This popular Vietnamese soup is made with a special broth featuring interesting flavours you may not associate with a savoury dish. Fortunately you can now buy the broth in grocery stores so preparing Beef Noodle Pho at home is the next best thing to enjoying authentic street food in Vietnam.
If you haven’t heard of Pho, it’s pronounced “fuh.” There are 4 basic components to the dish which are meat, noodles, broth and herbs. Any other greens are a bonus. Like all recipes, especially soup, you can customize it to your taste and the season with other ingredients. I have made Beef Noodle Pho with a few other colourful ingredients but this version is closer to traditional versions. And all that bright bold green clearly shows that it’s packed with nutrition.
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Sirloin steak is a great choice for the beef in this Pho recipe. It’s a little less expensive than some premium cuts of beef and has excellent flavour, especially after marinating. And you don’t need much. About half a pound or 225 grams is enough for 2 people. You can marinate the meat and cut it into thin strips right before making the Pho or if you’re short on time, cut thin slices and toss in the marinade for 30 – 60 minutes. Remember when cutting beef, if you cut against the grain you’ll have more tender pieces.
In some cases, Pho is made with very very thin strips of raw beef which cooks when steaming hot broth is poured over top. I prefer to give the meat a quick sear in a hot pan in sesame oil which adds a little flavour. They don’t need long to cook, maybe just a minute on each side. Then divide the meat between 2 large individual serving bowls.
You’ll need 2 pots, one to heat the broth and one to cook the noodles. Some noodles require boiling where others are added to boiled water after it’s been removed from the heat. Make sure you check the package instructions and don’t overcook the noodles. And no, don’t cook them in the broth. They will absorb too much liquid. Drain and rinse the noodles, then add them to the bowls with the meat.
Adding dark leafy greens to Beef Noodle Pho really amps up the flavour and nutrition. There’s no need to cook them in advance. Especially if you use small baby bok choy which are very tender. Baby spinach is an excellent substitute. Pack as much as you want into the bowls and add the herbs. If you can find Thai basil, it’s a perfect and pretty addition to Pho. The leaves are slightly smaller than regular basil with purple coloured stems. But regular basil will work just fine. And if you love cilantro, add some too.
Once the broth is hot, ladle it into the bowls. Generously top your Beef Noodle Pho with any desired additional garnishes. And a squeeze of fresh lime. If you can manage chopsticks, slurp up the noodles and greens, then enjoy the broth with a spoon. If not, don’t worry, a fork and spoon will work just fine.
If you make Beef Noodle Pho, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Beef Noodle Pho
Ingredients
Beef and Marinade
- ½ lb sirloin steak
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce low sodium preferred
- ½ lime, juiced save other half for garnish
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp salt or less if soy sauce is not low sodium
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Pho
- 900 ml Pho broth 1 carton, approximately 3 ¾ cups
- salt and pepper if desired, taste broth first
- ¼ package rice stick vermicelli noodles red package - use about 150 g of noodles
- 6 heads baby bok choy or spinach
- ¼ cup minced Thai basil or regular basil
- chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 green onions, sliced
- ½ lime
- fresh pea shoots or microgreens
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced if desired
- Sriracha sauce if desired for heat
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients and coat unsliced beef well. Refrigerate all day or over night.
- Slice beef into very thin strips across the grain. Heat sesame oil in large skillet or wok. Sear quickly over medium-high heat until beef starts to brown, turn and sear other side. Remove beef from pan immediately to prevent over cooking and divide between 2 large individual serving bowls.
- Rinse and cut ends off bok choy. Separate into individual leaves and add to serving bowls. Top with basil and cilantro.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Break off 2 servings of noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and rinse. Divide between 2 serving bowls.
- In a second pot heat Pho broth to a simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired, depending on sodium level of broth. Ladle into bowls to almost cover contents.
- Top with any or all of recommended additional ingredients. Serve hot and enjoy slurping up all the noodles with chopsticks.