In the dark & cold of winter, I crave hot, spicy comfort food…like pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup. And really, what’s not to love? It has everything delish in it – thin sliced protein, crunchy veggies, hot peppers & that to-die-for flavorful broth. Even better is that it’s actually pretty easy to make. With just a few key ingredients & an hour or two to pull it together, you can enjoy make-at-home pho, Vietnam’s national dish!
Serves 2 large bowls or 4 medium bowls
Ingredients
For Broth:
- 1 lg onion, peeled & halved
- 3″-piece fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
- 5 star anise
- 4 whole cloves
- 3 x 3″ cinnamon sticks
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 T whole coriander seeds
- 8 c beef, chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 T brown sugar
- 2 t fish sauce
- Salt, to taste
For Soup:
- 8 oz protein – thinly sliced raw steak, chicken or pork or shrimp
- 7 oz uncooked thin rice noodles
- Garnishes – fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, and/or Thai basil), bean sprouts, lime wedges, thinly sliced jalapeños, thinly sliced green onions, hoisin and/ or sriracha sauces
Turn the oven broiler to high. Place the onion & ginger cut-side-up on a baking sheet & brush with oil. Broil about 8″ from heating element for about 7-10 min, until the tops of the onion and ginger are slightly charred.
Stove-Top Method: To make the broth, heat the anise, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom & coriander to a large stockpot over med-high heat for about 3 min until fragrant. Add in the charred onion, ginger, stock, & stir to combine. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to med-low, cover with a lid, & continue to simmer for at least 30 min.
Slow Cooker Method: Alternatively, you can make stock in a slow cooker. Put all ingredients except brown sugar, fish sauce & salt into slow cooker. Cover & cook on high for 3 hrs or on low for 6 hrs. Add in the remaining ingredients as directed in the recipe.
Strain out (& discard) the onions, ginger & spices. Stir fish sauce & brown sugar into the hot broth. Season with salt, if needed.
As broth is simmering, cook the noodles to al dente according to package instructions. Place in a strainer & rinse with cold water. Toss with a bit of sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.
Now the fun part! Add a handful of noodles to each individual serving bowl. Portion the protein between each serving bowl. Then ladle the still-simmering hot broth into the serving bowls, being sure to submerge the protein completely so that it gets cooked. Let each person top their bowl with their choice of garnishes. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from: Homemade Pho Recipe | Gimme Some Oven
If you’re interested in other soup recipes, try: