Hi friends! I recently updated the original Vietnamese pho recipe that I shared here back in 2013, and also created a vegetarian/vegan pho recipe for our plant-based eaters here as well.
Traditional Pho (with Beef, Chicken, Pork or Shrimp)
Vietnamese Pho Soup
Full instructions for my updated recipes are available here: Traditional Pho or Vegan Pho.
Ingredients
Pho Broth Ingredients:
- 1 large white onion, peeled and halved
- 3- inch piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
- 5 star anise
- 4 whole cloves
- 3 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
- 8 cups good-quality beef stock (or chicken or vegetable stock)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- fine sea salt, to taste
Pho Soup Ingredients:
- 8 ounces raw steak*, very thinly sliced
- 7 ounces uncooked thin rice noodles
- garnishes: fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, and/or Thai basil), bean sprouts, lime wedges, thinly-sliced chiles (Thai bird chiles or jalapeños), thinly-sliced onions (green onions or white onions), sauces (hoisin and/or sriracha)
Instructions
- Stir together beef broth, water, onion, garlic, star anise, cloves, ginger, cinnamon stick (and fish sauce, if using) in a large stockpot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions. (If your package of noodles — like mine — did not have instructions, simply bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then cook the noodles until al dente, about 3 minutes.) Immediately drain the noodles, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
- When you are ready to serve the soup, fill the serving bowls about halfway full with noodles. Then cover with the hot broth, and immediately stir in the steak so that it cooks. Top with your desired garnishes.
- (*Most people stir the cilantro, ginger, lime, jalapenos and Thai basil into the broth to give it extra flavoring, but you don’t necessarily need to actually eat those ingredients whole.)
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Hello Ali,
I am a volunteer for the global organization Room to Read. I live in New Jersey and am creating a fundraiser cookbook for Room to Read. I am collecting recipes from the 10 countries RtR operates in. I would love to include your Pho recipe for our Vietnam chapter with your permission. I will list your name and website in the book. It is a local cookbook project, similar to a local church cookbook, and will have an ebook version as well. If you have any questions about Room to Read or the book, please ask. Nicole Smith
Thst is the best soup ever. I discovered it at a hole in a wall restaurant.That not the name of the place that’s jist what I named it in Texas.
I love your recipes, quick, to-the-point and easy to follow. Lovely pictures too! Can’t wait to try the Pho.
This looks fantastic! Have you made the broth and then frozen it to use it later? I often run home for lunch and don’t have but 15 minutes to prepare something. Even at that, I have 10 minutes to eat and then back to the office. I often have most of these ingredients on hand so I could whip it up quick if the broth was ready.
Thanks for the recipe! I’m going to KC in January–where should I eat Pho?
Yay! I recommend Vietnam Cafe. The River Market location is my favorite! :)
Thank you SO MUCH! Ive been searching how to make the Pho Soup using the broth. :-)
Gorgeous!! I LOVE pho, and we have a homemade version too, but my husband has literally beefed it up over the years… still yummy, but doesn’t bear tons of resemblance to the classic anymore. Yours looks heavenly, I’m going to have to try it, see if I can re-convert him!
So excited to give this recipe a try. Pho is one of my husband’s favorite dishes but I’ve been too intimidated to give it a try. The step by step makes me think I can totally give this a whirl. Thanks for sharing!
Love any kind of Asian food and this one looks so especially good! Thank you so much for sharing, love your blog! :)
Pho is the best! I love that the broth is steeped with whole spices. It has the best flavor! Yours looks wonderful!