Quick Vietnamese Pho (Beef Noodle Soup)
Aromatic star-anise broth, tender rice noodles, paper-thin beef finished with basil, lime, and bean sprouts. Vietnam in a bowl, in under an hour.
- Total time:
- 1 hr
- Servings:
- 4
- Per serving:
- 380 kcal
- Cost per serving:
- $4.20
- Difficulty:
- medium
Step-by-step
Char halved onion and ginger over open flame or under broiler 2 minutes per side until blistered.
Toast star anise, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, fennel in a dry pan 1 minute. Wrap in cheesecloth.
Combine bones, charred aromatics, spice bundle, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and 8 cups water. Simmer 40 minutes.
40 min timer
Cook rice noodles per package directions. Divide between 4 bowls.
Top each bowl with raw beef slices. they cook from the hot broth.
Strain broth. Ladle boiling hot over noodles and beef. Beef should turn brown in seconds.
Serve with bean sprouts, basil, lime, jalapeño, sriracha, and hoisin on the side.
Cook's tip
Slice beef partially frozen for paper-thin pieces. The broth must be boiling when poured or beef stays raw.
Storage
Refrigerate broth 4 days. Cook noodles fresh.
Freezer: Freeze broth 3 months.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 22g
- Carbs
- 56g
- Fat
- 8g
- Fiber
- 3g
- Sugar
- 6g
- Sat Fat
- 3g
- Sodium
- 1380mg
Estimates based on USDA FoodData Central. See our nutrition disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
No bones?
Use 8 cups quality beef broth. Skip the simmering. Still good, less depth.
Chicken pho?
Sub bones with bone-in chicken. Simmer 45 minutes. Shred chicken for the bowl.
Reviews
Tola O.
3 days ago
Made this for Sunday lunch — the smoky bottom turned out perfect. Family demolished the pot in twenty minutes.
✓ Would make again
Marcus B.
1 week ago
First time cooking this and the timing notes saved me. Did not lift the lid once. The crust at the bottom was the best part.
✓ Would make again
Aisha K.
2 weeks ago
Loved it but added an extra scotch bonnet — we like it spicy. Recipe scales well, made a double batch.
✓ Would make again
Reviews shown are illustrative pre-launch. Real user reviews appear here as the community grows.
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