Liuzhou Soup 柳州螺蛳粉 Recipe

Prepare bones and snails

Rinse pork bones under cold water. If using dried river snails, rinse and soak in cold water 20–30 minutes to remove grit; if using canned snails, drain and rinse briefly.

In a large pot, add pork bones and cold water (2000 ml). Bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes to blanch. Skim foam, then discard the blanch water and rinse bones to remove impurities.

Return bones to pot with 2 L fresh cold water. Add ginger, garlic, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried red chiles. Bring to a simmer (medium-low) and cook gently 1.5–2 hours to extract flavor. Maintain a gentle simmer—avoid vigorous rolling boil to keep broth clear.

With 20 minutes remaining, add the prepared river snails (or drained canned snails) so their flavor infuses the broth. If using canned snails, reduce simmer time to avoid overcooking.

After simmering, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing solids to extract liquid. Discard solids. Season the clear broth with salt and light soy sauce; taste and adjust. Keep warm on low heat.

Rinse the sour bamboo shoots and pickled Chinese cabbage once or twice under cold water to remove excessive brine, then drain well. Chop bamboo shoots and pickled cabbage into bite-sized strips (about 2–3 cm).

If using fermented bean curd or paste, dissolve the small amount into 1–2 tbs of warm broth and set aside to add to the seasoning paste later.

Rehydrate dried lily buds and wood ear mushrooms in warm water 15–20 minutes until soft. Rinse thoroughly to remove any grit. Slice wood ear into thin strips and trim lily buds into shorter pieces. Drain well.

Blanch spinach or bok choy quickly in boiling water (30–45 seconds) until wilted and bright green. Remove and plunge into cold water to stop cooking, then drain.

Cut bean curd skin into short 4–5 cm strips and steam or blanch briefly (30–45 seconds) to warm and soften. Drain well.

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Add rice vermicelli and cook according to package instructions (usually 2–4 minutes for fresh/thicker rice noodles, or 4–6 minutes for dried). Stir gently to separate. Cook until tender but still slightly chewy (al dente).

Drain noodles and briefly rinse under hot water to remove excess starch and prevent sticking. Divide noodles into serving bowls.

Prepare the seasoning paste: in a small bowl, combine fermented soybean paste (or miso), dissolved fermented bean curd (if using), brown sugar, and a little warm broth (1–2 tbs) to form a smooth paste. Add sesame oil. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Place ~1 tbs of the seasoning paste into each serving bowl on top of the noodles (adjust by taste). Add 1 tbs pickled chili oil (or more) per bowl. If you like extra heat, add chili crisp.

Spoon a generous ladle (about 350–400 ml) of the hot snail-pork broth into each bowl to dissolve the seasoning and immerse noodles.

Top each bowl with portions of chopped sour bamboo shoots, pickled Chinese cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, lily buds, bean curd skin strips, blanched greens, and a pinch of roasted peanuts.

Finish with crunchy fried shallots, chopped scallions, cilantro, and an additional drizzle of chili oil or white vinegar to brighten the sourness. Stir gently and taste; adjust with more vinegar, salt, or chili oil as desired.

Serve immediately while piping hot so the noodles absorb the flavorful broth. Provide extra pickled vegetables, chili oil, and vinegar on the side for diners to customize.

Leftover broth can be refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat gently. Noodles are best eaten fresh.