Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life (2024)

Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) has long been one of my absolute favorite things to eat. There has been more than one occasion in which I have actually gotten in my car and driven over 45 minutes for the express purpose of indulging in good bowl of the stuff, which is why this pho recipe is sorely needed.

Note: We originally published this recipe in March 2015. We have since added clearer photos, nutrition info, and metric measurements. The recipe has been tested by us and many readers and approved by Vietnamese friends, so it remains the same!

What Is Pho?

Pho (I found out in college that it’s actually pronounced “fuh.” For someone who’d been shamelessly calling it “foe” for eighteen years, this was an embarrassing revelation) is a noodle soup hailing from Vietnam that’s often made with beef and topped with awesome things like fresh bean sprouts, basil, and chilies.

There’s just something about it—the fragrant beef broth, the slightly chewy rice noodles, and all the aromatic toppings (the squeeze of lime at the end is the BEST)—that seriously justifies a 90-minute roundtrip drive.

The Quest For a Great Broth

A bowl of pho is only as good as the broth. There’s no trick to the noodles, really, and the beef is often added to the soup raw. The other vegetable and herb toppings are ALL added to the soup raw.

In short? No broth, no bacon.

I never really thought it would be realistic to make it myself at home. Chalk it up to a cynical but somewhat substantiated opinion that no broth I could make at home would ever taste as good as the restaurant equivalent.

We decided to take a stab at it anyway, and the results were awesome. I also talked with a Vietnamese friend/mom who cooks this dish on a regular basis for her family and got all the tips!Her kids are in college, but she says they always come home for her pho!

There is a bit of prep involved to get the broth going, but after that, it’s just a long, slow simmer until you’re ready to assemble the dish.

4 Key Steps to Make Pho Broth

Here are the 4 steps and secrets to making a proper beef pho broth:

  1. Pre-boiling the beef bones and meat
  2. Charring the ginger and onions
  3. Toasting the spices
  4. Adding fish sauce (said Vietnamese friend told me that one of the secrets to a great pho recipe is to not add salt, and instead add enough fish sauce to bring the broth to the correct level of saltiness.)

I know, it’s a lot of fish sauce! However, she said that this method tastes the best, but most people don’t do it because fish sauce is so expensive.

She also mentioned, rather proudly, that the Vietnamese brands of fish sauce are much more flavorful (and expensive at $9-$12 a bottle) than the Thai brands most people buy. Which is just food for thought.

In accordance with this insider information, feel free to add more fish sauce to the broth and decrease the amount of salt. As is our mantra here at The Woks of Life, it’s all up to your own taste preferences!

Oh, and definitely buy a high quality fish sauce for this pho recipe. It will only make your broth better! We like Red Boat!

Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life (1)

Pho Recipe Instructions

Making the Broth

Place the bones and beef chuck in large stockpot, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and thoroughly clean the stockpot. This process removes any impurities/scum, and will give you a much cleaner broth.

Meanwhile, char your ginger and onions. Use tongs to hold the ginger and onions (one at a time) over an open flame, or place each directly on a gas burner. (You can also do this on a grill.)

Turn until they’re lightly blackened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Rinse away all the blackened skins.

Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life (2)

Add 5 quarts fresh water back to the stockpot and bring to a boil. Transfer the bones and meat back to the pot, along with the charred/cleaned ginger and onions. Add the scallions, fish sauce and rock sugar. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the beef chuck is tender, about 40 minutes. Skim the surface often to remove any foam and fat.

Remove one piece of the chuck and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Then transfer this piece of beef to a container and refrigerate (you will slice this to serve with your pho later. If you were to leave it in the pot, it would be too dry to eat). Leave the other piece of chuck in the pot to flavor the broth.

Now toast the spices (star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pod (if using), fennel seeds, and coriander seeds) in a dry pan over medium low heat for about 3 minutes, until fragrant. Use kitchen string to tie up the spices in a piece of cheesecloth, and add it to the broth.

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Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life (4)

Cover the pot and continue simmering for another 4 hours. Add the salt and continue to simmer, skimming as necessary, until you’re ready to assemble the rest of the dish. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, sugar, and/or fish sauce as needed.

Assembling the Pho

To serve, boil the noodles according to package instructions. Add to a bowl. Place a few slices of the beef chuck and the raw sirloin on the noodles. Bring the broth to a rolling boil and ladle it into each bowl. The hot broth will cook the beef.

Garnish with your toppings—sliced chili, onion, scallions, cilantro, bean sprouts, and Thai basil, and be sure to take your lime wedges and squeeze a lot of fresh lime juice over the top! You can also add hoisin sauce and Sriracha if you like!

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Scroll down for the full list of ingredients and the recipe card.

Short on time? Check out our Instant Pot Pho recipe and our 20-Minute Chicken Pho recipe as well!

Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life (6)

Mmmm. Pho noodle pull!

Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life (7)

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4.95 from 67 votes

Pho Recipe

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup topped with awesome things like fresh bean sprouts, basil, and chilies. This pho recipe was approved by a Vietnamese friend!

by: Sarah

Course:Noodles and Pasta

Cuisine:Vietnamese

Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life (8)

serves: 8 servings

Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 5 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total: 6 hours hours

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Ingredients

You’ll need:

  • 2 3-inch (7 to 8 cm) pieces ginger, cut in half lengthwise (no need to peel)
  • 2 onions (peeled)
  • 5 pounds beef marrow or knuckle bones
  • 2 pounds beef chuck (cut into 2 pieces)
  • 5 quarts water
  • 2 scallions (cut into 4-inch lengths)
  • 1/3 cup fish sauce
  • 2 ½ ounces rock sugar (2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar)
  • 8 star anise
  • 6 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 black cardamom pod (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 pound dried pho noodles
  • 1/3 pound beef sirloin (slightly frozen, then sliced paper-thin against the grain)

Garnishes:

  • Sliced chili
  • Thinly sliced onion
  • Chopped scallions
  • Cilantro
  • Mung bean sprouts
  • Thai basil
  • Lime wedges
  • Hoisin sauce and/or Sriracha (optional)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Place the bones and beef chuck in large stockpot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and thoroughly clean the stockpot. This process removes any impurities/scum and will give you a much cleaner broth.

  • Meanwhile, char your ginger and onions. Use tongs to hold the ginger and onions (one at a time) over an open flame, or place each directly on a gas burner. Turn until they’re lightly blackened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Rinse away all the blackened skins.

  • Add water (5 quarts/4.75 L, or more/less if you've scaled the recipe up or down) to the stockpot and bring to a boil. Transfer the bones and meat back to the pot, along with the charred/cleaned ginger and onions. Add the scallions, fish sauce and sugar. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the beef chuck is tender, about 40 minutes. Skim the surface often to remove any foam and fat.

  • Remove one piece of the chuck and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Then transfer this piece of beef to a container and refrigerate (you will slice this to serve with your pho later. If you were to leave it in the pot, it would be too dry to eat). Leave the other piece of chuck in the pot to flavor the broth.

  • Now toast the spices (star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds) in a dry pan over medium low heat for about 3 minutes, until fragrant. Use kitchen string to tie up the spices in a piece of cheesecloth, and add it to the broth.

  • Cover the pot and continue simmering for another 4 hours. Add the salt and continue to simmer, skimming as necessary, until you're ready to assemble the rest of the dish. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, sugar, and/or fish sauce as needed.

  • To serve, boil the noodles according to package instructions. Add to a bowl. Place a few slices of the beef chuck and the raw sirloin on the noodles. Bring the broth to a rolling boil and ladle it into each bowl. The hot broth will cook the beef. Garnish with your toppings, and be sure to squeeze a lot of fresh lime juice over the top!

nutrition facts

Calories: 495kcal (25%) Carbohydrates: 68g (23%) Protein: 30g (60%) Fat: 11g (17%) Saturated Fat: 5g (25%) Cholesterol: 69mg (23%) Potassium: 1106mg (32%) Fiber: 3g (12%) Sugar: 14g (16%) Vitamin A: 270IU (5%) Vitamin C: 14.9mg (18%) Calcium: 95mg (10%) Iron: 4.4mg (24%)

nutritional info disclaimer

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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Pho Recipe (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in pho broth? ›

Sa sung—dried peanut worms—have been described as the secret ingredient of great pho.

What makes pho broth taste so good? ›

Broth - the soul of Pho. Beef bones play a crucial role in influencing the quality of the broth. Combined with spices such as ginger, charred onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds, the broth gains a distinct aroma.

What is the healthiest pho soup? ›

"The best pho recipes are ones that include lean protein, like chicken, plus heaps of veggies and go lighter on the noodles." In fact, one bowl of pho contains around 30 grams protein - about half of the recommended amount per day for most people.

Is Vietnamese noodle soup the same as pho? ›

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup topped with awesome things like fresh bean sprouts, basil, and chilies.

What are the sea worms in pho? ›

What is Sá Sùng? The secret flavor bomb in that bowl of Phở They're marine (sea) worms that were first described in 1827 by a French zoologist. There are over 140 different kinds of these delicious flavor bombs, and some are teeny tiny (2 millimeters long) while others can be as long as 28 inches.

Is pho broth anti inflammatory? ›

Pho is very nutritious. From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.

Are you supposed to eat all the pho broth? ›

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese dish that consists of a flavorful broth, rice noodles, meat (usually beef or chicken), and various herbs and spices. While many people in Vietnam do drink the soup after eating pho, it is not a universal practice.

Are you supposed to drink all the broth in pho? ›

Thirdly, it is important to remember that the broth of pho is the show's star and should be appreciated. Don't rush through your meal – take your time to savor all the flavors and enjoy every sip of the soup. Top it off with the herbs and condiments provided – a good mix of flavors will only enhance your experience.

How to make pho broth more flavourful? ›

For the most interesting flavor, use a variety.
  1. Onion and fresh ginger: I love the onion and ginger in this broth. ...
  2. Pho spices: Our broth simmers with cinnamon sticks, whole coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cloves, and a black cardamom pod. ...
  3. Rock sugar: Sugar balances the savoriness of our beef broth.

Is it OK to eat pho everyday? ›

Experts also suggest that if pho is used for breakfast, then you should avoid salt for the rest of the day. To avoid imbalanced nutrition, you should not eat pho too often, and you should switch up diet with other food products. Any food, no matter how good it is, won't be good for your body if consumed too much.

Do Vietnamese eat pho everyday? ›

Even though Vietnamese people do not eat Pho everyday, this is the favorite breakfast of many people every morning. Many people prefer to eat pho in the morning rather than other foods such as rice and bread.

Is pho healthier than ramen? ›

Pho is usually considered a healthier choice than ramen because it tends to have fewer calories and less fat, making it a lighter meal. But both pho and ramen still give you a good amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

How do you say pho in English? ›

"Pho," which first appeared in print in English in 1935, was borrowed from a Vietnamese word which was spelled "phở." English speakers replaced the vowel with "o" but preserved the pronunciation as "fuh," rather than "foh." Another Vietnamese food word that was borrowed into English is "nuoc mam," which refers to a ...

What does pho mean in Vietnamese? ›

Pho is a type of Vietnamese soup that usually consists of bone broth, rice noodles, spices, and thinly sliced meat (usually beef). Though “pho” technically refers to the noodles and not the soup itself, most people consider the dish a singular unit.

What is pho called in Vietnam? ›

The word "pho" (pronounced as "fuh" or "faw") is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, and various meats or vegetables. The origin of the word "pho" is believed to be from the French colonial period in Vietnam, which lasted from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century.

How do you make pho broth taste better? ›

For the most interesting flavor, use a variety.
  1. Onion and fresh ginger: I love the onion and ginger in this broth. ...
  2. Pho spices: Our broth simmers with cinnamon sticks, whole coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cloves, and a black cardamom pod. ...
  3. Rock sugar: Sugar balances the savoriness of our beef broth.

What makes pho broth different? ›

Pho Broth Spices and Other ingredients

The spices are toasted to bring out the flavour before adding into the pot. And the ginger and onion are charred to add a subtle smokey flavour into the broth – a secret little step that adds that extra something-something to make this pho recipe authentic and traditional!

What gives pho its smell? ›

Star anise, cloves, and cinnamon are the aromatic trinity in traditional pho stock. Try adding a few whole spices to the store-bought stuff, along with fresh ginger and a glug of fish sauce.

How do you enhance store-bought pho broth? ›

Add Whole Spices

Spice up store-bought stock with whole peppercorns, bay leaves, star anise, or a cinnamon stick. Whole spices can add tremendous flavor to a stock. You might not think that bay leaves do much, but those dried leaves add an herbal flavor that helps make your stock more complex.

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