Vietnamese Pho Soup Recipe

Traditional Vietnamese Pho Soup finalized with a handful of fresh herbs like cilantro.

5 from 4 votes

Vietnamese Pho Soup Recipe is a savory noodle soup with beef meat slices. It is full of umami. Add your favorite topping to your hot bowl of pho and enjoy.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: noodle soup, traditional pho, Vietnamese pho soup

Servings: servings

Author: Lama

Ingredients

For the Soup

12 cups Beef broth 3 quarts
12 ounces Beef shanks
1 package Pho rice noodles
1 medium Yellow onion quartered
4 Garlic cloves roughly minced
2 Bouillon cubes
3 Whole star anise
3 Whole cloves
1 (3-inch) Knob of ginger thinly sliced
1 Cinnamon stick
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

For Garnish

Bean sprouts
Fresh cilantro
Fresh ginger slices
Lime or lemon wedges
Green onions thinly-chopped
Jalapenos thinly-sliced
Thai basil

Instructions

Place the beef shank along with bouillon cubes, onion, garlic, star anise, cloves, ginger, cinnamon stick, salt, and pepper in at least 12 quarts of water. Set on high for 1 hour. (If cooking on the stove top, cook for at least 1 hour since the meat needs time to tenderize)
Once the meat has cooked and the broth has infused, remove the beef to a small pot with some of the broth to keep it moist and juicy.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions.
When you are ready to serve the soup, fill the bowl halfway full with the cooked noodles, then scoop in broth to fill the bowl. Place the desired amount of the cooked meat.
Finally, top your soup with your desired garnishes. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Let the broth do the work: The key to great pho is a deeply infused broth. Simmering the aromatics and spices low and slow allows the flavors to fully develop without becoming cloudy.

Use very hot broth: The broth should be almost boiling when poured over the noodles and meat. This is especially important if you’re using thinly sliced beef that cooks directly in the bowl.

Don’t overcook the noodles: Rice noodles cook quickly. Rinse them with cold water after cooking to stop them from getting mushy.

Let the noodles swim: Always add plenty of hot broth so the noodles are fully submerged; this keeps them silky and prevents clumping. Pho is meant to be soupy, not thick or dry.

Season at the end: Taste the broth after simmering and adjust salt or bouillon only at the end for the best balance.

Slice meat thinly: If using raw beef slices, cut them paper-thin so the hot broth gently cooks them in seconds.

Customize your bowl: Garnishes aren’t optional. Fresh herbs, citrus, and spices are essential to balance the rich broth and make pho special.

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