Spicy Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup

Not exactly Pho, but a pretty close sub. I will take the last reviewers advice and add cinnamon and a bit of sugar next time. We ate this same day, so flavours did not have time to properly blend, but it was pretty tasty all the same. Will make again.

• pvheather1

• Nuevo Vallarta Mexico.

• 3/11/2016

This is quite close but needs a few adjustments to get it closer to what I think as Pho. Besides the obvious use of flat Vietnamese rice noodles instead of Japanese udon, I would add 1/2 a cinnamon stick to the spice mix while simmering and adjust seasoning at end with a bit of sugar and fish sauce.

• saatchikens

• Vancouver

• 9/22/2013

Super yummy recipe that we'll likely make again and again. We are big fans of udon noodles and almost always have them on hand - whether or not they are authentic, they were a great, chewy texture in this dish. Swapped sambal oelek for the serrano chilies but otherwise followed to a T. Don't skimp on the fish sauce and lime after the cooking is done - it really added to this dish.

• jdbaron

• New York, NY

• 1/22/2013

This was a fantastic recipe. A little time consuming because it has to simmer for so long, but not a lot of work at all. No need to chop up the vegetables too precisely, and they give amazing flavor to the broth. I too used rice noodles instead of udon and loved it. The fresh herbs and lime really add a lot, and make sure to add a bit of heat in the form of the chilies or sambal olek (Thai chili paste). I'll definitely make this again.

• acfisch

• Cincinnati, OH

• 5/19/2012

I was looking for something to make with my whole grain udon noodles. This was delicious. I used homemade beef broth and added some sliced mushrooms just before serving.

• Anonymous

• Colorado

• 1/8/2012

This soup was amazing! Be sure to use rice noodle and add some chopped peanuts and chilis in oil!

• Anonymous

• cochrane, ab

• 11/15/2010

I have already made this soup several times. It's delicious. I did cut on liquid volume a bit, other than that I pretty much followed the recipe and the result is great. I don't care whether this dish is similar to pho or any other soup, whatever it is, it is yummy, and that's what counts. Whether you SHOULD use this or that kind of noodle so it's closer to the 'original' is irrelevant and arbitrary.

• Anonymous

• Paris, France

• 5/8/2005

I wasn't thrilled with how this turned out. Made just like the recipe instructed except forgot to toss the noodles with sesame oil. That probably would have made a difference and I also noticed that it did in fact need a splash of fish sauce at the table. Also I think it would have been much better had I made the trip to the oriental grocery to buy the rice noodles like others suggested. I used what the recipe called for and did not think it was a good combination.

• claypot2

• Miami Lakes

• 2/5/2005

I enjoyed this but as a lover of pho I was a tad disappointed because it didn''t taste like traditional pho...something was missing. I definitely need to play with this recipe but all-in-all I think it's a keeper. I at it for breakfast and dinner and froze the rest. I plan on making this again and adding a few things.

• jxmeans

• Houston, TX

• 11/7/2004

This recipe doesn't claim to be pho, just inspired by pho. Great combination of ingredients, we really enjoyed it. We used rice noodles.

• Susan

• Florida

• 8/23/2003

Excellent recipe. Very soothing to the stomach due to the ginger. I've passed the recipe to many friends;all of them really enjoyed it!

• Matthew Neubeck

• Ohio

• 2/1/2003

This is NOT Pho (it's called Bun Bo Hue), so flat rice noodles are inappropriate, or for that matter udon noodles. Actually, the noodles my mother uses are slightly thick than the ordinary rice vermicelli. Other than that, looks pretty darn close.

• Mimi

• Dallas, TX

• 6/21/2002

Mixing spices from a Vietnamese recipe for Nuoc Dung Bo (Spice Beef Broth)and the rest of the Bon Appetit recipe and technique made an excellent Pho Bo. I added 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks, 4 - 8 whole cloves, 2 large bay leaves, and 2 tsp. fennel seeds to the spice mix with the star anise and black peppercorns. I think the other noodle suggestions are better than the udon. We love this soup. I've served thin sliced raw top round to individually add as well and used some soup bones with the oxtail in the broth. Next time, I will use neck bones following other reviewers' ideas. My son loves the 'salad' of herbs that can be added. I think the lemongrass is optional.

• Heidi

• San Diego, CA

• 2/20/2002

这汤是完美的!它是真实的,任何越南河粉that I have tasted. I could not find any fresh lemongrass, so I substituted 1T. dry and it worked wonderfully. This dish comes highly recommended to serve to guests who enjoy something adventurous.

• Deron Herald

• Indianapolis, IN

• 2/6/2002

I agree with the cook who suggested neck bones as a suitable sub. I have tried it both ways and both are agreeable. Little parts of the tails are FAR superior to the larger ones. I cannot agree about leaving them whole and gnawing them. There is way to much fat to sift through and can make for a nasty experience. Better to selectively take meat from the bones. Gnaw on them then. I always use 5 spice instead of star anise and usually use hot garlic chili paste or sauce to pep it up. The broth is the good part of the recipe. Add whatever crunchies and greens you want at the end. Also, nix the udon noodles. They are too bulky and starchy for this soup. I like broad rice vermichelli (thai). With these changes, I might up the rating to 3 forks. Barely a two without.

• Anonymous

• Florida Keys

• 10/31/2001