Vietnamese Pho (Shortcut)
Poles have rosol. Vietnamese have pho. Both are golden healing broths that fix everything. Both simmer for hours with aromatics. Both are served with noodles and fresh herbs. Both are what you make when someone you love is sick, cold, or having a terrible day. When I discovered pho, I felt the same familiarity I felt when I first tasted American chicken noodle soup — different spices, identical purpose. Every culture that invented a slow-simmered broth with noodles was answering the same human need: warmth in a bowl.
Ingredients
For the Broth
- 8 cups beef broth 2L; good quality
- 2 star anise pods
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 inch fresh ginger, halved and charred
- 1 small onion, halved and charred
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For Serving
- 8 oz flat rice noodles banh pho
- 8 oz thinly sliced beef sirloin, eye of round, or flank — freeze 15 min for easier slicing
- Bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapeno slices, hoisin sauce, sriracha, cilantro
Method
Toast the Spices
- In a dry pot over medium heat, toast the star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. This step — dry-toasting whole spices — is what gives the broth its distinctive pho aroma. The heat wakes up the essential oils in the spices and releases flavours that raw spices can't provide. The kitchen will smell like a Vietnamese restaurant. This is the correct outcome.
Char the Aromatics
- While spices toast, char the ginger and onion halves. You can do this under a broiler for 5 minutes, directly over a gas flame, or in a dry skillet until blackened. The charring adds a smoky depth that's essential to pho's flavour profile. It also caramelises the sugars in the onion, adding sweetness to the broth.
Simmer the Broth
- Add the beef broth to the pot with the toasted spices and charred ginger/onion. Bring to a simmer. Add fish sauce and sugar. Simmer gently for 25-30 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. Strain out the solids. Taste: the broth should be aromatic, slightly sweet, savoury, and have a warm spice note from the star anise and cinnamon. If it needs more salt, add fish sauce (not salt — fish sauce adds umami depth that salt can't).
Cook the Noodles
- Soak flat rice noodles in room temperature water for 30 minutes (start when you start the broth). Then boil for 30-60 seconds until just tender. Drain and divide into bowls.
Assemble
- Place the raw sliced beef on top of the noodles. Ladle the HOT broth over everything. The boiling broth cooks the thin beef slices instantly — they'll turn from red to pink to perfectly cooked in about 20 seconds. This is the pho magic trick: raw meat goes in, cooked meat emerges, and the beef stays incredibly tender because it was never overcooked. Set up a toppings plate: bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapeno slices, hoisin, sriracha. Everyone customises their bowl.