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Vietnamese Pho

Posted by Courtney Schupp | January 17, 2022

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Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 60 minutes | Servings: 5

Ingredients

Broth:

  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 4 inches ginger (sliced)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/2 onion (peeled and cut into quarters)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 pound London broil beef

To Serve:

  • 10 ounces rice noodles
  • 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
  • 1/2 onion (peeled and sliced)
  • 4 stems of basil leaves
  • 4 cups bean sprouts
  • 2 limes (cut into wedges)

Live Well Tips

  • Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup and is considered the country’s national dish.
  • Substitute chicken breast or thighs instead of beef.
  • Add any fresh herbs or steamed vegetables you enjoy.

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. In a large pot, combine chicken broth and ginger. Bring to boil, then turn heat down to simmer (medium-low).
  3. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, Chinese 5-spice, sugar fish sauce, onion and pepper and simmer on low to medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and ginger from the broth and add the beef. Simmer beef in broth over medium-low heat until beef is cooked (about 15-20 minutes). Skim any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.
  5. Remove beef when cooked and slice thinly. Set aside.
  6. Add water to the broth and heat through.
  7. In separate pot, cook rice noodles according to package (in boiling water about 5-10 minutes) and drain. Add noodles to soup bowls.
  8. Top noodles with beef slices, cilantro and sliced onion.
  9. Pour broth over noodles. Serve with basil, bean sprouts and lime on the side.

Cook Together! Making Recipe with Kids

This warm and veggie-packed noodle soup will satisfy even picky eaters! Add whatever vegetables your child enjoys or that you have on hand.

Easy Tasks

  • Gather ingredients and equipment.
  • Wash fresh foods, drain, and pat dry.
  • Pick basil leaves

Intermediate Tasks

  • Measure ingredients for broth and place into pot
  • Boil water for noodles
  • Put noodles and cooked beef into soup bowls
  • Cover soup with toppings

Difficult Tasks

  • Cut onion and lime wedges
  • Chop cilantro
  • Skim foam from broth
  • Slice cooked beef
  • Drain boiled noodles

Nutrition Facts

Serving size 2 cups: Calories–480; Protein–27g; Carbohydrate–68g; Total Fat–11g; Saturated Fat–4.5g; Cholesterol–55mg; Fiber–3g; Sodium–1950mg; Vitamin C–30%; Vitamin A–4%; Iron–20%; Calcium–6%

Adapted from University of Hawaii at Manoa, Cooperative Extension Service