Pork Meatball Noodle Soup / Bún Mọc

Bún Mọc is actually one of my mom’s favorite noodle soups to make because unlike phở or bún bò huế, which can take hours and hours to make, bún mọc actually comes together relatively quickly, while still being absolutely delicious.

What the heo is Bún Mọc?

Well, since you asked, “Mọc” is a pork meatball that typically has wood ear mushrooms. The base of the meatball is called giò sống which means “raw pork paste,” and it’s actually the same as Chả lụa (Vietnamese ham), except chả lụa is wrapped in banana leaves instead.

I use storebought pork paste because that’s what my mom did, and making it from scratch would defeat the purpose of the convenience of the recipe. BUT, if you’re inclined to do so, it’s actually not too difficult. You essentially would have to combine cold, lean ground pork with potato starch, baking powder, water, and fish sauce in a food processor until it becomes a paste. Making sure the ground pork is cold but not frozen is essential here because you don’t want the pork’s fat to melt as it spins in the food processor. This will ensure your meatballs have a bouncy texture! I’ll make a full recipe for this down the line if there’s interest.

The broth and garnishes are similar to bun thang (ladder noodle soup), or even bun mang vit (duck noodle soup). It’s a light and simple broth that is simple and delicious!