This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This savory, satisfying pho can be prepared in just 45 minutes, making it a convenient and healthy option for busy weeknights.
Pho is a popular Vietnamese soup that’s made with a savory broth, rice noodles, herbs, aromatics, and meat—usually beef or chicken—and it’s served with a plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, sliced chilies, and lime wedges on the side. The traditional recipe is a time-consuming process that involves simmering roasted beef bones, meat, and spices in broth for several hours to extract all the flavors and nutrients. But there is a simpler and quicker way to make delicious pho at at home. By using a combination of store-bought beef and chicken broth simmered with onions, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise, you can make a fragrant broth that’s reminiscent of traditional pho. Best of all, this “quick pho” can be prepared in just 45 minutes, making it a convenient option for busy weeknights.
The recipe yields two large dinner-size bowls or four smaller ones. To assemble the pho, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions while the broth simmers. Once the broth is ready, briefly cook the noodles and beef in the broth and divide into bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and beef, garnish with bean sprouts and fresh cilantro. Pass lime wedges, hoisin sauce, and sriracha sauce at the table. The recipe is adapted from Bowls: Vibrant Recipes with Endless Possibilities by America’s Test Kitchen.
What You’ll Need To Make Quick Beef Pho
Step-by-Step Instructions
Slice one of the onion quarters as thin as possible; set aside.
In a large pot, combine the remaining 3 onion quarters, beef broth, chicken broth, water, fish sauce, ginger, cinnamon, sugar, star anise, and cloves.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Off the heat, add the noodles. Let sit, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until the noodles are soft and pliable but still not tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
Over a large bowl, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids and pour the clear broth back into the pot. (Alternatively, you can use a fine mesh spider to fish out the solids.)
Bring the broth to a boil.
Add the noodles and cook until just tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Using tongs or a spider, lift the noodles from the pot and divide evenly into bowls.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the sliced beef to the broth; let simmer until no longer pink, about 1 minute.
Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the beef from the broth and divide between the bowls. Ladle the broth over the noodles and beef.
Top each bowl with the reserved thinly sliced onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro. Pass lime wedges, hoisin, and sriracha at the table.
You May Also Like
Quick Beef Pho
This savory, satisfying pho can be prepared in just 45 minutes, making it a convenient and healthy option for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered, divided
- 1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium beef broth (1¾ cups)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth (1¾ cups)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced (no need to peel)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 star anise pod
- 4 whole cloves
- 7 oz flat rice noodles
- 8 oz very thinly sliced beef, such as flat iron or flank steak
- Salt, to taste
- ½ cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Hoisin sauce and sriracha, for serving
Instructions
- Slice one of the onion quarters as thin as possible; set aside. In a large pot, bring the remaining 3 onion quarters, beef broth, chicken broth, water, fish sauce, ginger, cinnamon stick, sugar, star anise, and cloves to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Off the heat, add the noodles. Let sit, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, until the noodles are soft and pliable but still not tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
- Over a large bowl, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids and pour the clear broth back into the pot. (Alternatively, you can use a fine mesh spider to fish out the solids.)
- Bring the broth to a boil and add the noodles; cook until the noodles are just tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using tongs or a spider, lift the noodles from the pot and divide evenly into bowls. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the sliced beef to the broth; let simmer until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the beef from the broth and divide between the bowls. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Ladle the broth over the noodles and beef. Top each bowl with the reserved thinly sliced onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro (you may not need all of the onions). Pass the lime wedges, hoisin, and sriracha at the table.
Nutrition Information
Powered by
- Serving size: 2
- Calories: 657
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 99 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Sodium: 1,464 mg
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.