Weeknight Pho

This tasty weeknight soup is inspired by the delicious flavors of Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup that requires hours simmering on the stovetop in order to capture the flavors of the bone broth and complementary seasonings. Traditional pho is one of my absolute favorite dishes but when I’m short on time, this tasty shortcut recipe does the trick. This weeknight pho inspired soup combines prepared broth with spices, veggies, beef and rice noodles to create a warm and cozy weeknight meal inspired by the classic Vietnamese comfort food.

Easy modifications for diets and preferences

This weeknight pho is easily modified for a variety of diets. Here’s a few modifications that I’ve tried over the years.

• Vegan: To make weeknight pho a vegan meal, simply swap out the beef broth for vegetable broth. I recommend Better than Bouillon No Beef Base or Better than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base. Skip the beef and try adding cubed tofu or extra vegetables. You can cook the cubed tofu directly in the broth or if you prefer a firmer tofu, simply pat it dry, cube it and bake it on parchment paper at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, before adding it to the soup. If you choose to add additional vegetables to your soup, snow peas and sliced carrots are a few of my favorites.
• Chicken Pho: Shredded rotisserie chicken is an easy substitute for beef. Simply shred the chicken and warm it up in the hot broth during the last couple of minutes of cook time. Use chicken broth instead instead of beef broth.
• Gluten Free: If you’re making this pho gluten-free, be sure to use rice noodles and swap the soy sauce for Tamari sauce. Tamari sauce is packaged in a bottle very similar to soy sauce and can be found in the same area of the grocery store.

Have some fun with weeknight pho toppings

Part of the fun of eating pho in a restaurant is customizing your bowl using the assortment of toppings they offer. You can customize your soup to increase heat, sweetness and crunch. Here are a few of my favorite toppings.

• Fresh herbs: Thai basil, cilantro and/or mint (rough chopped)
• Lime wedges perfect for squeezing a little citrus into each bowl
• Bean sprouts
• Hoisin sauce: This is my kids’ favorite. A drizzle of hoisin adds a little sweetness to the soup.
• Sriracha: My favorite! I only add one tablespoon of Sriracha to this recipe to keep everyone happy. But spice-lovers, like myself will want to add a little extra to their serving for a delicious kick of flavor.
• Jalapeño slices: A delicious way to add even more spice with a fresh flavor.

Weeknight Pho

Weeknight pho combines broth with spices, veggies, beef and noodles to create a cozy weeknight meal inspired by a classic Vietnamese comfort food.

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Course dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine vietnamese

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 ounces Shiitake mushrooms sliced
• 32 ounce container of beef broth 4 cups
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha If you prefer a spicier pho, add an additional tablespoon.
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce If you're making this soup gluten-free substitute Tamari sauce for soy sauce.
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ head of cabbage rough chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 8 ounces fettuccine or linguine rice noodles.
• ¾ pound boneless beef rib eye flank steak or skirt steak, thinly sliced
• ¾ pound shrimp peeled and deveined (optional)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro rough chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil rough chopped (optional)
• Salt to taste The sodium in beef broths vary depending on the brand so taste your broth and add more if necessary.

Instructions

 

• Sauté the mushrooms in the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat.
• Add the broth, water, cabbage, sriracha, sugar, soy sauce, ginger and onion powder to the pan and simmer on medium for 20 minutes.
• While the soup simmers, prepare the noodles according to the directions on the package.
• Add the beef to the soup and bring to a boil. Once it’s reached a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 3-4 minutes or until it’s fully cooked.
• If you’re using shrimp, add them during the last couple of minutes of cook time. Simmer on medium until fully cooked.
• Add the sesame oil to the soup.
• Taste the broth and add salt to taste.
• Serve with the noodles and fresh cilantro and/or basil as a garnish.

Notes

Additional toppings suggestions:

• • Fresh Thai basil, cilantro or mint (rough chopped)

• • Lime wedges perfect for squeezing a little citrus into each bowl

• • Bean sprouts

• • Hoisin sauce: This is my kids’ favorite. A drizzle of hoisin adds a little sweetness to the soup.

• • Sriracha: My favorite! I only add one tablespoon of Sriracha to this recipe to keep everyone happy. But spice-lovers, like myself will want to add a little extra to their serving for a delicious kick of flavor.

• • Jalapeño slices: A delicious way to add even more spice with a fresh flavor.

Keyword easy pho, gf pho, gluten free pho, rib eye pho, rotissorie pho, shortcut pho, simple pho, skirt steak pho

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