Bún Riêu (Rice Noodles with Crab and Tomatoes)

• Ingredients:

-1 cup dried shrimp
-3-5 quarts water or chicken broth
-1 1/2lb tomatoes
-5 eggs
-1 jar minced crab paste
-3 green onions
-salt, sugar
-shrimp paste
-ong choy, beans sprouts, lime, herbs, chilies
-rice vermicelli

• Process

Rinse and boil dried shrimp in water to make “broth”. Wash and cut green onions into 1/2 inch pieces. Wash to tomatoes and slice into 6 or 8 wedges (same way you would slice an orange). Beat eggs with crab paste until combined, then add in onions. Add tomatoes to broth and cook for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and add in egg-crab mixture. Keep the fire low, the soup should never boil. In about 15 minutes, the egg mixture should be cooked and float to the top. Add salt and sugar to taste.

• To serve:

Put cooked rice vermicelli in bowl, and ladle broth over noodles. Serve with shredded ong choy, bean sprouts, herbs, lime, and shrimp paste.