Hanoi-Style Chicken Noodle Soup 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package dried rice noodles (16oz) vermicelli, thin or medium thickness. The same type used in bún bò Huế.

BROTH

• 2 lb chicken any cuts, or whole chicken
• 1 medium yellow onion halved
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
• 1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce optional
• water enough to cover the chicken (8-12 cups)
• Salt to taste

TOPPINGS

• shredded chicken from the chicken used for broth
• 4 large scrambled eggs fried thin and julienned
• 1/2 pound Vietnamese pork sausage chả lụa, julienned

HERBS & GARNISH

1. scallions roughly chopped
2. cilantro roughly chopped
3. Vietnamese coriander rau răm
4. red onion thinly sliced
5. fried shallots optional
6. thai chiles optional
7. shrimp paste mam tom, optional
8. ca cuong beetle extract, optional

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Add chicken and all broth ingredients into a pot, except the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for ~15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with salt. Discard onion.
• Meanwhile, prepare the eggs. Beat eggs in a bowl and add 1-2 tablespoons water to thin it out a bit. Lightly oil a pan and add just enough egg to make a thin layer, flipping about midway. Make as many as it takes to use up all the eggs, then loosely roll the egg crepes individually to cut into strips / julienne.
• Remove chicken from broth when it’s fully cooked. Wait until cool, then shred. Cut the Vietnamese sausage to match the thickness of the chicken and eggs.
• Lightly fry or deep-fry thinly sliced shallots if you want to use this.
• Prepare rice noodles according to package instructions.
• Assemble your soup bowls. Add noodles, toppings, herbs, garnish, broth, a few drops of beetle extract per bowl, and serve.