Vietnamese Pho Bo Noodle Soup Recipe

By: Chef Heroe

A delicious bowl of Pho Bo, By: Peter Svensk

Pho Bo is the all time favorite dish of the Vietnamese. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack all rolled into one piping hot bowl of noodle soup, you’ll find Pho stalls all over the country. The classic beef pho is a rich and spicy broth, with rice noodles and fresh herbs. Cheap, filling and wonderfully soothing, it’s not wonder most tourists get hooked on Pho instantly. The ‘I Love Pho’ t-shirts backpackers proudly wear traveling around Vietnam speak for themselves. In most countries it’s beer brands that make it on t-shirts, in Vietnam it’s noodle soup.

Make your own pot full of Pho (pronouced ‘Fa’) and you’ll see what the fuzz is all about! If you don’t have the time to make your own stock, use beef stock from the supermarket.

Vietnamese Beef Pho Bo Noodle Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
2 liters of water
1/2 kilo beef bones
2 cinnamon sticks
a pinch of coriander powder
6 pieces of star anis
1 onion thinly chopped
1 cm ginger
4 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
a pinch of white pepper
1 tbsp black pepper
700 gram beef (raw, sliced)
4 hands full of beansprouts
a handful of basil leaves
a handful of mint leaves
a handful of coriander leaves

How to make Vietnamese Pho Bo

1. Boil the beef bones in the water for 1 1/2-2 hours before adding all the stock ingredients (pepper, anis, coriander powder, garlic, ginger, onion and cinamon). Add fish sauce and/or sugar to taste.

2. Prepare the rice noodles (alternatively use egg noodles), by quickly boiling (al dente) and draining them.

3. After the stock is done, throw away the bones. Slice the beef in thin strips and put the raw meat in a bowl with the noodles, beansprouts, shredded basil leaves and other greens. Pour the stock over it, so the beef will instantly cook by itself. Add hoisin sauce to taste.

Enjoy!