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Greatest plates · Breakfast
Vietnamese Beef Breakfast Pho
A fragrant morning bowl of clear beef broth over silky rice noodles, topped with thin slices of beef that cook in the hot soup, and finished with a pile of fresh herbs, chilli and lime. A genuine protein-rich start to the day with no dairy.
Serves 5Prep 20 minCook 60 minBreakfastBeef
Containsfish
Protein 23%Carbs 52%Fat 25%
About 630 kcal a serve — 36 g protein, 82 g carbs, 18 g fat. Each segment is that macro's share of the calories, within about 10%.
Ingredients
Serves 5
Method
Blanch the bones
clean brothPut the beef bones in a large stockpot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the bones under cold water to wash away the scum. Wash out the pot.
In the stockpotBroth base →
Boil 5 min then rinse
Char the aromatics
charredIn a dry frying pan over high heat, char the halved onions and ginger cut-side down until blackened, about 5 minutes. This gives the broth its deep flavour and colour.
In the frying panAromatics →
Char 5 min
Toast the spices
fragrantAdd the star anise, cinnamon, cloves and coriander seeds to the same pan and toast for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
In the frying panSpices →
Toast 1–2 min
Simmer the broth
low and slowReturn the rinsed bones to the pot with the brisket, charred onion and ginger, toasted spices and the water. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim any foam, then simmer uncovered for about 1 hour. Remove the brisket after 45 minutes once tender, slice thinly and set aside.
In the stockpotSimmer →
Simmer 1 hr, skim
Season the broth
balancedStrain the broth through a sieve into a clean pot, discarding the bones, aromatics and spices. Stir in the fish sauce and rock sugar, then taste and adjust. Keep at a hard simmer for serving.
In the potSeason →
Season and keep hot
Soak the noodles
noodles readyCook the rice noodles according to the packet, or soak in just-boiled water until soft, then drain. Divide between 4 large bowls.
In the bowlNoodles →
Soften and drain
Top with beef
proteinLay the thin raw beef slices and the cooked sliced brisket over the noodles in each bowl.
In the bowlBeef →
Arrange raw and cooked beef
Ladle and serve
serve hotLadle the hard-simmering broth over the beef to cook the raw slices. Serve with bean sprouts, Thai basil, coriander, spring onion, chilli and lime wedges for everyone to add at the table.
In the bowlFinish →
Pour boiling broth over
Cook's noteThe broth can be made the day before and reheated, which actually improves the flavour. Make sure the broth is at a rolling simmer when you ladle it over so the thin beef slices cook through.
Estimated per serve
630 kcal · 36 g protein · 82 g carbs · 18 g fatestimates, within ~10%
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