Pho-Inspired Beef Rice Noodle Soup with Spiced Broth

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-10 · Updated 2026-05-10

A fragrant bowl of Vietnamese-style rice noodle soup featuring tender beef slices in a richly spiced broth infused with warm spices and fresh herbs. This vietnamese-inspired beef ready in about 225 minutes pairs beef brisket, thinly sliced, rice noodles, beef bones for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 400 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

• 8 oz beef brisket, thinly sliced
• 7 oz rice noodles
• 2 lbs beef bones
• 1 onion, halved and charred
• 1 piece ginger, 3-inch piece, sliced and charred
• 3 pods star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 pods cardamom pods
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rock sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
• 4 wedges lime wedges
• 1 sliced jalapeño
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a large pot, add 2 lbs beef bones and cover with 12 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and skim off impurities for 10 minutes.
2. Step 2: Add 1 halved and charred onion, 1 sliced and charred 3-inch piece of ginger, 3 star anise pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, and 3 cardamom pods to the pot. Simmer gently for at least 3 hours to extract deep flavors.
3. Step 3: After simmering, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve. Return broth to pot, then add 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1 tbsp rock sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Step 4: Meanwhile, soak 7 oz rice noodles in hot water for 20 minutes until pliable, then drain.
5. Step 5: To serve, divide noodles into 4 bowls. Top each with 2 oz thinly sliced raw beef brisket.
6. Step 6: Pour the hot broth over the beef and noodles; the heat will cook the beef slices.
7. Step 7: Garnish each bowl with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 2 tbsp Thai basil leaves, 1 tbsp sliced green onions, 1 tbsp cilantro leaves, sliced jalapeño to taste, and lime wedges on the side.