Ok, let me just start this post with a disclaimer: authentic pho – the kind you get when you labor all day on bone broth – is not easy. What you see here is a hybrid pho recipe created by yours truly after a trip to New Century restaurant in Syracuse a few years ago. Mine uses store bought stock because, well, I don’t make my own. Ever. So long as Nature’s Promise still makes stocks and broths, I’m not going to. It’s just too…laborious for me. And this, my friends, is why I’ll never categorize myself as a foodie. But I digress.
Pho is one of my husband’s and my favorite things to eat for dinner. It’s a wonderfully complex and delicious noodle soup whose flavors blend into the perfect umami. We find it fun to put together our customized bowl of yummy. We also find it fun to watch the raw beef cook ever so slightly under the ladled broth. It’s reminiscant of watching Shrinky Dinks bake in the oven when we were kids. Pho has become a staple soup in our house and I don’t even mind because it takes me about 30 minutes to make.
What is pho, exactly?
Wait. First of all, are you saying it right?
That’s a serious question because for the longest time, I wasn’t. I felt like a total heel when I ordered it saying “pho” as in “foe” only to get laughed at by a friend. At the table. In front of the waitres. Oh, the humanity!! Anyway, it’s not “foe.” It’s “fuh.” Like you left the “r” off “for” and shortened up the “o” to make an “uh” sound.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what is pho, exactly?
It’s exact history seems to be a bit foggy, but one thing that isn’t foggy about this dish is that it’s coined the national dish of Vietnam. It has slowly worked its way into our western mouths since the Fall of Saigon in 1975. In its simplest form, it’s a noodle soup garnished with beef (or chicken) and herbs. In reality, it’s so much more than that, beginning with the broth. Traditionally, the broth starts with beef bones and water, which simmer for hours. Hours! One recipe I saw involved 3 hours of boiling before moving on to the next step. Add to the pot a combo of onion, ginger, sugar, fish sauce and spices and you’re on your way to broth heaven. While the broth adds an incredible depth of flavor, a variety of textures develop, too. From the chewy noodles, to the crunchy bean sprouts, to the raw beef and fresh herbs. It’s enough to blow your mind. In all, this soup is not simple in any stretch of the imagination – not on your time and not on your tastebuds.
So, then, for me to title this “Quick and Easy Vietnamese Pho” is blasphemous. I won’t sit here and tell you that what you have is traditional pho, because I didn’t spend my whole day in a kitchen boiling bones. I will say, with confidence, that its flavors are pretty darn close to the real deal. You will get the flavors you crave from pho without giving up your entire day to a pot of beef bones.
What makes this dish quick and easy is that I haven’t made my own broth. That’s it. Also, when I first made this dish years ago, I added ground ginger, not fresh, and I left out the charred onion/spice bag. It was fine, but definitely lacked in depth. I’ve since added the aforementioned ingredients and, well, I’m in love. Now, after having a Remy (from “Ratatouille”) moment, I always use them. And hey, remember when we were making that Easy Thai Red Curry dish and I told you not to fear the fish sauce? Well here we go! You’re able to use it again. 
Quick and Easy Vietnamese Pho
Serves: 6
Level: Easy
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium red onion, cut in half
- 1 – 4″ chunk fresh ginger, sliced lengthwise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
- 1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
- 5 whole star anise
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1/4 c. fish sauce
- 2 – 32 oz. packages unsalted beef stock
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- juice from one lime, plus one lime cut into wedges for serving
- 6 c. water
- 2 packages of fresh or dried shiritaki rice noodles*
- 1 lb. (raw) beef, such as london broil, flank, sirloin, filet
- 1 c. fresh cilantro
- 1 c. fresh basil
- 1/2 c. scallions
- 2 c. bean sprouts
- 4″ swatch of cheesecloth to make spice bag, or tea diffuser
- salt to taste
- Sriracha and (Vietnamese) Hoisin sauce for garnish
*At various times, I’ve not been able to find shiritaki noodles or my husband – who has an obsession with udon – asks for something different. I have used anything from shiritaki, to vermicelli, to soba – or if it’s a day I’m feeling generous, udon. I don’t recommend udon.
DIRECTIONS:
Turn your broiler on its highest setting and place the onion and ginger directly under the flame. The goal here is to char it on both sides, which will take anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Char both sides.
While the onion and ginger are charring in the broiler, make a spice bag with the coriander, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and star anise (If you don’t have cheesecloth, or a tea diffuser (been there), I’ve been known to use a strainer. Hey, desperate times lead to desperate measures). Slice beef as thin as possible – to make this easier on you, freeze the meat for 15 minutes before slicing.
In a large pot, pour stock, water, honey, fish sauce, and spice bag. Bring to a boil and add onion and ginger. Lower temperature to medium-low to simmer for 15 minutes (or more) to marry flavors. Remove spice bag, discard. Add noodles to the pot and cook as instructed, 2-3 minutes. Add lime juice and salt to taste.
Use tongs to transfer the noodles to the bowls. Top noodles with beef and then ladle the broth over the beef. Garnish with bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, scallions. Serve with lime wedges, sriracha and hoisin sauce.
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