Pho Bo with Slow-Simmered Beef Bone Broth

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-14 · Updated 2026-06-14

A fragrant Vietnamese noodle soup featuring a rich, clear beef broth simmered with spices and tender slices of beef. This Vietnamese-inspired soup recipe, ready in about 390 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 450 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 lengthwise ginger
• 4 whole star anise
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cardamom pods
• 1 tbsp rock sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 8 oz pho rice noodles
• 8 oz, thinly sliced beef sirloin
• 2, thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup, chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 lime, cut into wedges lime wedges
• 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
• to serve hoisin sauce
• to serve sriracha

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 with 12 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse bones to remove impurities.
2. Step 2: Add bones back to the pot with 12 cups fresh water, 1 large halved onion, 3-inch halved ginger, 4 star anise, 5 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, and 3 cardamom pods. Simmer gently over low heat for 6 hours, skimming any foam every 30 minutes.
3. Step 3: After 6 hours, strain broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot. Add 1 tbsp rock sugar, 1 tbsp salt, and 1/4 cup fish sauce to the broth. Adjust seasoning to taste and keep warm.
4. Step 4: Soak 8 oz pho rice noodles in warm water for 20 minutes, then drain. Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch noodles for 30 seconds until tender, then drain and divide into four serving bowls.
5. Step 5: Arrange 8 oz thinly sliced beef sirloin on top of noodles. Ladle hot broth over beef and noodles; the heat will gently cook the beef.
6. Step 6: Garnish each bowl with 2 sliced green onions, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and serve with 1 cup bean sprouts, 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, and lime wedges alongside. Offer hoisin sauce and sriracha as condiments.