasta, carrots, ground pork, and fresh cilantro to a bowl. Pour over pork broth and top with a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper.

Notes

Storing: Let cool down completely and store the broth, pasta, carrots, ground pork, and cilantro separately in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: To freeze the broth, let cool completely and store in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container for up to 3 months
Substitutions and Variations:
- You can replace both the pork bones and ground pork with meaty pork spare ribs.
- Substitute yellow rock sugar with ½ tablespoon white granulated sugar. Season to taste.

Nutrition