Vietnamese Noodle Soup

The Story
My mum grew up in Saigon in the 60's before relocating to France, so Pho has always been part of my family's culinary repertoire. I still have memories of my mum each time correcting my pronunciation as "fuh"!

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

The good news is that making your own fabulous bowl of Vietnamese pho at home is not hard, all you need is a straightforward recipe and a nice big stockpot. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and meat and you'll be in Pho heaven!

Ingredients

  • 1 large Onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 large Piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
  • 5 medium Star anise
  • 4 medium Whole cloves
  • 3 medium Cinnamon sticks
  • 2 medium Cardamom pods
  • 1 tbs Coriander seeds
  • 1.5 kg Beef brisket
  • 1 kg Beef meaty bones
  • 1 kg Marrow bones
  • 2 tsp Brown sugar
  • 4 tsp Fish sauce
  • 300 g Rib eye fillet, briefly frozen to very thinly slice
  • 1 medium Pack rice noodles
  • 1 bunch Fresh mint / basil
  • 100 g beansprouts
  • 2 medium limes

Instructions

  • Place onion and ginger in a dry hot pan cut side down. Cook for a few minutes until charred. Remove and set aside. Toast Spices for 3 minutes and set aside.
  • Place bones & brisket in a large stockpot, cover with water and boil on high heat for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse well under tap water to remove impurities for a clearer broth.
  • Wipe pot clean and add clean bones and brisket back in, with onion, ginger, spices and cover with 3 litres of water. Add sugar and salt, cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours.
  • Remove brisket, which should be fall-apart tender, set aside, and refrigerate for later. Simmer the rest uncovered for a further 40 minutes.
  • Strain broth into another pot, discard bones, vegetables, and spices. Add fish sauce and season with more salt and sugar if needed and keep warm on low heat.
  • To assemble the soup, prepare rice noodles per packet, place noodles in a bowl. Top with bean sprouts, thinly sliced raw beef and brisket, and ladle over hot broth to cook the meat. Serve with extra bean sprouts, fresh herbs, lime, and hot sauce.