Mike’s Hot Spicy Food Recipes

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup (Pho Bo)

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Seriously Simple: Pho perfumed with beef, herbs and spices

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup (Pho Bo)

By Diane Rossen Worthington, Tribune Media Services

March 2, 2011

I love soups made with any kind of noodles. Rice noodles are the stars in this Vietnamese soup. Pho — pronounced "fuh," like "duh" — is a popular noodle soup that many consider to be the national dish of Vietnam.

There are many stories about how pho became a Vietnamese classic dish. Literary accounts suggest that it originated in the north in Hanoi in the mid-1880s. Others debate that the French influence can be seen in the beef broth, similar to pot au feu. Saigon popularized pho in the late 1950s, stamping its flavor profile on the soup. You can see the Chinese influence through such Asian ingredients as star anise pods, cilantro and fresh ginger.

The base is a strong beef broth perfumed with spices. Translucent rice noodles float in the bowl, topped by thin beef slices and sauteed sweet and crisp shallots. Some cooks add beef meatballs to the soup. Sprigs of fresh Thai basil, mint and cilantro always accompany pho. Bean sprouts, chilies and fresh squirts of lime also are added for a burst of flavor. Look for these ingredients at an Asian grocery store.

foods@tribune.com


Vietnamese beef and noodle soup (Pho bo)

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Have your butcher slice the beef for you on the thinnest setting.

  • 5 whole cloves
  • 4 thin slices peeled ginger root
  • 3 star anise pods
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 8 cups beef broth
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package (6 3/4 ounces) dried medium rice stick noodles
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 8 shallots, sliced
  • 1/2 pound thinly sliced eye of the round beef, cut into 2-inch widths or bite size pieces
  • 2 small red chilies, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced
  • 1 small bunch each: cilantro leaves, mint leaves, Thai basil leaves
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 lime, quartered
  • Hoisin sauce or hot sauce such as Sriracha

1. Combine cloves, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, broth, onion, peppercorns and salt in a large pot over medium-high heat; heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover. Cook until the broth is fragrant and infused with the spices, 10 minutes. Strain the broth into another pot. Meanwhile, place the rice sticks in a bowl; cover with warm water until very pliable, about 20 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots; cook, turning with tongs, until evenly brown, 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Reheat the beef broth over high heat to a boil.

3. Heat a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Drain the rice sticks. Place 1/4 of them in a strainer; immerse in the boiling water until tender but still firm, about 10 seconds. Drain; place in a soup bowl. Repeat with remaining noodles and 3 other bowls.

4. Divide the beef slices among the bowls. Ladle over the boiling broth (the hot broth will cook the meat). Divide the chilies, herbs, bean sprouts and shallots among the bowls. Serve with lime wedges and hoisin.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 475 calories, 33% of calories from fat, 18 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 32 mg cholesterol, 57 g carbohydrates, 23 g protein, 1,897 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

 
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