Crock Pot Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Vietnamese

Crock Pot Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

If you’ve never had Pho, think of it like beef noodle soup on some serious flavor steroids. This Crock Pot Pho recipe is an incredibly easy version of the classic, comforting Vietnamese soup. 

Ingredients

For the Broth

3 lbs beef bones (knuckle, leg, or marrow bones)

1 onion, halved

2 inch fresh ginger, halved

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 cardamom pod (optional)

1 ½ tsp whole coriander seeds

1 ½ tsp fennel

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

1 Tbsp fish sauce (can substitute soy sauce)

3 quarts water

For the Bowl

8 oz rice noodles

¾ lb beef steak (flank, sirloin, London broil)

4 scallions, chopped

1 ½ c bean sprouts

1 lime, cut into wedges

2 red chilies, sliced

Handful of fresh mint, basil, or cilantro, chopped

Instructions

For the Broth

Place the beef bones in a large soup pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and boil hard for 5 minutes. Drain the bones and rinse them of any scum that has formed. (If you are using marrow bones, carefully scoop out the marrow to prevent your broth from getting too fatty.) Place the bones in the bottom of your 5-6 quart crock pot.

While the bones are boiling, place the onion and ginger halves on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet under your oven’s broiler (set to high) for 5-10 minutes, checking often, until lightly charred. Once roasted, carefully remove the skin from the ginger root and place both the onion and ginger in your crock pot with the beef bones. Add the whole spices, salt, sugar, and fish sauce.

Add 3 quarts of water to the crock pot and cook for 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high.

For the Bowl

Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions, until tender. Drain and set aside.

Slice the raw beef steak as thinly as possible, across the grain. (We find this easiest if you stick the whole steak in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm it up slightly.) Set the steak slices aside.

Chop and prepare the additional vegetable and herb garnishes.

When the broth is ready, strain it through a mesh sieve to remove the bones and spices.

To serve

Fill your bowl with rice noodles and strips of raw beef. Ladle piping hot broth into the bowl (this will instantly cook the beef). Add vegetable and herb garnishes as desired.