This incredibly delicious Vietnamese Pho recipe is made with a nutritious beef broth infused with savory spices, chewy noodles, and tender slices of meat.
Learn how to make this Vietnamese noodle soup from scratch, filled with the same delicious, authentic flavors found at your favorite Pho restaurant, and serve it with fresh herbs and vegetables.
Pho is a popular Vietnamese noodle soup and a recipe worth mastering. Filled with layers of rich and complex flavors, the key to a Pho recipe is in the broth.
In this post, we will show you two ways to make Pho broth. The first, more authentic version is a hassle, but it’s worth the extra effort if you want to copy a Photo of your favorite Vietnamese restaurant.
It has a lot of nutritional benefits. Many of the dashi recipes follow the recipe, so you can cut it in half or freeze the leftovers just in case.
The second, less authentic (version is a quick and easy 20-minute soup inspired by a soup recipe.
This version is perfect for last-minute cravings. Lacks many of the nutritional benefits listed above, but can come in handy when you’re in a hurry.
If you’re trying Vietnamese noodle soup for the first time, we recommend trying the quick version first. It has several of the same spices so you can get a feel for the overall flavor and aroma.
Pho Definition
Pho (Phở) originated in northern Vietnam in the early 20th century. Soup, Banh Pho (rice vermicelli), simple herbs and vegetables, Vietnamese soup with meat.
The typical meat type of Pho is usually Pho ga (chicken Pho) or Pho bo (beef Pho). You can see that different regions of Vietnam offer different styles.
Some regions offer sweeter broths, other herbs, or wider noodles.
7 Secrets to Making the Best Pho Soup
As I sat wondering, “What’s Pho?”, it’s his broth, a delicate (and delicious) Vietnamese noodle full of beef bones, ginger, onions, and spices. It’s just the perfection of the soup.
The way all the spices and flavors of star anise, cardamom, fennel seeds, and cinnamon come together is amazing, and the best part?
It is also recommended to add your favorite seasonings to make your own soup.
The secrets you don’t know to make the great Pho soup
Best Bones for Making Pho
We make this at least once a month and always make sure we have some leftover soup to freeze for another day.
You can’t make delicious soup without delicious beef bones. So look for ankle and leg bones that contain bone marrow.
Just replacing that homemade beef broth with store-bought beef broth won’t work. We know our process takes longer than others, but trust me, this homemade Pho. The broth has so much more flavor.
You won’t regret it. It is best to pre-cook and rinse the bones
Boiling the bone releases “bubbles” or impurities. If this is not removed, the cloudy broth will accumulate. not good. We want the soup to be as clear and clean as possible, so let’s add an extra step.
Place the bones in a large soup pot, cover them with cold water, and bring them to a boil. Let it boil for a few minutes, then pour the water and bones into a colander.
Drain the water and rinse the bones to remove debris. Also, be sure to rinse the pan as well. Bubbles will form on the bottom and sides of the stockpot.
Fry Onions and Ginger
To create the unique and deep flavor of a great Pho, slide a sizeable chunk of onion and ginger under the grill. This gives excellent flavor and color.
Cheers without Forgetting the Spices
Even if you simmer the soup and spices for hours, briefly toast all the spices before adding them to the pot.
To toast the spices, place them in a dry pan over medium-high heat, staying nearby and shaking the pan a few times to ensure they are toasted. When you start sniffing, you’ll know when it’s over. It only takes 2-3 minutes.
Yellow Ice Candy
Don’t use regular white sugar from your pantry. Buying yellow rock candy seems like a pretty special deal, but unfortunately, using old sugar results in a sweet, flat soup, while rock sugar tops things off and ties everything together. Plus, you’ll need leftover ice cream the next time you make this recipe!
Use Fish Sauce
buy a little You can’t make Pho soup (or any other Vietnamese recipe) without it. Our fish sauce is within reach of our stove. We use it in everything and there is no way we can make Pho without it.
Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen suggests looking for glass bottles instead of plastic bottles when buying fish sauce to match the price. Go for the mid-range fish sauce (it costs $4-$5).
We’ve recently tried the Red Boat Fish Sauce 40°N and I like it better than others I’ve tried so far. We like the cleaner fish flavor than other brands.
Best Pasta and Seasoning
While it’s nice to be able to buy fresh noodles at Asian markets, dried rice noodles work perfectly too. Even if you use fresh or dried pasta, do not cook the pasta in the broth.
This will make the broth cloudy. Cook them in a separate pan (this only takes a few minutes) and add the cooked noodles to the bowl just before adding the hot broth.
As for seasonings, our favorite is Thai basil (you can substitute regular basil if you prefer), fresh mint, crunchy sprouts, a little squirt of fish sauce, and some Asian chili sauce.
Hoisin sauce is also fairly common, but I rarely add it myself. It can enhance the delicate and deep flavor of the soup.
Oh, it’s no ‘secret’, but make sure you have freezer space to store extra soup for the best meal ever!
Easier Recipes
This Orange Honey Teriyaki Chicken recipe is easy to make and tastes great. We love all flavors of Pho and also made Pho-inspired grilled chicken wings marinated in ginger, garlic, lime, and fish sauce.
Try the homemade vegetable soup. It’s hearty enough to be enjoyed on its own as a soup, and a great alternative to packaged soups with your favorite recipes.
How to Make the Best Homemade Pho: An Ultimate Guide
Preparation 45 minutes Cooking 3 hours 20 minutes Total 4 hours 5 minutes
Making delicious Vietnamese Pho at home is not difficult. All you need is a simple recipe, a few secrets, and a good-sized pot.
Our recipe may look difficult, but it’s easy enough and you have plenty of time while you wait for the soup (we had a very hard time sharing everything we know.)
Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 liters of broth (enough for 6 servings).
5 to 6 pounds of beef knuckles or leg bones
6 quarts cold water
2 medium onions, quartered
4-inch piece of fresh ginger halved lengthwise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
6-star anise
6 whole cloves
1 black cardamom pod
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup fish sauce
1-inch piece of yellow rock sugar
1 pound small (1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh “banh Pho” noodles (see note)
1/2 pound raw eye of round, sirloin, or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain (see note)
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions (see note)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
A guide on making the special and deluxe Pho
For the table
Sprigs of fresh mint and/or Asian/Thai basil
Bean sprouts
Thinly sliced red chilies (such as Thai bird)
Lime wedges
Fish sauce
Hoisin sauce
1 pound small (1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh “banh Pho” noodles (see note)
1/2 pound raw eye of round, sirloin, or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain (see note)
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions (see note)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
For the table
Sprigs of fresh mint and/or Asian/Thai basil
Bean sprouts
Thinly sliced red chilies (such as Thai bird)
Lime wedges
Fish sauce
Hoisin sauce
Instructions
Make Broth
Add beef bones to a large pot that will hold at least 10 quarts. Then, cover the bones with cold water. Place pot onto high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes. During this time, impurities and foam (or scum) will be released and rise to the top.
Drain the bones and catch the water. Then rinse the bones with warm water and scrub the stockpot to remove any residue that sticks to the sides.
Put the bones back into the stockpot and cover them with 6 liters of cold water.
In the meantime, move the oven racks to a higher position, then raise the grill. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the quartered onion and ginger halves on the baking sheet and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the onion and ginger occasionally so that they are browned or browned on all sides.
Add cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cloves, and black cardamom pods to a dry skillet. Place over low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until fragrant about 5 minutes.
Place the roasted spices in a cotton muslin bag/herb bag or cheesecloth and tie it with meat string to seal. Add pre-boiled bones and water, bring the pot to a boil, and simmer over low heat. Add the roasted onion and ginger and the roasted spice bag or sachet. Add 1 and 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1/4 cup fish sauce, and crystal sugar.
Let the broth simmer uncovered for 3 hours. If foam or foam rises to the surface, remove it with a spoon.
Using tongs or a coarse-mesh spoon, remove bones, onion, and ginger from broth, and strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Fat is on top of the soup. There are two ways to get rid of this. If you want to enjoy the soup now, scoop the fat off the top with a spoon.
If you don’t mind waiting, you may also pour the soup into containers and refrigerate it overnight. When the broth cools, the fat will solidify and become easier to remove.
The above is a unique and authentic recipe for making Pho-one of special food in Vietnam. Hopefully, you can make it yourself and enjoy the great and memorable taste.
