Phở Bò (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Along with phở gà, phở bò (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) could easily be called Vietnam's national dish. Most often served in the early morning, it is available on any street corner, everywhere in Vietnam, all day, and is a staple of most Vietnamese restaurants outside of the country. The broth is the star of this meal and can vary from North to South and is in some cases a closely guarded family secret.…
Ingredients
Broth
- 2 large white onions, cut into quarters
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
- 5 lbs beef bones (choose ones with a bit of meat on them)
- 1 small knob of ginger, chopped
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
Serving
- Phở noodles (thin, flat rice noodles), soaked in hot water until soft and drained
- Finely sliced white onion
- Finely sliced scallions
- Chopped coriander leaf
- Finely sliced beef sirloin (ask your butcher)
Condiments
- Whole chile peppers
- Bean sprouts
- Limes, cut into wedges
- Thai basil
- Nước mắm
- Hot sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Black pepper
Steps
- Fry onions in oil until lightly browned. Remove and drain.
- Rinse the beef bones. Place in a stockpot, cover with cold water and bring slowly to a boil.
- Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes. Skim off foam for a clear broth.
- Add the cooked onions, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves, garlic and peppercorns. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer gently, partially covered, minimum 6 hours, up to 12 hours. Skim regularly. Add water as needed to keep the bones covered.
- Strain the stock. Discard vegetables and spices. Return the broth to the stove, boiling hot.
- In a large soup bowl, place a handful of cooked phở noodles. Top with thinly sliced raw beef. Ladle on very hot broth to cook the beef.
- Garnish with sliced onions, scallions and coriander. Serve immediately.
Notes from the original
- Traditionally, the Vietnamese prefer fatty meat in their soup. Some other serving ingredients include beef tendon, beef shank, beef tripe and meatballs.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Phở Bò (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-06-21, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Typicalbeefpho.jpg by Dagobert29 at English Wikibooks, Public domain, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.