I know, I know…Soup in the summer! Who does that? I definitely do! Pho (pronounced “fuh“) is one of my all-time favorite meals. I love the heartiness of the broth, the fragrant herbs, the chewy texture of the rice noodle and the meatiness of the dish. When all taken together, this dish satisfies all of my cravings!

You will find some differences of opinion of what should go into a pho. If you want an authentic pho, it can easily be a two day affair making the perfect bone broth. Most “pho purists” say you should not add a hot sauce like Shriracha or like the sweet sauce Hoisin; that you are messing with the delicate broth that took days to perfect. My thoughts are like this; just like when someone asks what’s the best wine to drink. The answer is the one that tastes best to you. So when it comes to adding condiments, taste the broth first. Try to savor all that it is. If it does not seem to have enough flavor for you, start with a tiny bit more fish sauce; maybe a little more 5-spice. You want a little heat, add a little Sriracha (Actually, I like to add a chili paste like Sambal or chili oil). Adjust your broth to your tastes, and this recipe will become one of your favorites.

I can hear it now, rumblings of “I don’t have the time to make a two-day broth”. I don’t have the time either…that’s why my version will only take less than an hour. This version, I am using Chinese 5-Spice to take the place of using the individual spices of star anise, cinnamon, fennel, and cloves that I would typically use if I was making a full bone broth. (In the future, keep your eyes open. I am putting together a beef broth made in a insta-pot pressure cooker). Not as fast as my quick and easy recipe…but much faster than a two-day affair. It should be much more intense!

As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!

Quick and Easy Pho

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by David Frank – Spending Time In My Kitchen

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Quick and easy Pho when you crave it, and you want it now!!

Ingredients

48 oz 48 Beef Bone Broth
1 large 1 white onion, cut in half and then in thin slices
3 Tbl fish sauce
3 Tbl soy sauce
3 Tbl Chinese Five Spice
12 oz 12 thinly sliced meat (chicken, eye of the round)
8 oz 8 of Ban Pho rice stick noodles (Labeled (S) or (M). You can find at your Asian Market).
Optional Garnishes, Condiments
2 thinly sliced scallions
Thai Basil ( Find at Asian Market)
Thin slices of red Fresno peppers or Jalapeno
Bean sprouts
Hot sauce (ex. Sriracha, Sambal, Chili oil/paste)
Hoisin sauce
2 limes cut into quarters

Directions

Heat up broth in a small stock pot.
Heat up another pot with salted water for the noodles.
Add 5-Spice, soy sauce, and fish sauce to the broth and stir and let cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes while you prepare onions, and other garnishes.
Add noodles to hot water. Noodles cook fast, so watch that they don’t overcook.
Stir occasionally and move the noodles around so they don’t stick.
Taste the broth (Add additional fish sauce, 5-spice to taste if needed)
Add sliced white onions, scallions, and Thai basil. Let cook for another 5 minutes
Add a small amount of noodles to your bowls. Have all your garnishes ready before you plate the noodles. You don’t want your broth getting cold.
After plating your noodles, plate the broth, and desired garnishes and condiments to your tastes.
Finish up by adding your protein.
Optional Garnishes and Condiments
This is where you can play! Add your hot sauce to taste. Maybe a tiny bit of hoisin. Either of those ingredients can overpower the broth, so start slow!
Add bean sprouts and jalapenos, and a little spritz from the lime wedge.
I always top off with a little more Thai basil and scallions.
Enjoy!

Notes

The reason I use Chinese 5-Spice is that it typically has the spices that are used in making a 24 hour broth (ie. Star Anise, cloves, ginger, fennel, cinnamon).
To save time, I buy one of those rotisserie chickens from one of the warehouse stores and slice what I need for the soup. If I was making a 24 hour broth, I would add the whole chicken and add beef bones to the process.
Thinly sliced beef can also be found already cut at your Asian Market. Don’t worry about putting raw beef in the soup. The heat from the soup will cook it.