Growing up, my mom only made pho for special occasions since it took hours on end to boil the bones and get the broth just right. Who has the time or that nowadays? Not me, so I came up with an easy hack to get the rich bone broth flavor without compromising the authenticity of the pho flavor. Each of these pho dishes can be made under 1 hour!
Here is my full video tutorial for the pho recipes on Youtube! Check out the written recipes below.
First up is our Beef Pho - also known as Pho Bo.
Recipe:
3 cups beef bone broth
3 cups water
1 charred onion (sliced in half)
1 charred ginger (about 4 inches)
1 black cardamom pod
2 star anise
4 whole cloves
1 piece of rock sugar (about 2 inches)
1 cinnamon stick (about 4-5 inches)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp fish sauce
To assemble pho bowl:
Pho Noodles
Bean sprouts
Thai Basil
Lime wedges
Sriracha
Hoisin Sauce
Jalapeno
Cilantro / Onion / Green Onion mixture (equal parts and thinly sliced)
1) On a baking sheet, place onion and ginger on, skin side up. Broil for 10-15 minutes until the outer layer is completely burnt. *Tip - if you have a gas stove, you can char it directly on there
2) In a medium pot on medium high heat, toast black cardamom, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Remove the small spices and place in tea strainer, place back into pot.
3) Add charred onion and ginger to pot along with the spices, then pour in broth, water, rock sugar, salt, and fish sauce.
4) Boil for 10 minutes and remove the tea strainer with spices and cinnamon bark. Continue simmering for another 20 minutes to develop rich flavorful broth.
5) In bowl add pho noodles, top with raw beef slices, garnish with cilantro / onion / green onion mixture. Ladle in desired amount of broth.
6) Top with bean sprouts, thai basil, lime, sriracha, hoisin sauce as you prefer.
7) Enjoy!
To make Chicken pho:
3 cups chicken bone broth
3 cups water
2-3 raw chicken thighs
1 charred onion (sliced in half)
1 charred ginger (about 4 inches)
1 cinnamon bark (about 2-3 inches)
1 sliced licorice root
1 chunk rock sugar (about 2 inches)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp fish sauce
1) On a baking sheet, place onion and ginger on, skin side up. Broil for 10-15 minutes until the outer layer is completely burnt. *Tip - if you have a gas stove, you can char it directly on there
2) In a medium pot on medium high heat, toast licorice root and cinnamon stick until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
3) Add charred onion and ginger to pot along with the spices, raw chicken thighs, then pour in broth, water, rock sugar, salt, and fish sauce.
4) Boil for 10 minutes and remove licorice root and cinnamon bark. Continue simmering for another 20 minutes to develop rich flavorful broth.
5) Remove chicken and cut into thin strips.
Follow same rest of the steps as above (minus the raw beef slices).
Finally, a healthy veggie pho!
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 charred onion (sliced in half)
1 charred ginger (about 4 inches)
1 black cardamom pod
2 star anise
4 whole cloves
1 piece of rock sugar (about 2 inches)
1 cinnamon stick (about 4-5 inches)
1-2 tsp kosher salt (depending on taste)
Toppings:
Tofu
Enoki Mushrooms
1/4 cup carrots, sliced
1/4 cup broccoli florets
bok choy
1) On a baking sheet, place onion and ginger on, skin side up. Broil for 10-15 minutes until the outer layer is completely burnt. *Tip - if you have a gas stove, you can char it directly on there
2) In a medium pot on medium high heat, toast black cardamom, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Remove the small spices and place in tea strainer, place back into pot.
3) Add charred onion and ginger to pot along with the spices, then pour in broth, water, rock sugar, and salt. *start with 1 tsp and taste accordingly
4) Boil for 10 minutes and remove licorice root and cinnamon bark. Continue simmering for another 20 minutes to develop rich flavorful broth.
5) 5 minutes before serving, add carrots, broccoli, and bok choy and blanch for 2 minutes.
6) Add noodles to bowl along with sliced tofu and enoki mushrooms. Ladle in vegetables and broth. Top with bean sprouts, lime, cilantro/onion/green onion mixture and enjoy!
