Quick Vietnamese Beef Pho
This quick version of the much-loved Vietnamese Pho soup is made using beef & chicken stock rather than cooking the broth from scratch. Use a high-quality stock and you wont notice the difference in flavour that much but you will save about 6-8 hours! It also then makes this version a really quick and healthy soup that can be enjoyed any time of the year - especially in warmer months when you are craving something light but filling.
500g rump steak, thinly sliced
4 cups unsalted beef stock
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 cups water
2 medium brown or red onions, peeled
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp fresh unpeeled ginger (about 5cm) thinly sliced
2 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 pods star anise
6-8 cloves
800g Banh pho (flat rice noodles)
Salt
1 cup bean sprouts
½ cup chopped fresh coriander
Lime/lemon wedges
Garnish/Serving
Lime/lemon wedges
Pickled ginger
Hoison and Sriracha sauces
Springs of Vietnamese mint
Whole coriander leaves
Cut the onions into quarters and separate the ‘leaves’. Take two quarters and slice as thinly as possible. Set aside. In a large pot, put the remaining onions, beef and chicken stocks, water, fish sauce, ginger, cinnamon, sugar, star anise and cloves and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and gently simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Taste. Adjust fish sauce/sugar if required.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Take off the heat and add the noodles. Let them sit, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until they are soft and pliable but not fully cooked (5-10 minutes depending if using fresh or dried noodles). Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
Over a large bowl, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the solids and pour the clear broth back into the pot.
Bring the broth to a boil and add the noodles. Cook the noodles until tender. Reduce the heat and gently remove the noodles using tongs and divide evenly into four bowls. Bring the broth back to a very gentle simmer (not boiling) and add the sliced beef. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes until barely pink. Remove beef slices and lay them over the noodles in each bowl. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning again, with salt if necessary. Ladle the broth over the noodles and beach. Top each bowl with the reserved sliced onions, bean sprouts and chopped coriander. Serve with citrus wedges, pickled ginger, sauces, sprigs of viet mint and whole coriander leaves.
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Quick Vietnamese Beef Pho Soup
Ingredients
- 500g rump steak, thinly sliced
- 4 cups unsalted beef stock
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 medium brown or red onions, peeled
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh unpeeled ginger (about 5cm) thinly sliced
- 2 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 pods star anise
- 6-8 cloves
- 800g Banh pho (flat rice noodles)
- Salt
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ½ cup chopped fresh coriander
- Lime/lemon wedges
- Pickled ginger
- Hoison and Sriracha sauces
- Springs of Vietnamese mint
- Whole coriander leaves
Method
- Cut the onions into quarters and separate the ‘leaves’. Take two quarters and slice as thinly as possible. Set aside. In a large pot, put the remaining onions, beef and chicken stocks, water, fish sauce, ginger, cinnamon, sugar, star anise and cloves and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and gently simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Taste. Adjust fish sauce/sugar if required.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Take off the heat and add the noodles. Let them sit, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until they are soft and pliable but not fully cooked (5-10 minutes depending if using fresh or dried noodles). Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
- Over a large bowl, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the solids and pour the clear broth back into the pot.
- Bring the broth to a boil and add the noodles. Cook the noodles until tender. Reduce the heat and gently remove the noodles using tongs and divide evenly into four bowls. Bring the broth back to a very gentle simmer (not boiling) and add the sliced beef. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes until barely pink. Remove beef slices and lay them over the noodles in each bowl. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning again, with salt if necessary. Ladle the broth over the noodles and beach. Top each bowl with the reserved sliced onions, bean sprouts and chopped coriander. Serve with citrus wedges, pickled ginger, sauces, sprigs of viet mint and whole coriander leaves.
