By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
1081 cal · 350 min
Vietnamese Beef Pho
Recipe GLPR0f484decc94dec
A fragrant and deeply flavored Vietnamese beef soup featuring a slow-simmered broth infused with aromatic spices, tender beef, fresh herbs, and silky rice noodles. Served with fresh vegetables, lime, and condiments for customization.
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Ingredients
1½ kg beef shin
2 kg beef bones
1 large onion, unpeeled and quartered
5 cm fresh root ginger, 5 cm piece
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 star anise
5 cm cinnamon stick, 5 cm piece
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
200 g flat rice noodles (banh pho)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
300 g fresh beansprouts
250 g rump or sirloin steak, very thinly sliced and tenderised
1½ tbsp fish sauce
1 bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves finely chopped
1 handful fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
fresh coriander, mint and basil leaves, left whole
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 Thai chillies, thinly sliced and deseeded
chilli oil or sriracha sauce
hoisin sauce (optional)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C Fan/Gas 7). Place the beef shin, beef bones, unpeeled quartered onion, and whole ginger piece in a large roasting tin. Roast for approximately 1 hour, until the onion is well charred and all ingredients are deeply browned.
Transfer the roasted shin and bones to a large saucepan. Slice the roasted ginger and add it to the pan along with the charred onion. Cover with approximately 4 litres of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim away any grey foam that rises to the surface.
While the water comes to a boil, place the hot roasting tin over medium heat on the stovetop. Deglaze it with a little water, scraping the bottom to release all the caramelized brown bits. Once you have finished skimming the stock, pour these browned bits into the saucepan. Add the fennel seeds, black peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves to the stock.
Reduce heat to low and simmer the stock, partially covered, for 3 to 5 hours until the beef shin is very tender and the broth has developed a rich, dark color. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean pan, discarding the solids. Remove the meat from the shin, shred or cut it into bite-sized pieces, and return it to the strained broth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Bring back to a gentle simmer.
In a separate large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions until tender. Drain and set aside.
Add the shredded carrot to the simmering beef stock and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the sliced spring onions, beansprouts, and fish sauce, then simmer for an additional minute. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with extra fish sauce if desired. Fold in the finely chopped fresh coriander, mint, and basil.
Divide the cooked noodles among six warmed bowls. Ladle a portion of the hot broth with vegetables and shredded beef shin over the noodles. Top each bowl with the very thinly sliced raw steak—the heat of the broth will gently cook it to medium doneness. Ladle additional hot broth over the steak. Serve each bowl with whole fresh herb leaves, lime wedges, sliced Thai chillies, chilli oil or sriracha, and hoisin sauce on the side for individual customization.
Comments
Vietnamese pho is a showstopper meal for six, but the 350-minute runtime is honest — nearly six hours of mostly passive simmering, though it requires active prep of aromatics and spices upfront. Beef shin and bones are widely available at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart, but the fresh basil and mint will need a dedicated trip to an Asian market or specialty grocer; standard supermarket herb sections rarely stock Vietnamese basil. The spice rack items (star anise, fennel, cloves) cost little but may require a stop at ALDI or Kroger if your pantry is bare. The real cost driver is the beef — shin and bones are inexpensive, but a quality beef steak for garnish adds up, pushing the per-serving cost to $4–5 depending on cut. This is a same-night dish; the broth and noodles don't reheat into anything as compelling as the first bowl, so commit to eating most of it fresh. For a weekend project with patient home cooks who enjoy the ritual of building stock, this is worth the afternoon; for weeknight speed, skip it.
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