How to Prepare
The springy bite of noodles, the grain of thin-sliced beef, the comforting spice and aromatic sweetness of steaming broth — Beef Pho is the perfect combination of flavors and textures, a simple yet delicious meal that beautifully captures the complexities of Vietnamese cuisine.
Whether just a bowl for you, or dinner for the whole family, making Beef Pho with Essence of Lotus soup base is fast, easy, and fuss-free.
When shopping for ingredients, your local Asian market should have everything listed below. If you don’t have access to a quality market, you can still prepare the recipe using alternative ingredients from your local grocery store; for example, substituting standard sweet basil for Thai basil will work just fine.
For A Large Bowl
Ingredients:
- Essence of Lotus Beef Pho soup base — 1 packet
- Pho-style Rice Noodle, Dry or Fresh Refrigerated — 16oz Package
- Beef (Sirloin, Eye of Round, Tri-Tip) — ½ lb raw, sliced thin
- Fully cooked flank, brisket, or Vietnamese meatballs work great too.
- Bean Sprouts — ½ cup
- White or Red Onion — ¼ to ½ cup, sliced thin
- Green Onion — ¼ to ½ cup, diced
- Thai Basil — to taste, whole leaf
- Cilantro — ¼ cup, rough chopped
- Red or Green Hot Pepper — to taste, sliced thin
- Jalapeno or Anaheim Peppers work best
- Lime — wedged and squeezed
- Sriracha Hot Sauce — to taste
- Hoisin Sauce — to taste
To Prepare:
Slice, dice, and chop vegetables and toppings. Set aside.
Slice beef as thin as possible. Before slicing, place the beef portion in the freezer for 10 minutes to make slicing easier and more consistent.
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. If using fresh, refrigerated pho noodles, add to boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Remove noodles and rinse with cold water to prevent over-cooking. If using dry pho noodles, follow instructions on package. Discard cooking water when done.
For a single serving, bring 2-3 cups of water to a boil — 2 cups for a richer, more flavorful broth, 3 cups for a lighter, more delicate broth. Add 1 tablespoon of Essence of Lotus Beef Pho soup base per cup of water. Stir until the base is fully mixed and then remove from heat.
Build your bowl by adding cooked noodles and beef slices. Ladle in broth while hot (the broth will cook thin, raw beef on contact). Add toppings like sliced onion, bean sprouts, green onion, peppers, cilantro, and basil.
Top with sauces to taste and add some lime.
Enjoy with chopsticks.