Another umami flavor you can add to your pho is some shiitake mushrooms, which have an earthy flavor that goes really well with your beef.

cook the noodles, bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil. Place noodles into boiling water and cook for about 10 seconds or until they collapse. Drain noodles then divide between bowls. (We like to fill each bowl by 1/3 with noodles). onion, garlic, salt, soybean oil, sugar, lemongrass, flavour enhancer r621, soy sauce powder (soy bean, salt, wheat), artificial beef flavour, chilli, spices (pepper, cinnamon, clove, star anise), ginger, colours e160c, e150c, acidity regulator e330. This is actually a double batch of the broth, which I highly recommend making while you’re at it! How To Make Pho Soup: If you are looking to make pho as good as what you’d find at the most authentic restaurants, substituting store-bought beef broth for this recipe won’t cut it. We know our process takes longer than some, but trust me, this custom homemade broth, with specific ingredients, has so much more flavor. You won’t regret it. For the best, clear broth, parboil and rinse the bonespiles of bean sprouts, Thai basil and coriander/cilantro on the side – help yourself as you eat the pho; Place a large dry pot over medium heat add the onion halves and ginger pieces and cook for 4 minutes. While you can find some beef bones from your local grocery store, you’re guaranteed to find them in the closest Asian market. Thirdly, shrimp or seafood period does NOT belong in Pho. (This new western “trend” making my ancestors roll over their graves. The point of the Pho broth is to release the flavor of whatever animal is the main protein.) There are plenty of other Vietnamese noodle meal soups such as Bun Rieu, Hu Tieu, Mi Quang, Bun Mam etc;the list goes on. Please get familiar with those…

This should get rid of all the scum so that your broth can be pure and full of delicious flavor, not impure particles. Prep Your Onion and Fresh Ginger Now, your bones are “clean” and ready to make pho! For traditional beef pho, char the onion and ginger After depressurizing the pot, add in the fish sauce, salt and carrots. Turn the pressure cooker to saute mode on high. I used jumbo sized carrots which took 45 minutes to cook but most carrots will cook in about 20-25 minutes. Never cook the noodles in the broth. It makes the broth cloudy. To prepare noodles for pho, cook them in another pot (they only take a few minutes) and then add the cooked noodles to your bowl just before adding hot broth. What to serve with pho? Assemble. Once everything is ready to go, add a handful of noodles to each individual serving bowl, topped with your desired protein. Then ladle the simmering hot broth into the serving bowls, being sure to submerge the meat so that it will get cooked. Top with lots and lots of garnishes.

Prepare the garnishes: Ready the garnishes in individual small bowls for serving: cilantro, basil, green onions, bean sprouts, lime wedges and sliced chilies. Here is the basic overview for how to make homemade pho bowls! (As always, see the recipe below for the full detailed instructions.) When it’s time to serve and add in the last condiments, you could use fish sauce, hoisin sauce, chili oil, or hot chili sauce.You could also add some chili pepper to your pho as well if you don’t prefer a sauce. Toppings: This is the fun part—you can mix and match toppings or set out a pho bar for your friends to make their own. Fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and hot sauces all work well.

Turns out, the stuff was harmless. No bad side effects. However, the little pho spice cube box has sat on my kitchen counter for weeks. I look at it as a novelty or decor, but not as something I want to cook with. There’s something to be said about truth in labeling that elicits consumer faith in a product. Assemble. Now the fun part! Add a handful of noodles to each individual serving bowl. Portion the steak between each serving bowl. Then ladle the still-simmering hot broth into the serving bowls, being sure to submerge the steak completely so that it gets cooked*. Top each bowl with lots and lots of garnishes, and finish with a squeeze of lime juice. Set out toppings on a separate plate (sliced onion, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime, hot sauce, hoisin sauce). I love authentic pho soup, but I wanted to create a recipe that has great flavor, but doesn’t take hours to make or use hard to find ingredients. This pho recipe is exactly that! You can’t make pho soup without fish sauce. A bottle of fish sauce sits within arm’s reach of our stove. We use it in everything and absolutely will not make pho without it.

More Cooking Tips & Tools

Pho is usually served with fresh herbs like Thai basil and mint, bean sprouts, and condiments. It’s encouraged that you add what you love to make the soup your own. Beef pho, also known as phở bò in Vietnamese, is the most popular variation of pho. It’s also what we are sharing today. What are the best bones for pho?