Pho soup

Our Favorite Phô Recipe

Broth Ingredients:

1.5 kg beef bones
500 g beef brisket
1 onion
1 piece ginger (10 cm), sliced
1 cinnamon stick
6 star anise
4 cloves
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
4 l water

Soup Ingredients:

200 g rice noodles
300 g beef tenderloin, very thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 spring onions, sliced into rings
2 limes, quartered
Fresh herbs (Thai basil, coriander, mint)
Mung bean sprouts
2 red chilies, sliced into rings
Hoisin sauce and Sriracha sauce (optional, for serving)

Preparation

Briefly blanch the beef bones and beef brisket in boiling water to remove impurities. Then rinse the bones and meat under cold water. Roast the onion and ginger in a dry pan until lightly charred to give the broth a smoky aroma. Place the beef bones, beef brisket, roasted onion, and roasted ginger in a large stockpot. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Add water and bring the broth to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let the broth simmer for about 4-6 hours. Skim off the foam regularly during cooking.
After simmering, strain the broth through a fine sieve. Remove the beef brisket and slice it thinly. Add fish sauce, sugar, and salt to the broth to taste.
Wash, pick, and arrange the herbs on a plate with the lime wedges and chili rings.
Cook the rice noodles according to package directions, rinse, and drain. Place a portion of cooked rice noodles in a soup bowl. Lay some slices of cooked beef brisket and raw beef tenderloin on top of the noodles and add the mung bean sprouts. Sprinkle with thinly sliced onion and spring onions. Pour the hot broth over the ingredients in the bowl so that the raw beef tenderloin cooks slightly.
The herbs are torn into the soup while eating, lime juice and chili rings, Hoisin sauce and Sriracha are added as desired. If you want to try the best phô in Saigon, you should definitely stop by Phô Trinh in Thao Dien or Phô Hoa Pasteur: traditional restaurants with all the delicacies of Vietnam.  

What exactly is Phô?

Phô is the most famous soup in Vietnamese cuisine and a true delicacy. This aromatic rice noodle soup comes in two classic varieties: Phô Bo with tender beef and Phô Ga with succulent chicken. Each bowl is an explosion of flavors, rounded off by fresh herbs, spices, and a rich broth.
Did you know that Phô is traditionally served for breakfast in Vietnam? The day begins in street restaurants with steaming bowls of soup enjoyed in good company. While locals gather for conversations and laughter, the soup connects people and moments alike.