Guay Tiew Reua — Thai Boat Noodles
2
servings20
minutes35
minutesGuay tiew reua — boat noodles — are one of the most intensely flavoured noodle soups in all of Thai cooking. The name comes from the small wooden boats that once navigated the canals of central Thailand, with vendors ladling these dark, rich, deeply savoury broths from pots balanced at the bow. The bowls were tiny by design — small enough to eat in a few mouthfuls before the boat moved on — and so boldly flavoured that a single mouthful was enough to know you were eating something extraordinary. The broth is dark with soy, deep with spice, and built for people who want their soup to mean something. This version stays true to the spirit of the original — rich, complex, and unapologetically bold — using ONOFF's Thai Rice Noodles and No Fish Vegan Seasoning Sauce as its backbone.
Ingredients
- For the broth:
800 ml beef stock (or vegetable stock for a vegan version)
2 tablespoons ONOFF Spices No Fish Vegan Seasoning Sauce
1 tablespoon ONOFF Spices No Oyster Vegan Seasoning Sauce
1 tablespoon ONOFF Spices Thai Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon palm sugar (or coconut sugar as a substitute)
3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 coriander roots, lightly crushed
1 stick cinnamon
2 star anise
3 white peppercorns, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon ONOFF Spices Sriracha Chili Sauce, plus extra to serve
- For the noodles and toppings:
150 grams ONOFF Spices Thai Rice Noodles (medium width)
200 grams beef sirloin or pork shoulder, very thinly sliced
100 grams bean sprouts
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
small handful of fresh coriander leaves
2 tablespoons fried garlic or fried shallots
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
- To serve alongside:
dried chilli flakes
palm sugar
Directions
- The broth:
- Place the stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, coriander roots, cinnamon, star anise, and white peppercorns and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for 15 minutes to allow the spices to fully infuse the broth, then strain out the aromatics and return the broth to the pan.
- Season the broth with ONOFF No Fish Vegan Seasoning Sauce, ONOFF No Oyster Vegan Seasoning Sauce, Thai Rice Vinegar, palm sugar, and Sriracha. The broth should be dark, deeply savoury, and slightly sharp — bold enough to stand up to the noodles and toppings. Taste and adjust, keeping it at a gentle simmer while you prepare the noodles.
- The noodles and assembly:
- Prepare the ONOFF Thai Rice Noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and divide between two deep bowls.
- Bring the broth to a rolling boil. Place the thinly sliced beef or pork into a fine sieve or noodle basket and briefly submerge it in the boiling broth for 20–30 seconds until just cooked through. Lay the meat over the noodles in each bowl.
- Blanch the bean sprouts in the same broth for 15 seconds, then divide between the bowls.
- Ladle the hot broth generously over the noodles and meat.
- Top with spring onion, fresh coriander, fried garlic or shallots, and crushed peanuts.
- Serve immediately with small individual bowls of ONOFF No Fish Vegan Seasoning Sauce, Thai Rice Vinegar, Sriracha, dried chilli flakes, and palm sugar on the side — the traditional Thai condiment set that allows each person to season their own bowl to taste.
Notes
- The condiment set served alongside is not optional decoration — it is an essential part of how boat noodles are eaten. In Thailand, the first thing you do when a bowl of noodles arrives is adjust the seasoning to your own preference: a splash more vinegar for sourness, a pinch of sugar to round it, a spoonful of chilli for heat, a few drops of seasoning sauce for depth.
The broth is intentionally bold as a base, designed to be personalised at the table. Traditional boat noodles also include a small amount of pork blood stirred into the broth, which gives the soup its characteristic dark colour and body. This is not easy to source outside Thailand and is omitted here — the dark soy and spiced broth achieves a similar depth of colour and flavour.