Pho Bo
Aromatic Vietnamese beef noodle soup with a deeply flavorful broth infused with star anise, cinnamon, and charred onions. Served with tender beef, fresh herbs, and rice noodles for an authentic, soul-warming dish.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef bones
- 1 lb beef chuck roast
- 1 whole yellow onion, halved
- 3 inches fresh ginger, 3-inch piece
- 4 whole star anise
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 cups water
- 12 oz rice noodles, dried
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ whole white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 whole lime
- 1 whole jalapeño, sliced
- 2 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
Instructions
- 1
Char the onion halves and ginger on an open flame or under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until blackened. This adds depth to the broth.
- 2
Toast the star anise, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, and cloves in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- 3
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add beef bones and chuck roast, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the meat and bones under cold water to remove impurities.
- 4
Return cleaned meat and bones to the pot with 10 cups fresh water, charred onion, and ginger.
- 5
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Add toasted spices and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- 6
Stir in fish sauce and salt. Simmer 10 more minutes. Remove the meat and set aside to cool slightly, then slice thinly.
- 7
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, discarding solids. Taste and adjust seasoning with fish sauce or salt.
- 8
Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and divide among four bowls.
- 9
Top each bowl of noodles with sliced beef and raw white onion.
- 10
Ladle hot broth over the noodles and beef. Serve immediately with basil, mint, cilantro, lime, jalapeño, sriracha, and hoisin on the side for guests to customize.
Tools you’ll need
- 8-quart pot
- 12-inch skillet
- fine-mesh sieve
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- tongs
- ladle
- kitchen thermometer (optional)
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