Vietnamese beef pho
A rich and aromatic beef noodle soup made with slow-simmered roasted bone stock, fresh herbs, and tender beef slices. Perfect for cozy dinners and packed with deep umami flavor.
Updated : 02 July, 2025
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
For the beef stock
1.5 kilograms
Beef shanks
2 kilograms
Beef bones
1
Onion
chunk
Ginger
1
Fennel
1 teaspoon
Peppercorns
3
Star anise
1
Cinnamon stick
4
Cloves
2
Laurel leaf
For the soup
200 grams
Rice noodles
1
Carrot
bunch
Green onion
250 grams
Beef rump
1 tablespoon
Fish sauce
small handful
Cilantro, coriander
bunch
Mint
small handful
Basil
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground black pepper
To serve
as needed
Cilantro, coriander
1
Red chilli pepper
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 220C. Place the beef shank, bones, onion, and ginger in a large roasting tin and roast for 1 hour, or until everything is deeply browned and the onion is charred.
Step 2
Transfer the shin and bones to a large saucepan. Slice the roasted ginger and add it to the pan along with the onion. Pour in about 4 litres of water and bring to a boil. Skim off any grey foam that rises to the surface.
Step 3
While waiting for the stock to boil, place the roasting tin on the hob over direct heat and deglaze it with a small amount of water, scraping up all the browned bits from the base. Once the foam has been skimmed from the stock, pour the deglazing liquid and all the spices into the saucepan.
Step 4
Simmer the stock gently, partially covered, for 3 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender and the broth is rich and flavorful. Strain the liquid into a clean pan, remove the meat from the shank and return it to the strained stock. Discard the remaining solids. Season the broth with salt and pepper, bring back to a boil, and allow to simmer.
Step 5
Meanwhile, cook the noodles separately in a pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions.
Step 6
Add the carrot to the beef stock and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the spring onions and fish sauce, and cook for an additional minute. Adjust the seasoning with extra fish sauce if desired, and stir in the fresh herbs.
Step 7
To serve, divide the noodles between warmed bowls and ladle over some hot broth. Add slices of raw steak and top with more hot soup to gently cook the meat. Serve immediately with additional herbs, lime wedges, chilli, chilli oil, and hoisin sauce on the side if using.