Homemade Beef Pho Noodle Soup

This approachable homemade Vietnamese Pho offers a rich, aromatic beef broth infused with toasted star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic, and ginger. Paired with tender rice noodles, beef marrow bones, and diced beef, it delivers a deeply satisfying bowl topped with fresh coriander and spring onions.

Ingredients

• 300g diced beef
• 3 beef marrow bones
• 1-3 beef bouillon cubes
• 4-8 large garlic cloves
• 1 piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 3-5 cinnamon sticks
• 4-5 star anise pods
• 10 cardamom seeds
• 1-2 tbsp fish sauce or oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 200g rice noodles
• 3-4 spring onions, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Toast Spices: Preheat oven and place garlic, cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and sliced ginger on a tray. Bake until browned and nicely fragrant.
2. Parboil Bones: Boil beef marrow bones in water to release impurities, skim off the scum, then add the toasted spices into the pot (using a spice strainer or tea infuser makes retrieval easier).
3. Simmer Broth: Add beef bouillon cubes, diced beef, fish or oyster sauce, and honey or brown sugar. Cover with a lid and simmer gently on low heat for 2 hours.
4. Cook Noodles: Prepare rice noodles according to package instructions until tender or al dente, then drain.
5. Strain Broth: Remove and discard the toasted spices from the broth to ensure no whole spices remain in the serving bowls.
6. Assemble Bowls: Divide the cooked rice noodles among bowls, ladle in the hot broth with tender diced beef, and garnish with freshly chopped coriander and sliced spring onions. Serve with lime wedges.