Pho is my thang. I used to only order it at restaurants and was convinced it was extremely hard to make because it is SO good! My cravings for pho last year became quite pricey because I was so obsessed with it that I craved it on a weekly basis. If you've never heard of pho, let me give you the Cliff's Notes version..
What is Pho?
Pho (pronounced 'phuh') is a traditional Vietnamese soup, that uses bahn pho noodles with a bone-broth as the base. It's served with thinly sliced beef and fresh veggies like bean sprouts and herbs on the side. Bahn Pho noodles are rice noodles, which is perfect for my family since they are gluten free. We are long-time lovers of ramen, which is a similar Japanese dish - however - ramen noodles are normally made with wheat. Score one for the gluten free-ers!
How do you eat Pho?
So, during the first little cold snap here in Long Beach when I declared it was time for pho Todd requested that I try to figure out how to make it myself – you know, so my pho habit doesn’t break the bank this fall and winter.
Pho is normally served in a large bowl of broth and rice noodles, along with a side of thinly sliced raw beef. But around here we tend to skip the beef, and dive straight into the veggies. And there are a lot of delicious veggies to choose from. Try adding herbs like cilantro and basil, along with chilies, radishes, bean sprouts and lime. The best thing about Pho is that you can make it to your own tastes.. and if you have a mixed diet table like we do, you can curate to the individual tastes of each person. You'll definitely want some spice options, like Sriracha and chili paste along with the mainstays of soy sauce, hoisin sauce or maybe even some fish sauce to complete the meal.
30 Minute knock-out
I have made a few versions and this is by far my favorite - I mean seriously, 30 minutes!!! It's a busy ladies dream come true. The broth is so rich and fragrant that I am totally guilty of just heating it up on its own for breakfast and sipping it while I watch the morning news.
Go ahead, grab a bowl and a pair of chopsticks - prepare to sip and slurp your way through one of the tastiest bowls of pho you will ever have!
If you’ve made our 30 minute Pho I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours.
Print30 Minute Pho
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think about this 30 Minute Pho recipe in the comments below, I just love hearing from you and your reviews/comments really help other people that visit This Mess is Ours!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
- 3 quarter size slices of fresh, peeled ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 8 cups good quality vegan "chicken flavored" broth or chicken stock
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
- 1 package gluten free ramen noodles
Optional pho toppings
- Firm tofu, sliced very thin or cubed small
- Baby bok choy, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large carrot, julienne
- 1 heaping cup of bean sprouts
- 1 bulb of fennel sliced thin
- 1 jalapeno sliced thin
- fresh basil, torn
- fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the noodles.
- In a stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Then sauté the ginger and garlic for about a minute – until very fragrant. Add the water, liquid stock concentrate, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to keep a gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, uncovered.
- While the stock cooks prepare your desired garnishes and place them on a plate or two to serve at the table.
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions, drain and rinse then divide the noodles between 4 wide soup bowls.
- When the stock is finished cooking, strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Taste for salt and season with more gluten free soy sauce if desired. Right before serving bring the broth to a boil over high heat.
- To serve, top the noodles with desired garnishes then ladle or pour the boiling stock over the top. Sprinkle fresh herbs and squeeze lime juice over the top.
Notes
If you don't have Massel you can substitute the water and Massel for 8 cups of good quality vegan broth that is chicken flavored.
You can make a few batches of the broth at once and store the extra broth in mason jars in the fridge. It is the perfect sip when you are feeling under the weather or are looking for a quick light lunch on the go.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 1694.6 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.3 g
- Protein: 15.9 g
- Cholesterol: 14.4 mg
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Christie says
Love this! How long can you store the broth?
Meg says
Yay! I love sipping on the broth for breakfast, it is so good all by itself. I have stored it up to 3 days, but I am pretty sure it would last for 4 or 5 🙂
Maverick says
i love phó
Amanda says
Simply brilliant! 'The broth is so rich and fragrant that I am totally guilty of just heating it up on its own for breakfast and sipping it while I watch the morning news..' lol that's pretty much what I would love to do. Nonetheless, really good recipe, thank you for sharing.
Meg says
YES!!! Amanda, I totally drink mugs full of broth for breakfast too. It is my favorite way to start a chilly morning 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing, you totally made my day!
JERamos says
This is exciting! I love Pho! Thanks so much for sharing.