Slurp your noodles with abandon in 30 minutes with this Easy Beef Pho Soup Recipe! A quick, satisfying and full-flavor version of Vietnam’s national dish.
If you try to order phở at noon in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), you may already be too late.
Pho soup is traditionally a breakfast food in Vietnam.
And while you may have more a bit more luck these days finding pho in the eveningas you travel this beautiful country, the more traditional shops open up around 6AM and are sold out around 9 or 10AM.
Pho is one of those rare foods that is filling enough to energize you for a day of work or sightseeing in the notorious Southeast Asian heat and humidity – but light enough not to weigh you down.
While pho vendors in Vietnam have likely been simmering the rich broth since the day before, my pho soup recipe only takes 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish. You’ll be slurping noodles in no time – at any time of the day or night with this easy recipe!
How To Make Pho Soup (phở)
Making a traditional pho soup (or broth) typically takes hours.
The rich and intricate flavors need time to develop so they can transform a simple bowl of beef and noodle soup into something unforgettable.
Those aromatic flavors are achieved by simmering beef bones and oxtail in the stock-pot along with onions, sugar, fish sauce and lots of spices.
And if you are wondering what spices are in pho, here’s the list:
fennel seeds
star anise
coriander seeds
cloves
cinnamon
As much as I love eating the real thing, pho is one of thoseglobal cuisines that’s a bit tough to make at home. Not only does it take a long time to make, some of the ingredients might also be hard to find depending on where you live.
By taking these two matters into consideration, I’ve simplified the ingredients and came up with an easy pho recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make.
Obviously this version doesn’t have the same depth of flavor as a traditional bowl of pho. But hey, you can make this in your own kitchen and it still tastes really good!
Is Pho Soup Good For You?
Yes!
Pho soup is typically low in fat and contains key vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin C and vitamin A. It’s also high in protein and fiber. The only thing to watch for is the sodium level which can be high if you are eating out.
The good thing about making pho at home is you get to control what goes into your soup, including sodium.
Once the broth has reached heavenly levels of goodness, it’s time to focus on the noodles.
What are the best noodles to use for pho?
Narrow rice noodles are best for pho and for most Asian noodle soups.
As far as brands are concerned, I like the Three Ladies Brand in size S (they have S, M and L) because the noodles are the perfect consistency and don’t break easily.
I’ve had some bad moments with non Asian brands and their Asian style noodles. Some disintegrated before they were even entirely cooked!
So now I stick to Japanese brands for soba, somen and udon noodles, Chinese for egg noodles, Korean for sweet potato noodles, and Vietnamese or Thai for rice noodles. So far it’s worked like a charm.
Are rice noodles gluten free?
Yes and we love them for that!
When it comes to rice noodles, the cooking process is a little different than with most noodles.
Instead of adding noodles to a pot of boiling water, you add them to a pot of very hot water (that’s not boiling) and leave them anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the width and thickness of the noodles.
Pho Toppings And Sauces
Eating pho (pronounced “fuh”) is actually a lot of fun!
That’s because pho comes with a variety of toppings and sauces.
You can add fresh leaves of basil, mint and cilantro, bean sprouts, chopped scallions and fresh chilies. If you like heat, squirt some sriracha on top or add a little hoisin sauce for sweetness. Finish with a generous squeeze of lime andăn tự nhiên nhé!
That’s Vietnamese for enjoy your meal 😉
Add a few extra dashes of fish sauce if you are looking for real southeast Asian pungent flavors.
And if want a pho recipe that takes even less time to make, check out my20 minute roasted chicken pho recipe(phở ga) that uses rotisserie chicken for a blast of smoky richness to your pho soup.
AH-MAZING!
As in most beef pho soup recipes, this preparation calls for paper thin slices of beef to be added to the serving bowls just before your diners dig in.
The heat of the broth cooks the thin beef and leaves it extremely tender.
If your beef slices are too thick, the hot soup will have a tough time penetrating the beef.
It’s definitely tough to slice raw beef paper thin without a meat-slicer.
Just put your sirloin or London broil into a freezer bag, and place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. You’re not actually freezing the meat – but the time spent cooling will firm it up and make it easier to slice thinly.
This easy and delicious pho soup recipe is simple enough to whip up in 30 minutes – but will taste like you spent hours in the kitchen.
Your diners don’t have to know how easy it was. And their empty soup-bowls and content smiles will let you know that it was a satisfying hit!
How do you like your pho soup? Spicy, sweet, tart, savory? All of the above? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Other simple and delicious Vietnamese recipes:
Nuoc cham – Vietnamese dipping sauce
Meatless meatball banh mi sandwich
Summer chicken pho
Vegetable pho broth
Shrimp bun cha
Vietnamese spicy cabbage salad
Did you like this Easy Beef Pho Soup Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
Author:Caroline Phelps
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Yield:2 people 1x
Category:Main
Method:Stove top
Cuisine:Vietnamese
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Description
Slurp your noodles with abandon in 30 minutes with this Easy Pho Soup Recipe! A quick, satisfying and full-flavor version of Vietnam’s national dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pho soup broth
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 small onion (peeled and halved)
1 3-inch piece ginger (peeled)
1 quart low sodium beef broth (946ml)
2 cups water
2 star anise
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Noodles and toppings
4 ounces dry flat rice noodles
1/4 small onion (thinly sliced into half moons)
1/3 pound sirloin or London broil steak (cut into ⅛ inch slices (putting the steak in the freezer about 15–20 minutes prior to cutting makes it easier to slice))
2 stalks scallions (thinly sliced on the bias)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup bean sprouts
6–8 mint leaves
6–8 basil leaves
6–8 sprigs cilantro
1 lime (sliced into wedges)
1 jalapeno pepper (thinly sliced)
Instructions
In a medium size pot over high heat, add oil, onion halves (cut side down) cinnamon stick and ginger and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add all other ingredients for the broth and bring to a boil. Stir, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes (uncovered).
Meanwhile, cover the rice noodles with hot water and soak for 8 minutes (or follow instructions on the package). Drain and set aside.
Savor the wonderful flavors of Vietnam with this traditional beef pho recipe. This Southern-style variation of beef pho features flat rice noodles with tender beef slices in an aromatic and hearty beef broth, all complemented by fresh herbs and customizable toppings.
Broth - the soul of Pho. Beef bones play a crucial role in influencing the quality of the broth. Combined with spices such as ginger, charred onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds, the broth gains a distinct aroma.
I like to use beef tenderloin for the raw beef slices. While that's a premium cut that is a bit costly, you only need about 30g / 1 oz per serving so a bit goes a long way! TIP: To thinly slice the beef, just partly freeze the beef then slice.
Pho is very nutritious. From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.
For the most flavorful and clear broth, your pot needs to be in a constant simmer. Take your time in the first 15 minutes or so to make adjustments to your temperature. This ensures that you have true simmering in the next 3-5 hours; no rolling boiling water, no dead still water either.
Spices: There are 5 important spices in pho broth — star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds. I really recommend using the whole (not ground) spices if possible, which we will briefly toast to bring out extra flavor.
And here's the short answer: yes! People have enjoyed this staple of Vietnamese cuisine for hundreds of years. And at its core, pho contains all the components your body needs: healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Pho is usually considered a healthier choice than ramen because it tends to have fewer calories and less fat, making it a lighter meal. But both pho and ramen still give you a good amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Vietnamese pho is all about the broth! In this authentic recipe, beef bones, fish sauce, star anise, and ginger simmer for at least 6 hours, creating a complex, aromatic broth that may not be quick, but it's certainly delicious.
Mai Pham and Andrea Nguyen both recommend at least three hours to simmer the broth, but there are other recipes that state that the beef bones must be boiled gently for six to eight hours. For restaurant-quality pho, the time required to simmer the broth can take up to 12 hours or more.
It is important to finish your soup when eating pho. Leaving broth in your bowl is considered wasteful in Vietnamese culture. If you are full and cannot finish your soup, you can ask for a takeaway container to bring the leftovers home.
Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a Vietnamese noodle soup that's made with broth, rice noodles, meat, and fresh garnishes. Authentic versions take much more time and love than this recipe (here's a great cookbook with authentic recipes from Andrea Nguyen, or check out this authentic recipe).
Pho is often served with meatballs, sliced cooked brisket (don't be afraid to try it with smoked brisket, though it isn't traditional), and, as mentioned above, raw sliced beef that is added to the bowl to be cooked by the hot broth. The result is a fragrant symphony of unparalleled restorative goodness.
Top choices for beef pho are sirloin steak, round eye, or London broil. All of these are quick-cooking pieces of beef that won't leave you chewing for hours. My favorite of the bunch is round eye, which is what I've used today — this cut is leaner than sirloin and I like its beefy flavor, especially in this pho.
Black cardamom, a seedpod about the size of an olive pit, gives pho its savory depth. The spice smells of menthol and smoke, and it imparts a surprisingly earthy aroma. Another pho signature spice, star anise, is a brown eight-pointed pod that lends a hint of licorice to the broth.
Lightly crushed peppercorns can enhance chicken broth destined for chicken and dumplings, or you can add cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, and coriander to beef broth for a quick interpretation of pho.
Spices: There are 5 important spices in pho broth — star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds. I really recommend using the whole (not ground) spices if possible, which we will briefly toast to bring out extra flavor.
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