Vietnamese Pho Express Quick (Print)

A quick, flavorful dish with aromatic broth, tender meat, rice noodles, and fresh herbs.

# Components:

→ Broth

01 - 8 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth
02 - 1 small onion, peeled and halved
03 - 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
04 - 3 whole star anise
05 - 1 cinnamon stick
06 - 3 whole cloves
07 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
08 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
09 - 1 teaspoon sugar
10 - Salt, to taste

→ Noodles & Meat

11 - 10 ounces dried or fresh flat rice noodles (bánh phở)
12 - 10 ounces beef sirloin or eye round, thinly sliced (or chicken breast as alternative)

→ Garnishes

13 - 1 cup bean sprouts
14 - 1 small bunch fresh Thai basil
15 - 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
16 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
17 - 1 small red chili, thinly sliced (optional)
18 - 1 lime, cut into wedges
19 - Hoisin sauce, for serving
20 - Sriracha, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Combine broth, halved onion, sliced ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
02 - Add fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Strain the broth to remove solids, return the clear liquid to the pot, and keep warm over low heat.
03 - Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and divide evenly into four serving bowls.
04 - Layer thin slices of beef or chicken atop noodles in each bowl.
05 - Ladle hot broth directly over the meat and noodles to gently cook the meat.
06 - Top each bowl with bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, scallions, and sliced chili. Serve with lime wedges, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent all day simmering spices when really you've barely cleared your lunch dishes.
  • The broth is aromatic and clean, with none of that heavy feeling some versions leave you with.
  • You get to customize every single bowl—everyone finds their perfect balance of herbs, heat, and sauce.
02 -
  • Slice your beef as thin as you possibly can—it's the only way it cooks through in the residual heat of the broth without you having to boil it separately.
  • Keep that broth at a proper simmer, not a rolling boil, so the flavors stay delicate and the beef doesn't toughen.
  • Don't strain the broth too early; those spices need their full 20 minutes to really give everything they have.
03 -
  • A sharp knife changes everything with beef slicing; keep yours honed, or use the freezer trick—30 minutes of chilling makes the meat easier to slice thin without falling apart.
  • Taste your broth before serving and adjust the salt and fish sauce at the very end; every broth is slightly different, and you want yours tasting like what you actually want to drink.
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