Mai

Growing up, I always associated súp măng cua with weddings. You’ll often find a version of this soup or its cousin Súp bắp cua (with corn instead of asparagus) on Vietnamese wedding banquet tables. It is considered fancy since ocean crab and white asparagus are expensive and not everyday ingredients. The beautiful white and red bits of color in the clear broth is also fits well with the aesthetics of a wedding.

This soup, like bánh mì or patê-sô, is a Vietnamese creation with French ingredients/influence. Asparagus is a temperate-weather crop and is not native to Southeast Asia- it was likely introduced to Vietnam by the French during the colonial period.

This gorgeous soup takes a bit of effort to make but it is so worth it. The delicate flavor of the crab meat and sweetness of the asparagus are combined beautifully in an umami chicken broth. The swirls of egg whites suspended in the rich and thick soup, along with the occasional quail egg make this soup truly an experience to savor.

INGREDIENTS FOR SÚP MĂNG CUA

• White asparagus – Măng tây trắng: White and green asparagus are not different species, they’re just grown differently. White asparagus is grown underground, which prevents the production of chlorophyll- which is what provides the green color. White asparagus are milder and sweeter in taste compared to green asparagus. They usually only appear briefly in the spring- in April and May. Asparagus is a temperate-weather crop and is not native to Southeast Asia- it was likely introduced to Vietnam by the French during the colonial period.
• Ocean crab meat – Thịt cua bể: The other star of our soup. If you are motivated to buy whole crabs, steam them, then remove the meat for this soup- the results will definitely be incredible, but that is admittedly a lot of work. Canned crab meat will work just fine. I recommend buying large lumps & legs, rather than really fine crab meat that is meant for crab cakes. Larger pieces of crab will make the soup look and taste better.
• Chicken – Gà: The base of our broth is chicken. For this recipe, you can either buy a chicken carcass or mixed bones and breast separately or half a chicken (or a whole chicken if you’re doubling the recipe).
• Quail eggs – Trứng cút: As a kid, these were actually my favorite part of the soup, not the fancy asparagus and crab meat.
• (Chicken) Eggs – Trứng gà: We will use the egg whites to create swirls in the soup, just like in Chinese egg drop soup.
• White onion – Hành tây
• Shallots – Hành khô/hành tím
• Green onions
• Cilantro
• Cornstarch
• Bouillon powder
• Fish sauce
• Salt – Muối
• Ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS FOR SÚP MĂNG CUA

1. Peel and cut white onion into quarters.
2. Peel shallots.
3. Add the chicken bones and chicken breast (or the half chicken), along with white onion, the shallots, a generous amount of salt, and the water to a large pot. Heat on high until boiling, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Throughout this time, skim off any impurities and fat that rise to the surface of the broth.
4. In the meantime, wash the asparagus, peel off the tough outer layer with a peeler or knife, trim off the tough ends, and cut into ~3cm lengths.
5. Peel and thinly slice shallots.
6. After the broth has simmered for 30 minutes:
   If using chicken bones and breast- remove the chicken breast to a plate to cool and let the rest continue simmering for 30 minutes.
   If using a half chicken- remove it from the broth, cut to separate the chicken breast from the carcass, place the breast on a plate to cool, and return the rest to the pot to simmer for another 30 minutes.
7. Bring a small pot of water to boil, add the quail eggs, and boil for 4 minutes. Once done, add the eggs to an ice bath, then peel and set aside.
8. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat into thin strings and set aside.
9. When the broth is done simmering, remove the bones, onion, shallots with a slotted spoon or strainer.
10. Add the shredded chicken into the broth and heat on high until boiling.
11. Reduce heat to medium and add in asparagus. Let this cook while you work on the crab.
12. Strain any liquid from the crab meat. You can discard this liquid or add it into the broth.
13. Heat a pan on medium and add some vegetable oil.
14. Add the sliced shallots and sauté until fragrant- about 30 seconds.
15. Add the crab meat and fish sauce to taste, then sauté for 5 minutes.
16. Pour the sautéed crab meat to the soup pot, increase the heat to high and bring to boil.
17. Crack 2 eggs, separating the yolks and whites. Save yolks for another recipe. Whisk the whites.
18. When the soup is boiling, reduce heat to medium and pour the whites in slowly as you stir gently with chopsticks in a circular motion. This will help the eggs whites form ‘ribbons’ in soup. Do not stir too hard, which would cause the whites to be broken up.
19. Whisk together the cornstarch with water in a small bowl.
20. Pour mixture into the soup and stir gently to mix. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 5 minutes. You should see the soup thicken.
21. Add in the quail eggs.
22. Season to taste with more bouillon powder and fish sauce.
23. Ladle soup into a bowl, sprinkle with ground black pepper and garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve while hot!

RECIPE VIDEO

Súp măng cua • Vietnamese asparagus crab soup

Course: Soups, AppetizersCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Medium

Makes

10

servings

Cooking time

1

hour 

40

minutes

A delicious and beautiful soup containing white asparagus, crab, chicken, and quail eggs- commonly served as an appetizer during Vietnamese parties and weddings.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• Broth

• 250 g 250 chicken breast

• 500 g 500 chicken bones (or replace chicken breast & bone with half a chicken)

• 2 liters 2 water

• 1 1 white onion

• 2 2 shallots

• Salt

• Soup

• 500 g 500 white asparagus (see notes)

• 10 10 quail eggs

• 400 g 400 crab meat (large lumps & legs are best)

• 2 2 shallots

• 2 2 eggs

• 8 tbsp 8 cornstarch

• 6 tbsp 6 water

• 1 tbsp 1 bouillon powder

• Fish sauce (to taste)

• Vegetable oil

• For serving

• Green onion

• Cilantro

• Ground black pepper

Directions

• Peel and cut white onion into quarters.
• Peel shallots.
• Add the chicken bones and chicken breast (or the half chicken), along with white onion, the shallots in the Broth section, a generous amount of salt, and the water to a large pot. Heat on high until boiling, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Throughout this time, skim off any impurities and fat that rise to the surface of the broth.
• In the meantime, wash the asparagus, peel off the tough outer layer with a peeler or knife, trim off the tough ends, and cut into ~3cm lengths.
• Peel and thinly slice the shallots from the Soup section.
• After the broth has simmered for 30 minutes:
  If using chicken bones and breast- remove the chicken breast to a plate to cool and let the rest continue simmering for 30 minutes.
  If using a half chicken- remove it from the broth, cut to separate the chicken breast from the carcass, place the breast on a plate to cool, and return the rest to the pot to simmer for another 30 minutes.
• Bring a small pot of water to boil, add the quail eggs, and boil for 4 minutes. Once done, add the eggs to an ice bath, then peel and set aside.
• Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat into thin strings and set aside.
• When the broth is done simmering, remove the bones, onion, shallots with a slotted spoon or strainer.
• Add the shredded chicken into the broth and heat on high until boiling.
• Reduce heat to medium and add in asparagus. Let this cook while you work on the crab.
• Strain any liquid from the crab meat. You can discard this liquid or add it into the broth.
• Heat a pan on medium and add some vegetable oil.
• Add the sliced shallots and sauté until fragrant- about 30 seconds.
• Add the crab meat and fish sauce to taste, then sauté for 5 minutes.
• Pour the sautéed crab meat to the soup pot, increase the heat to high and bring to boil.
• Crack 2 eggs, separating the yolks and whites. Save yolks for another recipe. Whisk the whites.
• When the soup is boiling, reduce heat to medium and pour the whites in slowly as you stir gently with chopsticks in a circular motion. This will help the eggs whites form ‘ribbons’ in soup. Do not stir too hard, which would cause the whites to be broken up.
• Whisk together the cornstarch with water in a small bowl.
• Pour mixture into the soup and stir gently to mix. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 5 minutes. You should see the soup thicken.
• Add in the quail eggs.
• Season to taste with more bouillon powder and fish sauce.
• Ladle soup into a bowl, sprinkle with ground black pepper and garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve while hot!

Recipe Video

Notes

• This recipe is commonly made with white asparagus, the flavors of which are sweeter and milder than regular green asparagus. If you cannot find any white asparagus, fresh or canned, you can substitute green asparagus, but be aware the asparagus flavor will be much stronger.

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