Pho (pronounced Fuh) is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, fresh herbs, and sliced meat. Although Pho is primarily served with either beef or chicken, variations also include shaved pork, charred pork belly, meatballs and poached eggs.
Pho is one of my favorite go-to soups and is quick and simple to make. The flavors are fresh and bright and make for a perfect lunch or dinner. I had a big bowl of Vietnamese Ramen Pho while my husband had the Beef Pho at a local restaurant called CO recently and it was so delicious that we’ve been craving it ever since. We combined a little bit of both of our dishes into this Easy Beef Pho. The broth is so flavorful and delicious.
We buy the flat rice noodles at our local Asian market but if you do not have a store near you, you can also substitute ramen (wheat) noodles leaving out the included flavor packet. These flat rice noodles do really make the dish and are worth the extra effort, in my opinion.
I buy the meat already shaved but if you are slicing it thinly yourself, try this: partially freeze the meat, about 30 minutes in the freezer is all you need, to firm up the flesh. This makes it easier to slice thinly. Alternatively, you can ask the butcher to slice a steak thin for you on the meat slicer. This is usually done at no extra cost.
Easy Beef Pho
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 small onion , cut in half
- 4 garlic cloves , crushed
- 1 piece ginger , peeled, about 3-inches long
- 2 1/2 cups low-salt beef broth
- 1-2 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick , 3 to 4 inches long
- 4 ounces (2 cups) mixed mushrooms (such as oyster or stemmed shiitake), sliced
- 1 scallion , thinly sliced
- Kosher salt , to taste
- 4 bundles of flat rice noodles or 2 packages instant ramen (noodles only)
- 1 1/4 –1/2-pound piece beef eye round , sliced crosswise 1/8″ thick
Garnish, optional
- Bean sprouts
- Thai basil leaves
- Jalapenos or Serrano chiles , sliced thinly
Dipping sauce, optional
- Hoisin sauce , optional
- Sriracha sauce , optional
- fish sauce , optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, cut side down, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden, 3–4 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, broth, star anise, and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until flavors meld, 7–8 minutes. Add mushrooms; simmer 2 minutes. Add scallion. Season with salt.
- Meanwhile, boil noodles or ramen until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and divide among bowls.
- Add beef slices to soup; simmer until just cooked through, about 20 seconds. Using tongs, transfer beef to bowls.
- Discard ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon; ladle broth into bowls. Garnish with bean sprouts, basil, and sliced chiles.
- Serve with hoisin, sriracha and fish sauce (optional) for dipping meats.
Tried this tonight. It was delicious! Lovely recipe. Thank you! (I wish I had taken a pic!)
Really can’t get over the depth of flavor in the broth.
Wow I love pho and the quick cooking time makes me wanna try this recipe on a nice cold day. :)
My husband absolutely LOVES this recipe and he makes quite often for himself when he’s at the Station. All the guys marvel that he can cook Pho and he says it’s amazing the flavor he can achieve with just a few simple spices. I hope you do try it and please let me know how you liked it.
I love pho! Been thinking about it all week. Thanks for this share. Looks delicious :)
I thought I was the only one who thought about it for weeks at a time. Welcome to my Pho support group!
I love pho!! I need to try making this at home… It sounds DELICIOUS!! Plus 30 minutes? Yay!!
Thank you! Making the stock from scratch would be an all day affair but can be done for an even richer broth.
I’ve always wanted to try this dish but never knew where to start. You had me with under 30 minutes. I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you! It’s a great, quick yet flavorful dish that we really enjoy.
Your recipe looks stunning, for whatever reason when you make Asian recipes your photos are so great. This is your niche girl.
Thank you, Heidy! That really means a lot to me. Thank you for saying that!