Pho Bo - Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup with Herbs
The broth is the dish: onion and ginger are charred black before they meet the water, with star anise and cinnamon. Meat, noodles and herbs go into the bowl only at the end.
Why this dish is good for you
A large, warm meal under 300 calories with just 1.8 g of fat - the lean beef still brings 19.6 g of protein, along with zinc, iron and vitamin B12. The raw sprouts and herbs go into the bowl at the end and so keep their vitamin C.
Ingredients
- Beef(sliced paper-thin, raw into the bowl)400 g
- Rice noodles(weighed dry, flat banh pho)300 g
- Onion(halved, charred black)200 g
- Ginger(halved lengthwise, charred alongside)40 g
- Star anise(about three stars)3 g
- Cinnamon(one stick)2 g
- Fish sauce(seasons on its own - no extra salt needed)24 g
- Mung bean sprouts(raw, into the bowl)180 g
- Spring onions60 g
- Coriander(fresh)40 g
- Lime juice(in wedges at the table)40 g
- Chilli(in rings, to taste)10 g
- Water3000 g
Method
- 1
Lay the onion halves and ginger cut side down in a dry pan and char them black over high heat for ten minutes. This, not the spices, is what makes pho taste like pho.
- 2
Toast the star anise and cinnamon in the same dry pan for a minute until fragrant.
- 3
Put everything on with the water and let it steep for two hours at the lowest heat. Do not let it boil hard, or the broth turns cloudy.
- 4
Strain the broth through a fine sieve and season with the fish sauce. It should be clear and golden.
- 5
Slice the beef paper-thin while half frozen - that is when it works best.
- 6
Cook the rice noodles as the packet says, drain and divide between six bowls.
- 7
Lay the raw meat on top and pour the boiling broth over - it cooks the meat in seconds.
- 8
Add sprouts, spring onions, coriander, chilli and lime at the table so everyone decides for themselves.
🍜 Warum Zwiebel und Ingwer verbrennen dürfen
Charring creates pyrazines at the cut surface - the same compounds that give roasted coffee and grilled meat their depth. They are water-soluble and pass entirely into the broth. Without this step, pho stays thin spiced water.
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