Recipe for cooking crab noodle soup

Recipes from Southeast Asia :: Southeast Asian Soups and Stews

In Vietnam and in many Vietnamese restaurants, this soup is served with the crab ground almost to a powder or even in patties. Serves 4 as a complete meal.

8 shallots, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
3 c. flaked crabmeat
6 tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 lb. rice vermicelli, cooked
1/2 head lettuce, finely shredded (Romaine
    is preferable to iceberg)
1 c. mung bean sprouts
2 limes, quartered

Heat a large heavy pan over med.-high heat. Sauté the shallots in the hot oil until soft. Add the crabmeat, tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar and salt. Pour in 5 c. of water. Let it come to a boil, and then simmer for about 1/2 an hour.

To serve, divide the vermicelli among 4 large individual bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles, and top each serving with a handful of lettuce and bean sprouts and squeezes of lime juice.