This is a simplified version of a traditional and complex Vietnamese soup called phở – pronounced ‘fur’. It became popular with urban dwellers with the inundation of authentic and inexpensive Vietnamese eateries in the 1970s, especially in the Sydney suburbs of Cabramatta, Canley Vale and Marrickville, and the Melbourne suburbs of Richmond, Footscray and Springvale.
Preparation Time
15 Minutes
Cooking Time
3 Hours
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 4 litres (16 cups) beef stock
- 5-cm piece of fresh root ginger peeled and finely sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 star anise
- 60ml (4 tablespoons) fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 400g gravy beef (beef shin) or brisket cut into bite-size pieces
- 200g dried rice noodles
- 1 white onion finely sliced
- 200g uncooked beef fillet finely sliced
To Serve
- 100g (½ cup) bean sprouts
- 2 limes quartered
- 2 small red chillies finely sliced
- 1 spring onion finely sliced
- handful of Thai basil leaves
Method
Combine the stock, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, fish sauce and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Add the beef, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 hours, or until the beef is very tender. Cover the saucepan and cook over a low heat to keep warm while cooking the noodles.
Put the rice noodles into a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for about 4 minutes until soft. Drain well and divide among large serving bowls.
Divide the onion and finely sliced beef fillet over the noodles. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles, which will cook the raw beef slices and soften the onion. Serve with bean sprouts, lime quarters, sliced chillies, spring onions and basil on the side to taste.
