5 steps to cook Súp Cua (Crab Soup)

Vietnamese crab Súp Cua is a type of egg-drop soup. This soup is often served as an appetizer at weddings or anniversaries. The simplicity of the ingredients and their muted white color are the things that make the soup so elegant for these special occasions.

Ingredients:

• 1 sea crab (300g)
• 150g chicken breast
• 1 ear of corn
• 2 chicken eggs
• 10 quail eggs
• 50g shiitake mushrooms
• 50g snow fungus
• 1 carrot
• 75g tapioca starch
• 75g cornstarch
• 1 onion
• Cilantro
• Seasoning: Salt, seasoning powder, pepper, sesame oil, granulated sugar, rock sugar, soy sauce

Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Wash all ingredients: Dice the carrots, thinly slice the shiitake and snow mushrooms. Soak the snow fungus overnight to ensure it fully expands during cooking.
• Clean the crab, separate the shell, and extract the crab meat. If using live crab, steam it before extracting the meat.
• Tips for ingredient preparation:
  • Soak mushrooms: Soak mushrooms in warm water for 20-30 minutes to expand, then rinse to maintain their crispness and natural flavor.
  • Prepare crab meat: Steam and extract the crab meat before cooking; this can be done the night before to save time and ensure freshness.
  • Soup consistency: When mixing tapioca starch, dissolve it in cold water instead of hot water to prevent lumps, then gradually stir it into the soup to achieve the desired thickness.
  • Adding Eggs: when adding the chicken eggs, stir gently in one direction to create beautiful egg strands and prevent clumping.

Step 2: Boil the Corn, Chicken, Quail Eggs, and Steam the Crab

• Prepare a pot of water and add the chicken, corn, quail eggs, and 1/2 onion. Boil for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
• Steam the cleaned sea crab for about 10 minutes. During steaming, you can add a little onion to reduce the crab’s fishy smell.
• Tip: If short on time, boil the crab and extract the meat the night before for quicker preparation the next day.

Step 3: Make the Broth

• Boil about 3 liters of water with the remaining 1/2 onion for 15-20 minutes to create a sweet vegetable broth.
• While waiting for the broth, remove the corn kernels, shred the chicken, and extract the crab meat. Peel the quail eggs and cut them into small pieces.
• The corn cobs can be added to the broth for extra sweetness.

Step 4: Season

• Once the broth boils, remove the corn cobs and onion, then add the remaining ingredients: chicken, crab meat, quail eggs, corn kernels, shiitake mushrooms, and snow fungus.
• Season with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of rock sugar, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, 2/3 tablespoon of seasoning powder, and a pinch of MSG. You can add a little soy sauce to enhance the soup’s flavor.
• To prevent the soup from being too thin, mix the cornstarch and tapioca starch with 150ml of water, stir until completely dissolved, and then gradually pour it into the soup. Stir gently to thicken the soup without clumping.

Step 5: Plating

• Create beautiful egg ribbons: Separate the egg whites and yolks. Use a sieve to gradually pour each part of the egg into the soup, stirring gently in one direction to create smooth and even egg ribbons.
• Decoration: When serving the soup, sprinkle with ground pepper, chopped cilantro, or a few red chili strands for added flavor and visual appeal.
• Serving: Crab soup is best enjoyed hot, with a few slices of lemon or red vinegar to enhance the flavor.

Enjoy

• Once the eggs have formed beautiful ribbons, turn off the heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with ground pepper and cilantro for garnish and added flavor. A delicious, rich crab soup with a smooth consistency, sweet crab meat, crisp mushrooms, and nutritious vegetables will surely satisfy you.
• To make the crab soup even more flavorful and achieve a perfect smooth consistency, don’t forget to add quality seasoning and dried goods. These products will definitely help you create an irresistible soup.