Pho Bo Hanoi-Style with Clear Broth and Rare Beef

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-04 · Updated 2026-07-04

Classic Northern Vietnamese beef noodle soup featuring a clear, aromatic broth simmered with spices, tender rice noodles, and thinly sliced rare beef. This Vietnamese-inspired beef recipe, ready in about 330 minutes, pairs beef bones, onion, ginger for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef bones
• 1 large, halved onion
• 3-inch piece, halved ginger
• 4 whole star anise
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tbsp rock sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 12 oz dry rice noodles (banh pho)
• 8 oz, thinly sliced sirloin steak
• 3 stalks, sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup, chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 4 lime wedges
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil
• 1/4 cup sliced jalapeños

The stock pot we’d simmer this in → Best Stock Pots for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Place 3 lbs beef bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse bones under cold water to clean.
2. Step 2: Return cleaned bones to the pot with 1 large halved onion and 3-inch halved ginger. Fill with 5 quarts fresh water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Skim scum every 30 minutes and simmer gently for 4 hours.
3. Step 3: Toast 4 star anise, 1 large cinnamon stick, and 4 cloves in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant, then add to the broth along with 1 tbsp rock sugar and 1 tbsp salt. Continue simmering uncovered for 1 hour.
4. Step 4: Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot. Stir in 1/4 cup fish sauce and keep warm.
5. Step 5: Soak 12 oz dry rice noodles in warm water for 30 minutes until pliable, then blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds until tender. Drain well.
6. Step 6: Arrange 8 oz thinly sliced sirloin steak in a bowl and top with hot broth to cook the beef to rare. Add noodles on top.
7. Step 7: Garnish with 3 sliced green onions, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 cup bean sprouts, lime wedges, fresh Thai basil leaves, and 1/4 cup sliced jalapeños to taste.