Chef-tested recipe
Vietnamese pho bo with a clear, aromatic beef broth, flat rice noodles, tender beef and fresh herbs.
Pho bo depends on broth clarity and restraint. Beef bones are blanched, charred onion and ginger provide sweetness and depth, and toasted spices perfume the stock without turning it into a heavily spiced soup.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 45 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 hours
- Total Time
- 5 hours 45 minutes
- Cuisine
- Vietnamese
- Course
- Main Dish, Noodle Soup
- Best Served With
- Serve with lime, fresh chilli, herbs and bean sprouts. Add sauces at the table rather than directly to the stockpot.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Large stockpotpaid link
- Fine strainerpaid link
- Tongspaid link
- Noodle potpaid link
Ingredients
- 2 kg beef marrow and knuckle bones
- 600 g beef brisket
- 5 L water
- 300 g onion, halved
- 120 g ginger, split lengthwise
- 5 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 cloves
- 8 g coriander seedspaid link
- 3 black cardamom pods
- 60 ml fish sauce Shop paid link
- 25 g rock sugarpaid link
- 15 g salt, plus more to tastepaid link
- 700 g fresh or soaked dried pho rice noodlespaid link
- 250 g beef sirloin, very thinly sliced
- Spring onion, coriander, Thai basil, lime, chilli and bean sprouts, to serve
Preparation Overview
Blanch the bones, char onion and ginger, toast the whole spices, then simmer the broth gently for several hours. Cook the brisket until tender, season the strained broth and assemble each bowl to order.
Method
-
Cover bones with water, boil 10 minutes, drain and rinse thoroughly.
-
Char onion and ginger under a grill or over an open flame until deeply browned.
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Toast star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and black cardamom until fragrant.
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Place cleaned bones, brisket, charred aromatics, spices and 5 L fresh water in a stockpot. Bring slowly to a bare simmer and skim carefully.
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Remove brisket after 1 hour 30 minutes or when tender. Cool and slice.
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Continue simmering bones for another 3 hours. Strain the broth without pressing the solids.
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Season with fish sauce, rock sugar and salt. Keep the broth very hot.
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Blanch noodles briefly and divide among bowls. Add brisket and raw thin sirloin.
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Ladle boiling-hot broth over the beef. Finish with spring onion and coriander and serve herbs, lime, chilli and sprouts alongside.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Do not boil the stock hard; a gentle simmer keeps it clearer.
- Skim regularly during the first hour.
- Slice raw beef very thinly so the hot broth cooks it immediately.
Tips and Variations
- Chill the broth overnight and remove excess surface fat if desired.
- Season only after straining because reduction concentrates salt.
- Keep garnishes fresh and separate until serving.
Storage
Refrigerate broth for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 months. Store noodles, meats and herbs separately.
Nutritional Value
Approximately 520 kcal, 39 g protein, 58 g carbohydrate and 15 g fat per serving.
Allergen Notes
Contains fish through fish sauce. Rice noodles are naturally gluten-free when made from rice and water only.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep pho broth clear?
Blanch and rinse the bones, skim carefully and maintain a very gentle simmer.
