This Easy Pho Bo (or Beef Noodle Soup) packs all the flavor punch of a traditional pho in a fraction of the time. This sinus clearing soup is my favorite meal when I’m sick. It’ll warm you up from the inside out!
This is totally cheater soup.
That’s right. I’m a big, fat cheater.
You see, authentic Pho Bo is made from boiling marrow-filled beef bones and spices and charred onions and ginger all together into a rich, hearty stock. It’s amazing, buuuuut I’m not really into extracting marrow from beef bones on a Wednesday night.
Enter Cheater Pho Bo. This comes darn close to being as good as the authentic stuff and is ready in 30 minutes.
You just can’t beat those stats.
If you haven’t had Pho Bo before, here’s the deets. (Did I just say deets? I’m sorry. Clearly I can’t be trusted with words).
The broth is light and flavorful. It hits on all the major taste senses–sweet, sour, and savory with a great bite from the spices and fresh ginger.
The broth is poured over rice noodles (yummy) and raw beef (wait, what?).
That’s right. You don’t cook the beef. You just slice it into papery thin slices then pour the boiling stock over it. This process is awesome for two primary reasons: 1. It cooks the beef quickly and perfectly and 2. You don’t get ebola. (or Spanish flu or barfonella or whatever the heck you get from eating raw beef these days.).
After your beef is all cooked and not deadly, you get to move on to the fun part: the toppings. You are king of the Pho! Customize this however you like. I personally love a good Zorro “Z” of sriracha slashed across the top, followed by a couple jalapeno slices (sans seeds), a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and lots and lots of cilantro and mint.
But if you don’t like lime, no one here’s gonna judge you if you leave it out. If you enjoy not having taste buds, you can put a whole seed-filled jalapeno in there. This soup is yours for the taking. Make it good. Make it yours.
P.S. if you ever need to get some incredible authentic Pho Bo, head over to Indochine Cafe. They know what’s up.
Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup) for #SundaySupper
- 4 oz. dry rice stick noodles
- 8 cups beef stock
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon five spice powder
- About 10 ounces steak (I used 2 flank steaks)
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 2 limes
- 1 jalapeno
- Sriracha sauce for serving
- Handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- Handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
- Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Be sure to drain and rinse them with cold water after they’re cooked to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- For the soup, place beef stock, onion, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, ginger, pepper, and five spice powder in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Slice your steaks as thinly as possible across the grain.
- Divide noodles, bean sprouts, and sliced steak evenly between four bowls.
- Pour about 2 cups of the boiling broth over each bowl. Let sit for one minute to cook the beef.
- Allow your guests to dress their soup to their liking adding Sriracha and jalapeno for heat, lime for a little zest, and cilantro and mint for a fresh finish.
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