This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious homemade pho recipe is inspired by the Vietnamese soup we all know and love, yet made with a few time-saving shortcuts.
Have you ever tried making homemade phở? ♡
This traditional Vietnamese noodle soup has been a favorite of mine for decades. I have yet to travel to Vietnam to officially try pho in its country of origin (hopefully someday soon!), but I have ordered it countless times in Vietnamese restaurants in the States and here in Barcelona. And this cozy, fresh, and deeply flavorful soup has a way of hitting the spot every single time. It will always be one of my favorite soups to order out. But recently, I’ve been experimenting with different ways to make pho at home, and as it turns out, it’s easier than I expected!
For me, a winning pho recipe all boils down (quite literally) to the quality of its broth. In traditional Vietnamese cooking, pho broth is typically simmered for many hours in order to create that rich, layered, cozy blend of flavors that we all know and love. But while the beef stock base is traditionally made 100% from scratch — a method that is incomparably delicious, yet requires bringing home lots of beef bones and extra veggies plus an extra 2-3 hours of simmering — I’ve tested out a shortcut method using store-bought beef stock as the base for this broth instead. And while it wouldn’t be considered authentic, it turns out that this shortcut method still tastes wonderfully rich and delicious and it can be ready to go in as little as 45 minutes. Once simmered together with charred onion and ginger, a generous handful of warming spices, a hint of sweetener, plus a heaping pile of fresh herbs as garnish, I’m telling you, this homemade pho recipe is one that you are going to want to make again and again.
So if you have been wanting to try making your own homemade pho, I highly recommend giving this recipe a try!
Homemade Pho Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Vietnamese Pho Ingredients:
Alright, before we get to the actual recipe below, here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this pho soup recipe…
Steak: Pho bo is traditionally made with thinly sliced steak that is cooked in the simmering broth in each individual serving bowl. In order to very thinly slice the steak, I recommend popping the steak in the freezer for about 45-60 minutes, then slicing it against the grain as thinly as possible. (Alternately, you can ask the butcher to thinly slice your steak for you, or add pre-cooked steak to your soup.)
Thin rice noodles: Pho is traditionally made with thin rice noodles, such as these. In order to prevent the noodles from overcooking in the broth, it’s traditional to cook pho noodles separately on their own. Then the noodles will be added to each individual serving bowl, followed by the protein, hot broth and toppings.
Pho broth: Again, this “shortcut” version of pho broth would not be considered authentic. But it is a delicious and faster alternative to making it 100% from scratch, and it uses the following elements:
Fresh onions and ginger: Which we will briefly cook in a skillet (or you can pop them under the broiler in your oven) until charred, in order to add that classic smoky flavor to the broth.
Beef stock: In order to save the extra hours required to cook beef stock from scratch, I’ve written this recipe using (good quality) store-bought stock as a shortcut. (That said, if you would like to make a more authentic pho recipe using homemade beef stock, I recommend trying this recipe.)
Spices: There are 5 important spices in pho broth — star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds. I really recommend using the whole (not ground) spices if possible, which we will briefly toast to bring out extra flavor. But I have also included notes below for using ground spices, if those are what you have on hand.
Fish sauce: It’s traditional to add just a little splash to the broth.
Sweetener: I used brown sugar to sweeten my broth instead of traditional yellow rock sugar, but really, any sweetener you prefer will work.
Sea salt: As always, to season your broth.
Toppings, toppings, toppings: This is one soup recipe where the toppings are not optional. Rather, the toppings are the stars of the soup! Feel free to pick and choose your favorites, but I recommend at least one from each category:
Fresh herbs: The more the merrier! I recommend a combo of fresh cilantro, fresh mint and fresh Thai basil (or you could sub Italian basil, in a pinch).
Bean sprouts: You can find these in the produce section of your grocery store, or they are always available in southeast Asian groceries.
Lime wedges: Essential for brightening up the flavors of the broth.
Chiles (optional): Thai bird chiles are traditionally used to give the soup your desired amount of heat, but you could also use jalapeños or serrano peppers too.
Onions (optional): Either sliced green onions or super-thinly-sliced white onions as a garnish.
Sauces (optional): It’s also traditional to serve pho with hoisin sauce and/or sriracha to use as a garnish if desired.
This is actually a double batch of the broth, which I highly recommend making while you’re at it!
How To Make Pho Soup:
Here is the basic overview for how to make homemade pho bowls! (As always, see the recipe below for the full detailed instructions.)
Prep the protein. In order to slice the beef, chicken or pork as thinly as possible, I recommend popping the meat in the freezer for at least 30-45 minutes to chill. Then use a sharp knife to thinly slice the meat before adding it to the soup.
Make the broth. Meanwhile, as the meat is chilling, char the onion and ginger (either in a skillet or under the broiler). Meanwhile, briefly toast the spices in a large stockpot. Then add in the onion, ginger, and broth. Cover and let everything simmer together for at least 30 minutes so that all of those flavors can meld. Strain out and discard all of the onions, ginger and spices. Then stir in the remaining ingredients and season with salt.
Prep the noodles. Meanwhile, as your broth is simmering, go ahead and cook the noodles al dente according to the package instructions. Drain in a strainer, then toss briefly with cold water to prevent the noodles from continuing to cook, and set aside. (I also recommend tossing the noodles with a drizzle of oil — such as sesame oil — to prevent them from sticking.)
Assemble. Once everything is ready to go, add a handful of noodles to each individual serving bowl, topped with your desired protein. Then ladle the simmering hot broth into the serving bowls, being sure to submerge the meat so that it will get cooked. Top with lots and lots of garnishes.
Serve. And serve warm, encouraging everyone to stir the garnishes into the soup so that they can flavor the broth, also adding in additional extra sauces if desired.
Possible Variations:
Want to customize your own homemade pho recipe? Feel free to…
Use pre-cooked steak: If you prefer not to cook the steak in the individual serving bowls, feel free to instead stir the steak directly into the stockpot of simmering broth to ensure that it is fully cooked. Then ladle the broth and beef together into the individual serving bowls.
Use a different protein: Pho bo is traditionally made with beef, but feel free to use a different protein in place of the thinly-sliced steak if you prefer, such as chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu.
Use ground (instead of whole) spices: I really recommend using whole spices for this recipe if you can. But in a pinch, feel free to substitute their ground equivalents. Those substitutions would roughly be: 2 1/2 teaspoons ground star anise, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, pinch of ground cardamom, 2 teaspoons ground coriander.
Instant Pot pho: If you would like to make the broth in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker), first use the “sauté” setting to char the onions and ginger. Then add in the spices and stock. Cover, seal, and cook (manual high pressure) for 10 minutes, followed by a quick release. Add in the remaining ingredients as directed in the recipe.
Crock-Pot pho: If you you would like to make the broth in the Crock-Pot (slow cooker), add the onion, ginger, spices and stock to the bowl of a large slow cooker and stir to combine. (You are welcome to char the onion and ginger beforehand, if you would like, then add them to the Crock-Pot.) Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours*. Add in the remaining ingredients as directed in the recipe. *If it seems that much of the broth has evaporated while cooking, just add in a cup or so of extra water.
Make the beef stock from scratch: For a more authentic pho recipe that makes the beef stock from scratch, I recommend trying this recipe.
Make it vegetarian/vegan: Here’s the link to my new plant-based vegan pho recipe.
Add fennel seeds: If you happen to have fennel seeds in your spice cabinet, add a teaspoon in along with the other spices for extra flavor.
Pho FAQ:
A few final FAQs before we get to the recipe…
What is the proper “pho” pronunciation? The closest way to write the correct phở pronunciation with English characters is “fuh.” But Vietnamese is a tonal language, so the correct pronunciation requires lifting the pitch, like this.
Where and when did pho originate? Pho originated in Vietnam, likely sometime during the early 1900s. Historians disagree about the exact origins of the dish and its etymology, but it was likely influenced in large part by other similar noodle dishes as well as the increased availability of beef due to its demand by French colonialists. In the years since, countless variations of the dish have become traditional in various regions of Vietnam, and it is now officially regarded as Vietnam’s national dish.
How do you serve pho? Pho soup is traditionally served in large soup bowls with chopsticks and a soup spoon. But that said, feel free to use whatever bowls you happen to have on hand at home.
How exactly are you supposed to eat pho? First, use your chopsticks to stir all of those yummy fresh garnishes into the broth to help give it extra flavor. (You can later pick them out if you don’t want to eat stems, chiles, etc.) Then alternately, use your chopsticks to eat the noodles, protein and veggies, while using your spoon to eat the broth. I’ve read that in Vietnam, it’s also encouraged to lift up your bowl to drink the last of the broth, if you would like.
Is pho gluten-free? Yes, this pho soup recipe is naturally gluten-free. (As always though, just be sure to double-check that all of your ingredients are certified GF.)
Is the meat in pho fully cooked? If the meat is very thinly sliced, the broth is boiling hot, and the meat is completely submerged in the broth right away — then yes, the meat should be fully cooked. That said, if you want to be doubly sure that your meat is fully cooked, see instructions above for cooking the meat in the hot stockpot of broth and then adding it to the individual serving bowls.
Is pho traditionally made with beef broth? Yes, pho is traditionally made with beef broth. But there are many different variations on pho that can be made with different broths and different kinds of proteins.
Make ahead instructions? Nearly all of the components of this recipe can be prepped in advance if you would like (which would make this recipe even easier if serving it to a big group). For example, the noodles and broth can be prepared and then refrigerated (separately) in sealed containers until ready to reheat and serve.
Storage instructions? I recommend refrigerating the broth, protein, noodles and garnishes in separate containers, so that the noodles do not soak up all of the broth. But the cooked soup (with the ingredients stored separately or mixed together) can be refrigerated in sealed containers for up to 3 days.
garnishes: fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, and/or Thai basil), bean sprouts, lime wedges, thinly-sliced chiles (Thai bird chiles or jalapeños), thinly-sliced onions (green onions or white onions), sauces (hoisin and/or sriracha)
Instructions
Char the onions and ginger*. Turn the oven broiler to high, and place the baking rack about 8 inches away from the heating elements. Place the onion and ginger cut-side-up on a baking sheet, and brush with a bit of oil. Broil for about 7-10 minutes, until the tops of the onion and ginger are slightly charred. Remove and set aside.
Make the broth. Meanwhile, heat the anise, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and coriander to a large stockpot over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Add in the charred onion, ginger, stock, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and continue to simmer for at least 30 minutes. Strain out (and discard) the onions, ginger and spices. Stir in the fish sauce and sweetener into the hot broth. Then finally, taste and season the broth with salt as needed.
Prep the noodles. Meanwhile, as your broth is simmering, cook the noodles separately al dente according to the package instructions. Drain in a strainer, then briefly rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from continuing to cook. (I also recommend tossing the noodles with a drizzle of oil — such as sesame oil — to prevent them from sticking.)
Assemble. Now the fun part! Add a handful of noodles to each individual serving bowl. Portion the steak between each serving bowl. Then ladle the still-simmering hot broth into the serving bowls, being sure to submerge the steak completely so that it gets cooked*. Top each bowl with lots and lots of garnishes, and finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
Serve immediately. Encouraging everyone to stir the garnishes into the soup so that they can flavor the broth, also adding in additional extra sauces if desired.
Notes
Thinly slicing the steak: You can use any kind of lean steak, very thinly sliced against the grain. (I recommend freezing the steak for 30-60 minutes beforehand, to make it easier to slice.) It’s very important that the meat is very thinly sliced in order for it to cook quickly in the broth and have a tender texture. If you prefer the steak to be well done, see the alternate option for cooking the beef below.
Alternate meat cooking option: Instead of cooking the thinly-sliced steak in the individual serving bowls, feel free to instead stir the steak directly into the stockpot of simmering broth to ensure that it is fully cooked. Then ladle the broth and beef together into the individual serving bowls.
Alternate charring option: Instead of broiling the onion and ginger in the oven, you can also just cook them cut-side-down in a sauté pan over high heat until charred.
Double batch: Again, I highly recommend making a double batch of this recipe while you’re at it! To do so, you will need a large stockpot (at least 5 quarts) to handle the quantity of broth.
I have been making this weekly for the last couple of months – my partner loves it so much. We had some fun varying the proteins, marina ed steak was a favourite, as are other kinds of sprouts because why not?
Thank you thank you thank you :)
Cody Goebel —
Best soup I’ve ever had. Follow the recipe to a t and you will not be disappointed
The broth in this recipe is one of the most amazing and sensational things I have ever eaten; thank you so much for sharing it, I am definitely making this again and doubling the batch!
I have been eating and making Pho for years. This is the best recipe and by the way I also make your no bake energy bites and love them too. Thanks for sharing this!
Jackie —
I’m looking forward to trying this for my family in a couple of days! How many servings does this make? It’s going to be one of our two main courses for Easter.
This is the first I have ever commented on anyone’s blog, and I have to say Holy Sh*t thank you soooooo much. This was almost exactly how my favourite Pho restaurant tastes. My honey and I were mind blown and can not give you enough praise. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I am so in love with this recipe! I use a slow cooker, still charring the ginger and onion. Fills the house with such a delicious smell. I add all the fixin’s to my bowl, such great flavor. Amazing, so glad I found this!
I tried this recipe out for the first time tonight and I’m wondering if I made a mistake along the way… I started with 8 cups of beef stock and after cooking the ingredients together for about an hour and straining I was left with just enough broth for one serving of pho. (My largest burner was on 3.5 out of 7 and I had the lid of the pot slightly cracked. Perhaps one of those made the difference?) I also felt that the flavor of the dry spices was probably a bit more prominent because they were meant to distribute into more broth.
That being said, my pho was still really good and I can’t wait to make it again. If anyone knows why so much of my broth cooked off, please lay it on me! Thank you!
Dovile —
Hi! So, this is my 3 time making pho based on this recipe. What I did was I roasted my spices on low while my ginger and onion was broiling in the oven (broil until it gets burned on edges). Then once my onion and ginger was done I added it to the pot where my spices were roasting and then added 8 cups of beef broth. Only cooking on medium high for about 30min. While broth is boiling, prep your ingredients (beef, bean sprouts, fresh herbs) and put them away in individual bowls. Boil rice noodles and add a bit of sesame oil when you drain them so they don’t stick. Once your broth is done, drain it out so there are no spices or onion/ginger floating around. It’s time to assemble your bowl with the ingredients you have put away earlier and pour your broth right on it! I promise, you will not regret it! It’s the best pho I have ever had :p
Gloria Lewis —
I would make sure your broth is just simmering and put the lid on completely
Diane —
Hi Mike. I’m no chef but I make pho often. Remember the recipe says bring to a simmer then lower heat, cover and cook 30+ minutes. Sounds like your broth reduced instead of just simmering the spices together. Try again on a 2-3 with a secure lid. I bet that helps.
Can I get away with using beef broth instead of beef stock? My grocery only had beef broth, but also had chicken in both stock and broth – so I was a little confused as to why they didn’t have something labeled “beef stock”.
Love the taste, love all the different variations with different ingredients, love the smell, love the way it warms you up inside, love everything about this amazing recipe you generously shared for everyone to enjoy! I made it again today to share with family and neighbors. You are FIVE stars! Thank you!
First time Pho maker, but serious cook. I was surprised by the spices in the broth, but they were amazing and flavorful in just the right balance. I didn’t have anise and had to use powdered spices, but it was everybit as good as the take-out (maybe better!) Definitely a keeper.
Spent 6 weeks in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam a year ago and been looking for that authentic taste since then. Thank you so much because this recipe hits all the notes. Just made a batch of 5 litres for our dinners next week. Thank you thank you thank you.
I love pho and always crave it during the winter months. This recipe is so delicious and the soup’s aroma is divine! Changes: I did saute/scorch ginger and onion in the saucepan before adding spices. I also used ground cardamom vs pods and oyster sauce vs fish sauce. I added carrots, celery, mushrooms, and baby bok choy near the end of cooking my broth as well. My only regret is not finding thai basil as part of the garnish. Enjoy!
Thank you thank you for doing it right!!!! I recently saw a a post on Instagram of a very popular “food blogger” who made what they called pho. It didn’t seem like they understood its history or cultural origins whatsoever. There were not more than 2 ingredients that were recognizable in pho. As a Vietnamese person, I was very disappointed and offended at their disregard. Your post was very refreshing to see and I am looking forward to trying your recipe!
I’m trying to make this today. Can you tell me what brand of beef broth I should use please? Thank you in advance.
Taylor —
I’ve used better than bouillon paste to make the broth and I thought it turned out really tasty!
Jay Nguyen —
Well to make best broth here what you need to do it might seem a lot of work but the outcome will amaze you
Beef bones boil them for 3-4 hours first turn on high, once it boil than turn tempt down to like 3-4 max and let it boil at the same time add some cinnamon for pho flavour and some lemongrass the while thing not just the leafs be sure to smash it up so it’ll have that flavor and at the same time it’ll get rid of the beef smell add rock sugar salt msg or seasoning if you can’t take msg add slowly and make sure it get to the taste you’ll like don’t forget to pick up some hoisin sauce and Chilli the fine one as for noodles soak it in warm water till it become soft drain it out when you’re ready to serve you can either put the noodles right into bowl and broth on it but make sure it on high tempt to boiling slides beef a lean soft one, mint la que and bean sprout some fresh Chilli or I call Chinese cherry lol you’re ready for dinner don’t forget to invite me though good luck
David Martin —
Use ‘Better Than Gourmet’® brand beef or chicken Demi-Glace. They are the world standard used by professional chefs in every country. But them on Amazon. Super concentrated, time saving, and worth every penny…
David Martin —
Use ‘Better Than Gourmet’® beef or chicken Demi-Glace. The world’s best. Buy it on Amazon.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet. I have a problem that I need to ask you about. My family is all on the keto diet so carbs are out of the picture have you actually tried the PHO Soup with any kind of vegetable spaghetti such as zucchini or squash spaghetti. Please let me know if you have and if it was as good as with regular noodles. Thank you Judith Quarles
Terry Sanderson —
I use Konica noodles. They work very well for Keto.
Delicious! I really like all the options and alternatives provided. I topped with what I had available – – kale, tomato, thin slices of rutabaga, onions, mushrooms, red peppers and edamame. Lots of flavor! I would recommend using whole spices for a clearer broth. I used some powdered spices and they didn’t dissolve.
I made this at the spur of the moment, so next time I will plan ahead so that I have more of the traditional toppings on hand to try.
I made this last night and don’t usually comment on recipes but this was worth it. The homemade stock I’d wanted to use was bad so I just went with store bought beef stock, I didn’t have cardamom and my noodles all stuck together but wow it was DELICIOUS. Everyone went crazy for it, it smelled amazing while simmering and ultimately was very easy. Definitely will make again!
Gosh I don’t know what happened but this is the first internet recipe I’ve literally thrown away. I followed the directions to a T, but when I went to taste the broth after straining the simmering ingredients and adding the brown sugar and fish sauce and salt, I was revolted. All I could taste was cinnamon and cloves. I’ve made Pho before (in a slow cooker with actual chicken meat), so I know boxed broth is going to be blander (I was using Organics Beef Bone Broth, for the record). but despite adding salt and trying to adjust the broth, there was no way I could bring it back from being horribly over-cinamonned & cloved. Perhaps I should have tried just one stick, or my sticks were very potent. Unfortunately, I threw out the broth and used the veggies and noodles I had prepared to make some impromptu pad thai.
This recipe is a savior to my husband. He’s not feeling very well today, fever and all, and I thought it might be a good idea to cook him a good bowl of pho. Then I stumbled upon this recipe. Coincidentally, he got better right after a bowl. Thanks for the recipe, we might make another batch in the near future.
This recipe was truly like tasting a memory. While the reviews were fantastic, I still went into it wary it would really be as good as everyone said but oh my goodness, this truly blew me away. One reviewer noted that there didn’t seem to be enough broth once as was said and done and I would’ve agreed once I put everything in the bowl, but there is so much else going on in this dish (noodles, the protein of your choice and if you’re anything like me, copious amounts of garnishes) that my husband and I both didn’t even finish our broth. Beyond well done, this is going into our meal rotation without question!
This is such a thorough recipe guide. I think it’s really useful to understand why certain steps are involved. Thanks for the tips and alternative suggestions!
Made this fabulous recipe!! only a couple of tweaks, I added carrots and garlic to onion and ginger. I used 6 cups of Rachel Ray beef broth and 24 ounces of frozen beef bone broth. Pho was fabulous, thank you so much for giving a rookie a shot at restaurant quality pho!@
Love this soup so very much (and very often too)…..Haven’t tried it with any meat or seafood yet. It’s a great base to add veggies we have for a quick meal. I usually double the broth recipe.
This recipe (as my husband said) is PHOtastic. It must be good,as he doesn’t like Pho. ?
I omitted the anise because I didn’t have any and added two cups of water to the broth. I also put the spices in little canisters made for loose tea. My husband loves onions and said don’t throw away perfectly good onions! Any suggestions what I could do with the onions?
Thank you for the recipe. I will be making this again.
Overall, this is a very good recipe! The Coriander and Cinnamon overpowered everything. To counter act this, I added three cups of water and that toned it down.
Next time I will use one Cinnamon stick and half of the Coriander.
I liked the suggestions to lightly char the ginger and onions under the broiler and roasting the spices. Adding the salt and sugar at the end was a great suggestion. I never thought of that. Will make again.
Loved this Pho recipe! It tastes authentic compared to the restaurants my sons and I have tried. Just two suggestions: if you can’t find the star anise or cardamon, use garam masala. And I used monk fruit sugar substitute, but should have used half the amount. Still, delicious. This recipe is worth saving!
I made this dish the other day and it was delicious! I made a recipe and a half and had enough for four servings. I added thinly sliced pork, shallots, bean sprouts, noodles and pot stickers to the broth. I used some whole spices and some ground. The soup was better than I’ve had in any restaurant!
FYI, Vietnamese people don’t use green cardamom in their pho (or any other traditional recipe that I am aware of). I know it’s easier to get the green cardamom than the black cardamom that’s used to make traditional pho, but if you can, give that a try. Black cardamom has a deep, smoky aroma to it, whereas green cardamom has more of a floral note.
And for that one Canadian linguist who thinks saying fo/faux is correct. No, just no. It’s easiest to just say fuh. But if you are really ambitious, try fuh-uh…but roll the two together as one long syllable where the first part goes down and the last part goes up.
followed the recipe for the broth exactly, which is unusual for me. I usually like to tweak. However, this was pretty much perfect as written. So flavorful! I added a jammy half egg, beef strips, noodles, cilantro, thai chilis, mushrooms, scallions, lime and a bit of chili crisp on top. Will absolutely make again.
I made this last night, with homemade broth, which added another two hours to the whole thing. It didn’t resemble much of pho soup in taste, other than all the ingredients were there! I think because very little salt was added, that it was quite flavourless. The next time I will save the time and expense and just buy it from our usual place :)
This was fantastic! I have been craving pho the past few weeks. I fed it to my neighbors last night who have never had pho and they are asking for more today! This recipe is easy and delicious. A new favorite for me! Thank you!
I am making pho today for dinner. Instead of steak, I got roast beef from deli. The supermarket did not have Thai basil, so I got regular basil. I held the cinnamon stick since I am not a fan of it. Instead of roasting the onion, I cooked the broth with skin and later with chop them. I added garlic paste and ginger paste in to the broth. The house smells great. Some people add jalapeño, but since I am allergic to them, I will omit them.
Spent a great part of my life stationed in hawaii as a military family (our youngest was born there)…loved all the different asian cuisines available and discovered my love of Pho….fast forward several years and we are now living the retired life in the northwoods in Upper Michigan….no authentic asian food for miles. Came across this recipe and we were blown away with the aroma right away…my husband said “hey, it smells like the real thing!”…and the taste did not disappoint. Thank you so much for this recipe, we will be keeping this as a family favorite!
I have been making this weekly for the last couple of months – my partner loves it so much. We had some fun varying the proteins, marina ed steak was a favourite, as are other kinds of sprouts because why not?
Thank you thank you thank you :)
Best soup I’ve ever had. Follow the recipe to a t and you will not be disappointed
The broth in this recipe is one of the most amazing and sensational things I have ever eaten; thank you so much for sharing it, I am definitely making this again and doubling the batch!
I have been eating and making Pho for years. This is the best recipe and by the way I also make your no bake energy bites and love them too. Thanks for sharing this!
I’m looking forward to trying this for my family in a couple of days! How many servings does this make? It’s going to be one of our two main courses for Easter.
This is the first I have ever commented on anyone’s blog, and I have to say Holy Sh*t thank you soooooo much. This was almost exactly how my favourite Pho restaurant tastes. My honey and I were mind blown and can not give you enough praise. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This was amazing! Tasted authentic, rich with flavors–delicious, and not too difficult either! Thanks for sharing this!
I am so in love with this recipe! I use a slow cooker, still charring the ginger and onion. Fills the house with such a delicious smell. I add all the fixin’s to my bowl, such great flavor. Amazing, so glad I found this!
Ok my mistake looks like 8 cups of broth….
The best recipe ever! Made it for the first time and my whole family (ages 10 – 89) stated this is a keeper!
I tried this recipe out for the first time tonight and I’m wondering if I made a mistake along the way… I started with 8 cups of beef stock and after cooking the ingredients together for about an hour and straining I was left with just enough broth for one serving of pho. (My largest burner was on 3.5 out of 7 and I had the lid of the pot slightly cracked. Perhaps one of those made the difference?) I also felt that the flavor of the dry spices was probably a bit more prominent because they were meant to distribute into more broth.
That being said, my pho was still really good and I can’t wait to make it again. If anyone knows why so much of my broth cooked off, please lay it on me! Thank you!
Hi! So, this is my 3 time making pho based on this recipe. What I did was I roasted my spices on low while my ginger and onion was broiling in the oven (broil until it gets burned on edges). Then once my onion and ginger was done I added it to the pot where my spices were roasting and then added 8 cups of beef broth. Only cooking on medium high for about 30min. While broth is boiling, prep your ingredients (beef, bean sprouts, fresh herbs) and put them away in individual bowls. Boil rice noodles and add a bit of sesame oil when you drain them so they don’t stick. Once your broth is done, drain it out so there are no spices or onion/ginger floating around. It’s time to assemble your bowl with the ingredients you have put away earlier and pour your broth right on it! I promise, you will not regret it! It’s the best pho I have ever had :p
I would make sure your broth is just simmering and put the lid on completely
Hi Mike. I’m no chef but I make pho often. Remember the recipe says bring to a simmer then lower heat, cover and cook 30+ minutes. Sounds like your broth reduced instead of just simmering the spices together. Try again on a 2-3 with a secure lid. I bet that helps.
Can I get away with using beef broth instead of beef stock? My grocery only had beef broth, but also had chicken in both stock and broth – so I was a little confused as to why they didn’t have something labeled “beef stock”.
Love the taste, love all the different variations with different ingredients, love the smell, love the way it warms you up inside, love everything about this amazing recipe you generously shared for everyone to enjoy! I made it again today to share with family and neighbors. You are FIVE stars! Thank you!
First time Pho maker, but serious cook. I was surprised by the spices in the broth, but they were amazing and flavorful in just the right balance. I didn’t have anise and had to use powdered spices, but it was everybit as good as the take-out (maybe better!) Definitely a keeper.
Spent 6 weeks in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam a year ago and been looking for that authentic taste since then. Thank you so much because this recipe hits all the notes. Just made a batch of 5 litres for our dinners next week. Thank you thank you thank you.
So delicious and fresh tasting. Making a second pot now. Thank you for a great recipe.
#phoforthesoul
I love pho and always crave it during the winter months. This recipe is so delicious and the soup’s aroma is divine! Changes: I did saute/scorch ginger and onion in the saucepan before adding spices. I also used ground cardamom vs pods and oyster sauce vs fish sauce. I added carrots, celery, mushrooms, and baby bok choy near the end of cooking my broth as well. My only regret is not finding thai basil as part of the garnish. Enjoy!
Thank you thank you for doing it right!!!! I recently saw a a post on Instagram of a very popular “food blogger” who made what they called pho. It didn’t seem like they understood its history or cultural origins whatsoever. There were not more than 2 ingredients that were recognizable in pho. As a Vietnamese person, I was very disappointed and offended at their disregard. Your post was very refreshing to see and I am looking forward to trying your recipe!
I’m trying to make this today. Can you tell me what brand of beef broth I should use please? Thank you in advance.
I’ve used better than bouillon paste to make the broth and I thought it turned out really tasty!
Well to make best broth here what you need to do it might seem a lot of work but the outcome will amaze you
Beef bones boil them for 3-4 hours first turn on high, once it boil than turn tempt down to like 3-4 max and let it boil at the same time add some cinnamon for pho flavour and some lemongrass the while thing not just the leafs be sure to smash it up so it’ll have that flavor and at the same time it’ll get rid of the beef smell add rock sugar salt msg or seasoning if you can’t take msg add slowly and make sure it get to the taste you’ll like don’t forget to pick up some hoisin sauce and Chilli the fine one as for noodles soak it in warm water till it become soft drain it out when you’re ready to serve you can either put the noodles right into bowl and broth on it but make sure it on high tempt to boiling slides beef a lean soft one, mint la que and bean sprout some fresh Chilli or I call Chinese cherry lol you’re ready for dinner don’t forget to invite me though good luck
Use ‘Better Than Gourmet’® brand beef or chicken Demi-Glace. They are the world standard used by professional chefs in every country. But them on Amazon. Super concentrated, time saving, and worth every penny…
Use ‘Better Than Gourmet’® beef or chicken Demi-Glace. The world’s best. Buy it on Amazon.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet. I have a problem that I need to ask you about. My family is all on the keto diet so carbs are out of the picture have you actually tried the PHO Soup with any kind of vegetable spaghetti such as zucchini or squash spaghetti. Please let me know if you have and if it was as good as with regular noodles. Thank you Judith Quarles
I use Konica noodles. They work very well for Keto.
Delicious! I really like all the options and alternatives provided. I topped with what I had available – – kale, tomato, thin slices of rutabaga, onions, mushrooms, red peppers and edamame. Lots of flavor! I would recommend using whole spices for a clearer broth. I used some powdered spices and they didn’t dissolve.
I made this at the spur of the moment, so next time I will plan ahead so that I have more of the traditional toppings on hand to try.
I made this last night and don’t usually comment on recipes but this was worth it. The homemade stock I’d wanted to use was bad so I just went with store bought beef stock, I didn’t have cardamom and my noodles all stuck together but wow it was DELICIOUS. Everyone went crazy for it, it smelled amazing while simmering and ultimately was very easy. Definitely will make again!
Gosh I don’t know what happened but this is the first internet recipe I’ve literally thrown away. I followed the directions to a T, but when I went to taste the broth after straining the simmering ingredients and adding the brown sugar and fish sauce and salt, I was revolted. All I could taste was cinnamon and cloves. I’ve made Pho before (in a slow cooker with actual chicken meat), so I know boxed broth is going to be blander (I was using Organics Beef Bone Broth, for the record). but despite adding salt and trying to adjust the broth, there was no way I could bring it back from being horribly over-cinamonned & cloved. Perhaps I should have tried just one stick, or my sticks were very potent. Unfortunately, I threw out the broth and used the veggies and noodles I had prepared to make some impromptu pad thai.
This recipe is a savior to my husband. He’s not feeling very well today, fever and all, and I thought it might be a good idea to cook him a good bowl of pho. Then I stumbled upon this recipe. Coincidentally, he got better right after a bowl. Thanks for the recipe, we might make another batch in the near future.
This recipe was truly like tasting a memory. While the reviews were fantastic, I still went into it wary it would really be as good as everyone said but oh my goodness, this truly blew me away. One reviewer noted that there didn’t seem to be enough broth once as was said and done and I would’ve agreed once I put everything in the bowl, but there is so much else going on in this dish (noodles, the protein of your choice and if you’re anything like me, copious amounts of garnishes) that my husband and I both didn’t even finish our broth. Beyond well done, this is going into our meal rotation without question!
This is such a thorough recipe guide. I think it’s really useful to understand why certain steps are involved. Thanks for the tips and alternative suggestions!
Do you have the nutritional info for the base of this recipe? I know the add ins can change but just the basic broth? Thanks. I am excited to try it.
We made this twice now! Absolutely delicious! We add bean sprouts and some other veggies to it. Never ordering pho from a restaurant again!
Vietnamese person here. Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) IS actually a traditional dish.
Made this fabulous recipe!! only a couple of tweaks, I added carrots and garlic to onion and ginger. I used 6 cups of Rachel Ray beef broth and 24 ounces of frozen beef bone broth. Pho was fabulous, thank you so much for giving a rookie a shot at restaurant quality pho!@
Love this soup so very much (and very often too)…..Haven’t tried it with any meat or seafood yet. It’s a great base to add veggies we have for a quick meal. I usually double the broth recipe.
Having tried a variety of pho recipes over the years, this is now my absolute go to! You’ve sussed it perfectly. Thanks for sharing.
My go to very best!
This recipe (as my husband said) is PHOtastic. It must be good,as he doesn’t like Pho. ?
I omitted the anise because I didn’t have any and added two cups of water to the broth. I also put the spices in little canisters made for loose tea. My husband loves onions and said don’t throw away perfectly good onions! Any suggestions what I could do with the onions?
Thank you for the recipe. I will be making this again.
Overall, this is a very good recipe! The Coriander and Cinnamon overpowered everything. To counter act this, I added three cups of water and that toned it down.
Next time I will use one Cinnamon stick and half of the Coriander.
I liked the suggestions to lightly char the ginger and onions under the broiler and roasting the spices. Adding the salt and sugar at the end was a great suggestion. I never thought of that. Will make again.
Wow ? Amazed this tastes like real restaurant pho!
Loved this Pho recipe
Loved this Pho recipe! It tastes authentic compared to the restaurants my sons and I have tried. Just two suggestions: if you can’t find the star anise or cardamon, use garam masala. And I used monk fruit sugar substitute, but should have used half the amount. Still, delicious. This recipe is worth saving!
This was SO good! Let the broth cook for about 2 hours, added a cup of water at the end. Thank you so much, will make again!
Easy and full flavor soup. We will be making this again! I used hot pot beef, it’s way easier. Thank you for sharing!!!!
Reallly good!!!
Delicious!
I’m certainly going to make this pho broth..my whole family loves pho….getting pho is a favorite restaurant choice…a lot!!
I made this dish the other day and it was delicious! I made a recipe and a half and had enough for four servings. I added thinly sliced pork, shallots, bean sprouts, noodles and pot stickers to the broth. I used some whole spices and some ground. The soup was better than I’ve had in any restaurant!
UN-B-Frikken-LIEVABLE!!! Even my husband was impressed… doesn’t too happen often after 41 years! Thank you Ali…
Your forever fan!
Sally
FYI, Vietnamese people don’t use green cardamom in their pho (or any other traditional recipe that I am aware of). I know it’s easier to get the green cardamom than the black cardamom that’s used to make traditional pho, but if you can, give that a try. Black cardamom has a deep, smoky aroma to it, whereas green cardamom has more of a floral note.
And for that one Canadian linguist who thinks saying fo/faux is correct. No, just no. It’s easiest to just say fuh. But if you are really ambitious, try fuh-uh…but roll the two together as one long syllable where the first part goes down and the last part goes up.
followed the recipe for the broth exactly, which is unusual for me. I usually like to tweak. However, this was pretty much perfect as written. So flavorful! I added a jammy half egg, beef strips, noodles, cilantro, thai chilis, mushrooms, scallions, lime and a bit of chili crisp on top. Will absolutely make again.
I made this last night, with homemade broth, which added another two hours to the whole thing. It didn’t resemble much of pho soup in taste, other than all the ingredients were there! I think because very little salt was added, that it was quite flavourless. The next time I will save the time and expense and just buy it from our usual place :)
This was fantastic! I have been craving pho the past few weeks. I fed it to my neighbors last night who have never had pho and they are asking for more today! This recipe is easy and delicious. A new favorite for me! Thank you!
I am making pho today for dinner. Instead of steak, I got roast beef from deli. The supermarket did not have Thai basil, so I got regular basil. I held the cinnamon stick since I am not a fan of it. Instead of roasting the onion, I cooked the broth with skin and later with chop them. I added garlic paste and ginger paste in to the broth. The house smells great. Some people add jalapeño, but since I am allergic to them, I will omit them.
Spent a great part of my life stationed in hawaii as a military family (our youngest was born there)…loved all the different asian cuisines available and discovered my love of Pho….fast forward several years and we are now living the retired life in the northwoods in Upper Michigan….no authentic asian food for miles. Came across this recipe and we were blown away with the aroma right away…my husband said “hey, it smells like the real thing!”…and the taste did not disappoint. Thank you so much for this recipe, we will be keeping this as a family favorite!
This is an incredible recipe. Thank you for sharing it.