Spicy Huế-Style Beef Noodle Soup with Lemongrass
A fragrant and spicy beef noodle soup from the imperial city of Huế, featuring lemongrass, chili, and tender slices of beef. This Vietnamese recipe, ready in about 210 minutes, pairs beef bones, water, ginger, sliced 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 beef bones
- 12 cups water
- 3 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 inches ginger, sliced
- 1 tbsp dried chili flakes
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1 tbsp rock sugar
- 8 oz rice vermicelli noodles
- 8 oz beef sirloin, thinly sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil
- 2 tbsp sliced green onions
- for serving lime wedges
- to taste sliced red chili
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Rinse 2 lbs beef bones and place in a large pot with 12 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any scum for 10 minutes. Drain bones and rinse pot.
- Step 2: Return bones to the pot with 12 cups fresh water, add 3 bruised lemongrass stalks and 2-inch sliced ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered for 3 hours, skimming occasionally.
- Step 3: After simmering, remove bones, lemongrass, and ginger with a slotted spoon. Stir in 1 tbsp dried chili flakes, 1/4 cup fish sauce, and 1 tbsp rock sugar. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Step 4: Meanwhile, soak 8 oz rice vermicelli noodles in warm water for 15 minutes until pliable, then drain.
- Step 5: To serve, divide noodles between 4 bowls. Top with 8 oz thinly sliced beef sirloin. Ladle hot broth over the beef to cook it gently.
- Step 6: Garnish with 1 cup bean sprouts, 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil, 2 tbsp sliced green onions, sliced red chili, and lime wedges for squeezing. Enjoy the spicy, aromatic flavors of Huế.









