Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

Name: Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients: 1 kg Beef bones; 300 g Beef brisket; 200 g Rice noodles; 1 Onion; 1 knob Ginger; 100 g Beef eye round; 3 Star anise; 1 Cinnamon stick; 4 Cloves; 1 tsp Coriander seeds; 3 tbsp Fish sauce; Salt & sugar; 2 handfuls Bean sprouts; 1 handful Cilantro & Thai basil; 1 Lime; 0.5 Onion & scallion; 1 Red chili

Vietnam's national dish — rice noodles and beef in a clear, fragrant broth simmered for hours with spices and charred onion and ginger. Finished at the table with sprouts, herbs, and lime to taste.

Ingredients

3servings

Beef bones · marrow + knuckle1 kg
Beef brisket · for broth + topping300 g
Rice noodles · flat pho noodles, soaked200 g
Onion · halved, skin on1
Ginger · whole1 knob
Beef eye round · thinly sliced raw topping, optional100 g
Spices
Star anise3
Cinnamon stick1
Cloves4
Coriander seeds1 tsp
Fish sauce3 tbsp
Salt & sugar · to taste
Toppings
Bean sprouts2 handfuls
Cilantro & Thai basil1 handful
Lime1
Onion & scallion · thinly sliced0.5
Red chili · optional1

Steps

Soak the bones in cold water 30 minutes to draw out blood, then parboil once and rinse — the base of a clean broth.
⏲ 30 min
Char the onion and ginger (skin on) over a flame or in a dry pan until blackened. This is the key to the aroma.
⏲ 8 min
Toast the spices (star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds) briefly in a dry pan to wake them up.
⏲ 2 min
In a big pot, combine the rinsed bones, brisket, charred onion and ginger, and spices; cover with water and simmer gently 2-3 hours, skimming the foam.
⏲ 150 min
Pull the brisket after about an hour, cool, and slice thin. Season the broth with fish sauce, salt, and sugar; remove the spices.
Blanch the soaked noodles in boiling water, put them in a bowl, top with cooked brisket and raw beef, and pour over the screaming-hot broth.
⏲ 1 min
Serve with bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, onion, scallion, lime, and chili to add to taste.

Tips & Variations

Variations

Pho ga: Made with chicken instead of beef for a lighter, clear soup.
Southern style: Saigon style — sweeter, piled with sprouts and herbs.
Northern (Hanoi): Clear and restrained, with simple garnishes.
Quick version: Use store-bought beef stock plus the spices to cut the time.

Tips

Parboil and rinse the bones for a clear broth; tossing the first water is the standard move.
Charring the onion and ginger until blackened is the secret to pho's signature aroma.
Don't steep the spices too long or they turn bitter — pull them after about an hour.
Pour the broth screaming hot so it lightly cooks the raw beef and lifts the aroma.
Pre-soak the noodles and only blanch them; boiling too long makes them mushy.

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