Pho-Inspired Beef Noodle Soup with Star Anise and Cinnamon Broth

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-01 · Updated 2026-05-01

A fragrant Vietnamese-style beef noodle soup featuring tender slices of beef in a clear, aromatic broth infused with star anise and cinnamon sticks. This Vietnamese-inspired beef recipe, ready in about 260 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 350 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

• 2 lbs, marrow and knuckle bones beef bones
• 1 large, halved and charred onion
• 3-inch piece, sliced and charred ginger
• 4 whole star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 whole cardamom pods
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rock sugar or granulated sugar
• to taste salt
• 12 oz, flat pho noodles rice noodles
• 8 oz, thinly sliced against the grain sirloin steak
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• for serving lime wedges
• for garnish sliced jalapeño
• for serving hoisin sauce
• for serving sriracha sauce

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

Instructions

1. Step 1: Place 2 lbs beef bones in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse bones to remove impurities.
2. Step 2: Return cleaned bones to the pot with 14 cups fresh water, 1 large halved charred onion, 3-inch sliced charred ginger, 4 star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves, and 2 cardamom pods. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 4 hours, skimming any foam every 30 minutes.
3. Step 3: After simmering, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into another pot. Add 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1 tbsp rock sugar, and salt to taste. Keep broth hot.
4. Step 4: Prepare 12 oz flat rice noodles by soaking in hot water for 10 minutes until soft, then drain.
5. Step 5: To serve, divide noodles among 4 bowls. Top each with 2 oz thinly sliced raw sirloin steak.
6. Step 6: Ladle the steaming hot broth over the beef and noodles; the heat will cook the thin beef slices.
7. Step 7: Garnish with 1 cup bean sprouts, 1/2 cup Thai basil, 1/4 cup cilantro, lime wedges, sliced jalapeño, hoisin sauce, and sriracha as desired.