Vietnamese Pho Bo — Aromatic Soup With Rice Noodles, Beef and Fresh Herbs

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is Vietnam’s most famous dish — a comforting soup with rice noodles that the Vietnamese eat at any time of day. Its secret is the broth: beef bones simmered slowly with roasted spices — cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger — until it becomes deep, aromatic and clear. Over the noodles are placed thin slices of beef fillet that cook in the boiling broth itself, and at the end each person garnishes their bowl with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime and chili.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people)

For the broth:

• 1.5 kg beef bones (or bone-in beef)
• 3 liters of water
• 2 large onions
• 1 piece of fresh ginger (about 10 cm)
• 5-6 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste

For serving:

• 400 g flat rice noodles
• 400 g beef fillet, cut into very thin slices
• 1 onion, cut into thin rings
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander
• Fresh mint leaves
• 200 g bean sprouts
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Fresh chili
• Hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce (as desired)

PREPARATION STEPS

1. Char the onions and ginger: cut the onions in half and the ginger into thick pieces; char them in a dry pan or directly over a flame until they take on color and aroma (about 5 minutes).
2. Prepare the bones: place the beef bones in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then discard the water, rinse the bones and the pot. This step makes the broth clear.
3. Simmer the broth: return the bones to the pot with 3 liters of fresh water, add the charred onions and ginger. Let simmer slowly, skimming off the foam.
4. Add the spices: lightly toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves and coriander seeds in a pan until they release their aroma (1-2 minutes), then add them to the broth. Simmer slowly for 3-4 hours.
5. Strain and season: strain the broth, discard the bones and spices. Add the fish sauce, sugar and salt; taste — it should be salty, slightly sweet and very aromatic. Keep it boiling.
6. Prepare the noodles: cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions, drain and divide among 4 deep bowls.
7. Assemble the bowls: place the thin slices of fillet over the hot noodles and pour the boiling broth over — the heat cooks the meat in seconds.
8. Garnish and serve: add the spring onions, coriander, mint, bean sprouts and onion rings. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, chili, hoisin and sriracha on the side.

Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: about 4 hours. Number of servings: 4.

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons.