Pho is a classic Vietnamese dish. It is also a street food that you must eat when you visit Vietnam.
What I like about Vietnamese Pho is that you can eat it with a lot of fresh vegetables set up on the table. I know that some travellers are not comfortable eating raw vegetables abroad, but I reckon Vietnam is one of the most hygiene conscious countries in Southeast Asia.
As well as raw vegetables, it is also a fun part of Vietnamese Pho that you can add your own toppings such as pepper vinegar, soy sauce and sugar at the table.
Today, I made Vietnamese Pho using Asian herbs from our vegetable garden and leftover beef from the BBQ the day before.
Ingredients for Vietnamese Beef Pho (for two people)
- Dried Rice Noodles: 200-250g
For Soup
- Chicken Stock: about 1000ml
- Fish Sauce: 1.5-2 tbsp
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Salt: a little
- Garlic: 2 cloves (chopped up)
- Dried Shrimps: as required (if available)
- Celery or Coriander Stalks (chopped up, if available)
Toppings
- Lime
- Coriander (chopped up)
- Vietnamese Coriander (chopped up)
- Thai Basil (chopped up)
- Salad Vegetables (we had arugula this time)
- Chilli Sauce (such as sambal): optional
- Spicy Soy Sauce (jalapeño in soy sauce): optional
- Beef BBQ leftovers: optional
- Black pepper
How to Make Vietnamese Beef Pho
- Boil the noodles to desired consistency and drain in a colander.
- Put the chicken stock, minced garlic, dried shrimps, celery or coriander stalks, fish sauce, salt and sugar into a pot and bring to the boil.
- Add the noodles to the soup to heat up and serve hot. Serve with your choice of toppings.
