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Easy easy

Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)

By: Nicole 17 Comments
Posted: 02/25/15 Updated: 02/23/23

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)

The only redeeming quality about winter is its ability to make me constantly crave giant batches of soup which not only ensures I stay toasty and warm, but keeps my waistline in check as well; something I desperately need after the seriously gluttonous month I’ve been having.

Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)

A few weekends ago – Valentine’s weekend to be exact – Kevin and I had our annual dinner out at our favorite cozy Italian restaurant in downtown KC. We were feeling particularly fun that night and indulged in probably one more cocktail than we should have, so we, of course, decided to play it safe and get an Uber home. Kevin had to work in the morning anyways, so it wouldn’t have been a big deal for me to take him to his car the next day, plus it was the perfect excuse to drop in for some authentic pho at the family-run Vietnamese place just down the street from where we were dining that night.

The next day, we moseyed on over to pick up our car, and I immediately withdrew my plans to pick up a batch on the way home because I was, at the moment, entirely too lazy to get out of the car, order the soup, wait for the soup and then make the trek back to our house. When I got home, I laid around, watched three hours of Hart of Dixie on Netflix and all I did was daydream about pho and kick myself for being so lazy. I had no desire to go all the way downtown for the third time in a 24-hour window, so I did the next best thing, threw on my coat and went to the grocery store to make it at home.

Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)

If you’re not familiar, pho is an authentic Vietnamese noodle soup, I’d equate to their version of chicken noodle soup, but funnily enough, is oftentimes eaten at breakfast as a hearty start to the day.

The base of the soup, made up of beef bones, cinnamon, star anise and a few other spices is simmered well over 24 hours, creating a broth that’s so intoxicating, you almost lose your breath when you first catch a scent. Every cook has their own family recipe, each with its own tweaks and “special’ ingredients, making it difficult to find the perfect recipe that will taste just as you remember.

Once the broth is complete, thin rice noodles are simmered until soft, and then the meat is added in. What I love about pho, is that instead of throwing the beef or chicken into the simmering soup, the meat is first put in the serving bowl and then the hot broth is poured over the raw meat, slowly cooking it and avoiding a rubbery end result. Each patron is then left to dress their soup as they see fit with fresh lime, bean sprouts, cilantro, jalapenos and in some cases, sirracha and hoisin sauce.

Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)

Because the soup is such a labor of love, and to be truly authentic it needs to be simmered for at least twelve hours, this is what I like to call Cheater Pho (Pho Bo). I’ve taken all of the ingredients and just condensed the time in which it’s prepared. The end result is still a killer broth that will warm you from the inside out, I just took a few shortcuts to ensure dinner gets on the table in a reasonable amount of time.

Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)

Three things that are a must, even in a cheater pho; bone marrow bones, cinnamon and star anise. While bone marrow sounds kind of scary and exotic, I can bet my life that your butcher has plenty behind the counter. Even though the cooking time is reduced, the bones transfer an incredible amount of savoriness into the soup that can’t be replicated any other way. Cinnamon and star anise are the spices that play a leading role in the broth, while ginger and garlic give off a more subtle essence in the finished product.

Once the broth has simmered for about an hour (significantly less time that the original version), the rice noodles are added in and then the broth is gently poured into a bowl filled with very thinly slices sirloin filet – my go-to cut of beef as of late. My grocery store didn’t have bean sprouts in stock, so I garnished my soup with lots of freshly squeezed lime juice, cilantro and thinly sliced jalapenos for a kick of heat.

Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)

Incredible.

Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)

5.0 from 1 reviews
Cheater Vietnamese Pho (Pho Bo)
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
1 hour 10 mins
Total time
1 hour 15 mins
 
This cheater pho has all of the flavor of a traditional pho, but takes a fraction of the time.
Author: Nicole
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 beef bone marrow bones
  • 50 ounces beef stock (unsalted)
  • 16 ounces water
  • 1 medium onion, cut in half
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 3-inch piece of ginger, smashed
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package thin rice noodles
  • 16 ounces beef sirloin, cut into VERY thin pieces
  • Plenty of cilantro, lime, jalapeno and beans sprouts for garnish
Instructions
  1. Place beef bones in a medium sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes until all the impurities have risen to the top of the water. Transfer bones to a large stockpot and discard the water.
  2. To the bones, add the beef stock, water, onion, garlic, ginger, hoisin, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for one hour.
  3. Strain broth, discard cooked ingredients. Season broth with salt, pepper and hoisin.
  4. Bring the broth back to a boil and add rice noodles, cook until soft.
  5. Place beef in the bottom of a soup bowl, cover with boiling broth. The heat from the broth should cook the beef.
  6. Garnish with lime, cilantro, jalapeno and hoisin sauce.
3.2.2925

 

Cheater Pho 12

Cheater-Pho-5

All the flavor and comfort of classic Vietnamese pho in a fraction of the time!

Meet Nicole

Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved over time into an equal love of showing you an elevated meal can be easy, approachable and most importantly, tasty. Dive in and find something perfect for you and your family!

Read more...

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  1. Mandi says

    Posted on 2/25/15 at 4:43 pm

    Oh-my-goodness, Nicole, this is SO on my to-make list for next week. It looks so good! I’m so happy I found your site this mornin! =)

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 2/25/15 at 9:13 pm

      Thanks Mandi!! So glad you found it too!

      Reply
  2. Senika @ Foodie Blog Stalker says

    Posted on 2/25/15 at 9:50 pm

    Pho is the BEST! I’ve never been able to replicate it at home but I’ve also never used bone marrow! Must try. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 2/25/15 at 11:48 pm

      I think the bone marrow really makes a difference Senika!!

      Reply
  3. Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says

    Posted on 2/25/15 at 10:18 pm

    This pho looks pho-nemonal! (Terrible I know but I couldn’t help myself). I love pho so making it at home sounds like an awesome way to save money on takeout. 😀

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 2/25/15 at 11:48 pm

      Hahah I like it! Thanks Jess!

      Reply
  4. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says

    Posted on 2/25/15 at 11:19 pm

    As amazing as this Pho looks (like I want to swim in that bowl please!) YOUR NEW DESIGN! I AM SO IN LOVE WITH IT. And with this soup. And with all the things. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 2/25/15 at 11:49 pm

      Thanks love!!!!!

      Reply
  5. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    Posted on 2/26/15 at 12:13 am

    I love how easy this is to throw together! Such a perfect dish for the freezing cold temps!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 2/27/15 at 8:54 pm

      It’s definitely perfect for all the rigid temps we’re having! Warms you from the inside out! Thanks Gayle!

      Reply
  6. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says

    Posted on 2/26/15 at 3:12 am

    Wow! What a beautiful soup. Love all the ingredients that go into it.

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 2/27/15 at 8:54 pm

      Thanks so much Kathy!

      Reply
  7. Justine | Cooking and Beer says

    Posted on 2/26/15 at 9:39 pm

    I may or may not have binge-watched hart of dixie on netflix recently also! Yay! I love that you posted this recipe. I love pho and maybe now I’ll actually make it! Pinned!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 2/27/15 at 8:53 pm

      Ok, glad I’m not the only one that loves it! My husband thinks it’s the dumbest show on the planet, I think it’s great! Ha! Thanks Justine!

      Reply
  8. Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says

    Posted on 2/27/15 at 1:10 am

    I am so making this! That broth looks absolutely incredible.

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 2/27/15 at 8:37 pm

      So good! Thanks Marissa!

      Reply
  9. Leigh says

    Posted on 12/14/15 at 4:32 pm

    This looks great! I make a pretty pathetic one with ramen noodleds when I dont feel like getting take out lol. However you can usually get a big handful of bean sprouts at the salad bar. Try there next time. Can’t wait to try this!!

    Reply

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Meet Nicole

Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved into an equal love of showing you easy elevated meals can be approachable and most importantly, tasty.

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