Traditional Vietnamese Pho Bo Soup – How to Make a Delicious and Unusual Dish

Pho Bo is a traditional Vietnamese soup that has gained popularity all over the world due to its rich taste and aroma. The basis of this dish is a rich broth made from beef, as well as fresh herbs and spices that give the soup a unique taste. There are many variations of making this soup. We at joy-pup offer a recipe for traditional Vietnamese Pho Bo soup that you will definitely like.

Ingredients for the broth

• 1.5 kg beef bones
• 500 g beef
• 1 large onion
• 2-3 ginger roots
• 5 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper (peas)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp salt

Ingredients for the soup

• 200 g rice noodles (ban hoi)
• 200 g beef (thinly sliced)
• 1-2 limes (cut into wedges)
• Fresh cilantro
• Mint leaves
• Basil
• Soybean sprouts
• Red chili (optional, cut into thin rings)
• Soy sauce (to taste)

Step-by-step preparation of Pho Bo soup

• Place the beef bones in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, then drain the water. This will help get rid of excess fat and impurities.
• Cut the onion in half and fry in a dry frying pan until a crust appears. Similarly, fry the ginger root, cut into several pieces.
• Return the cleaned bones to the saucepan and pour in 4-5 liters of cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours. Skim off any foam from time to time.
• At the end of cooking, add star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, coriander seeds and black pepper. Add the fried onion and ginger. Continue to simmer the broth for another 30-60 minutes.
• Pour in the fish sauce, add sugar and salt to taste. Taste and adjust the taste to your liking if necessary.
• Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 30 minutes or according to the package instructions. Then rinse with cold water and set aside.
• Thinly slice the beef, freezing it for 1-2 hours beforehand for ease of slicing. The beef should be sliced ​​very thinly.
• Place some noodles in deep bowls. Arrange the thin slices of beef on top of the noodles.
• Pour the strained hot broth into the bowls with the noodles and beef. Let the beef simmer for a while in the hot broth.
• Garnish the soup with fresh cilantro, mint, basil, bean sprouts and sliced ​​chili. Serve with lime wedges and soy sauce to taste.

To be continued…