Vietnamese Pho Recipe (Homemade Broth!)
I love this delicious homemade pho recipe with an authentic pho broth made from scratch. Once you try this amazing Vietnamese beef noodle soup with ginger, star anise, and cinnamon, you’ll want to make it again and again.
Ingredients
Pho Broth
- 5 to 6 pounds of beef knuckles or leg bones
- 6 quarts cold water
- 2 onions quartered
- 4- inch piece of fresh ginger halved lengthwise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 6 whole star anise
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 black cardamom pod see tips
- 1 ½ tablespoons fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1- inch piece of yellow rock sugar see tips
Assembly
- 1 pound dried or fresh “banh pho” noodles see tips
- 8 ounces raw eye of round sirloin, or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain, see tips
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- Optional for the table: fresh mint Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, sliced green or red chilies, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha or chili sauce
Instructions
Make the Broth
- Place beef bones in a stockpot (10-quart or larger). Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. As the bones boil, scum and foam will float to the top. Drain the bones, rinse with warm water, and scrub the stockpot clean. Return bones to the pot and add 6 quarts of cold water.
- Preheat oven broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place onion quarters and halved ginger on the baking sheet and broil for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally until nicely charred.
- Place cinnamon, coriander, fennel, star anise, cloves, and cardamom pod in a dry frying pan over low heat. Toast for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Transfer the spices to a muslin bag or cheesecloth and seal with twine.
- Bring the stockpot to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Add the charred onions, ginger, spice bag, salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. Gently simmer uncovered for 3 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Use tongs to remove bones, onions, and ginger. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. To remove the fat, skim it off with a spoon or refrigerate the broth overnight (the fridge solidifies the fat at the top, which is easy to remove in the morning).
Assembling Pho
- Place the strained broth into a stockpot and simmer over medium-low heat while you prepare the noodles.
- To prepare the noodles for cooking, place dried pho noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are soft and opaque. If you have fresh noodles, do not cover them with hot water. Add them to a colander and rinse with cold water.
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook briefly (about 10 seconds) until they soften. Drain the noodles and divide them evenly between serving bowls, filling each bowl about 1/3 of the way.
- Arrange slices of raw meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the very hot broth over the meat, cooking it gently. Top with onion slices and cilantro. Serve with your favorite pho toppings at the table.
Notes
Adam and Joanne's Tips:
- Equipment: Large stockpot (10-quart capacity or larger), baking sheet, skillet, Muslin bag/herb sachet or cheesecloth with twine (for spices), and fine-mesh strainer
- Black cardamom pod: Highly recommend for it’s smoky flavor, but optional. Find in International and Asian markets or online.
- Yellow rock sugar: Also known as “lump sugar” sold in boxes at Asian markets. Break into smaller chunks – use a hammer or rolling pin.
- Raw beef: Ask your butcher to thinly slice or place beef into the freezer for 15 minutes to harden a little. Carefully slice the beef across the grain into 1/16-inch thick slices.
- Storing the pho broth: Homemade pho broth lasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, transfer to freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen pho broth in the refrigerator overnight and reheat the next day. To reheat, add to a saucepan and bring to a simmer before pouring into your serving bowls. We do not recommend storing/freezing cooked noodles, as they tend to break up over time.
- Can I use store-bought beef broth? If you want to make pho as good as 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 homemade Vietnamese pho broth has so much more flavor. You won’t regret it.
- Recipe inspired by Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen and Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.