Slurp your noodles with abandon in 30 minutes with this Easy Beef Pho Soup Recipe! A quick, satisfying and full-flavor version of Vietnam’s national dish.
Easy Beef Pho Soup Recipe – Phở Bò
If you try to order phở at noon in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), you may already be too late.
Pho soup is traditionally a breakfast food in Vietnam.
And while you may have more a bit more luck these days finding pho in the evening as you travel this beautiful country, the more traditional shops open up around 6AM and are sold out around 9 or 10AM.
Pho is one of those rare foods that is filling enough to energize you for a day of work or sightseeing in the notorious Southeast Asian heat and humidity – but light enough not to weigh you down.
While pho vendors in Vietnam have likely been simmering the rich broth since the day before, my pho soup recipe only takes 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish. You’ll be slurping noodles in no time – at any time of the day or night with this easy recipe!
How To Make Pho Soup (phở)
Making a traditional pho soup (or broth) typically takes hours.
The rich and intricate flavors need time to develop so they can transform a simple bowl of beef and noodle soup into something unforgettable.
Those aromatic flavors are achieved by simmering beef bones and oxtail in the stock-pot along with onions, sugar, fish sauce and lots of spices.
And if you are wondering what spices are in pho, here’s the list:
fennel seeds
star anise
coriander seeds
cloves
cinnamon
As much as I love eating the real thing, pho is one of those global cuisines that’s a bit tough to make at home. Not only does it take a long time to make, some of the ingredients might also be hard to find depending on where you live.
By taking these two matters into consideration, I’ve simplified the ingredients and came up with an easy pho recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make.
Obviously this version doesn’t have the same depth of flavor as a traditional bowl of pho. But hey, you can make this in your own kitchen and it still tastes really good!
Is Pho Soup Good For You?
Yes!
Pho soup is typically low in fat and contains key vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin C and vitamin A. It’s also high in protein and fiber. The only thing to watch for is the sodium level which can be high if you are eating out.
The good thing about making pho at home is you get to control what goes into your soup, including sodium.
How To Eat Pho
Once the broth has reached heavenly levels of goodness, it’s time to focus on the noodles.
What are the best noodles to use for pho?
Narrow rice noodles are best for pho and for most Asian noodle soups.
As far as brands are concerned, I like the Three Ladies Brand in size S (they have S, M and L) because the noodles are the perfect consistency and don’t break easily.
I’ve had some bad moments with non Asian brands and their Asian style noodles. Some disintegrated before they were even entirely cooked!
So now I stick to Japanese brands for soba, somen and udon noodles, Chinese for egg noodles, Korean for sweet potato noodles, and Vietnamese or Thai for rice noodles. So far it’s worked like a charm.
Are rice noodles gluten free?
Yes and we love them for that!
When it comes to rice noodles, the cooking process is a little different than with most noodles.
Instead of adding noodles to a pot of boiling water, you add them to a pot of very hot water (that’s not boiling) and leave them anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the width and thickness of the noodles.
Pho Toppings And Sauces
Eating pho (pronounced “fuh”) is actually a lot of fun!
That’s because pho comes with a variety of toppings and sauces.
You can add fresh leaves of basil, mint and cilantro, bean sprouts, chopped scallions and fresh chilies. If you like heat, squirt some sriracha on top or add a little hoisin sauce for sweetness. Finish with a generous squeeze of lime and ăn tự nhiên nhé!
That’s Vietnamese for enjoy your meal 😉
Add a few extra dashes of fish sauce if you are looking for real southeast Asian pungent flavors.
And if want a pho recipe that takes even less time to make, check out my 20 minute roasted chicken pho recipe (phở ga) that uses rotisserie chicken for a blast of smoky richness to your pho soup.
AH-MAZING!
As in most beef pho soup recipes, this preparation calls for paper thin slices of beef to be added to the serving bowls just before your diners dig in.
The heat of the broth cooks the thin beef and leaves it extremely tender.
If your beef slices are too thick, the hot soup will have a tough time penetrating the beef.
It’s definitely tough to slice raw beef paper thin without a meat-slicer.
Never fear!
Just put your sirloin or London broil into a freezer bag, and place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. You’re not actually freezing the meat – but the time spent cooling will firm it up and make it easier to slice thinly.
This easy and delicious pho soup recipe is simple enough to whip up in 30 minutes – but will taste like you spent hours in the kitchen.
Your diners don’t have to know how easy it was. And their empty soup-bowls and content smiles will let you know that it was a satisfying hit!
How do you like your pho soup? Spicy, sweet, tart, savory? All of the above? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Did you like this Easy Beef Pho Soup Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
1/3 pound sirloin or London broil steak (cut into ⅛ inch slices (putting the steak in the freezer about 15–20 minutes prior to cutting makes it easier to slice))
2 stalks scallions (thinly sliced on the bias)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup bean sprouts
6–8 mint leaves
6–8 basil leaves
6–8 sprigs cilantro
1 lime (sliced into wedges)
1 jalapeno pepper (thinly sliced)
Instructions
In a medium size pot over high heat, add oil, onion halves (cut side down) cinnamon stick and ginger and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add all other ingredients for the broth and bring to a boil. Stir, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes (uncovered).
Meanwhile, cover the rice noodles with hot water and soak for 8 minutes (or follow instructions on the package). Drain and set aside.
Hi Giselle! I’m so happy you liked this recipe! The best way to store the broth is to keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. You could also freeze if you have a lot of leftovers or would like to make extras 🙂
Do the spices have to be whole or can they be grounded? I am having a hard time finding whole Star anise and am unsure if I could use ground star anise.
Hi Taylor! Are you able to find Chinese five spice powder? That would be a better substitute. 1 teaspoon of it would be enough for the recipe. If not you can use 1 teaspoon ground star anise 🙂
Hi Hannah, that’s a good question since star anise has such a distinct flavor! I would recommend using Chinese five spice powder or a few fennel seeds if you have some around.
Great recipe Caroline! It was very simple to make. The broth was delicious and complex. The different ingredients gave this soup a nice variety of textures. Definitely making this again!
This is amazing and exactly what I was looking for today! Perfect recipe for lazy days or when you want pho but don’t want to wait forever for homemade broth! Thanks for sharing!
Caroline Caron-Phelps is a Japanese/French Canadian recipe creator, food blogger, and photographer. She showcases delicious, authentic Asian recipes, especially Japanese, vegan, and vegetarian, with beautiful photography, easy-to-follow instructions, videos, and practical recipe variations. Caroline has been featured on Bon Appetit, Shape Magazine, Self, Today Show, and more.
I love this recipe, but do not have whole ginger this time. What would be a better sub, ground ginger or minced ginger?
Hi Candra! Minced ginger would work better but you can also do without ginger altogether and it won’t taste that different 🙂
Love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing! Quick question; what’s the best way to store the broth?
★★★★★
Hi Giselle! I’m so happy you liked this recipe! The best way to store the broth is to keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. You could also freeze if you have a lot of leftovers or would like to make extras 🙂
Do the spices have to be whole or can they be grounded? I am having a hard time finding whole Star anise and am unsure if I could use ground star anise.
Hi Taylor! Are you able to find Chinese five spice powder? That would be a better substitute. 1 teaspoon of it would be enough for the recipe. If not you can use 1 teaspoon ground star anise 🙂
Just curious, anything I can use to sub for Star anise?
Hi Hannah, that’s a good question since star anise has such a distinct flavor! I would recommend using Chinese five spice powder or a few fennel seeds if you have some around.
This is a delicious recipe! It is our favorite and we make it often. You are amazing for sharing,
Great recipe Caroline! It was very simple to make. The broth was delicious and complex. The different ingredients gave this soup a nice variety of textures. Definitely making this again!
Thank you lizet for the kind comment 🙂
Has anyone tried freezing this broth recipe?
This is amazing and exactly what I was looking for today! Perfect recipe for lazy days or when you want pho but don’t want to wait forever for homemade broth! Thanks for sharing!
Where does the meat come in?
Hi Joy, the meat is added in the end right before serving but make sure your soup is very hot so meat will cook 🙂