Bún tôm – Vietnamese Shrimp Soup with Noodles

Bring 1.5 liters of water to a boil in a large pot. Peel the shrimp and add the heads and shells to the boiling water. Let it boil for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat and let the broth simmer for another 10 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Return the clear broth to the pot and add ginger (sliced), kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and sugar.

Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Heat some vegetable oil in a pan and briefly sauté the chopped garlic. Add the tomatoes and peeled shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and briefly sauté. Remove the shrimp and set aside. Add the tomatoes to the broth. Season the broth with salt or fish sauce to taste, and finally add the lime juice.

Cook the Bun rice noodles according to package instructions (approx. 5-6 minutes). To prevent the noodles from sticking, rinse them with cold water after cooking. Shortly before serving, briefly pour hot water over the noodles to warm them, and drain well.