Vietnamese Pho-Inspired Beef Noodle Soup with Star Anise

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-25 · Updated 2026-04-25

A warming bowl of beef noodle soup featuring a clear, aromatic broth infused with star anise and cinnamon, served with tender beef slices and fresh herbs. This vietnamese-inspired soups ready in about 210 minutes pairs beef bones, water, onion, halved and charred 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
• 1 large onion, halved and charred
• 3-inch piece ginger, sliced and charred
• 4 whole pods star anise
• 1 large stick cinnamon stick
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 tbsp rock sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 oz rice noodles
• 8 oz beef sirloin, thinly sliced
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 4 wedges lime wedges
• 1 small sliced jalapeño
• to serve hoisin sauce
• to serve sriracha sauce

Instructions

1. Step 1: Place 2 lbs beef bones in a large stockpot with 12 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse bones to remove impurities.
2. Step 2: Return bones to pot with 12 cups fresh water. Add 1 large onion halved and charred over open flame or broiler, 3-inch sliced ginger charred similarly, 4 star anise pods, 1 large cinnamon stick, 5 cloves, 1 tbsp rock sugar, and 2 tsp salt.
3. Step 3: Simmer gently for at least 3 hours, skimming foam occasionally, until broth is clear and deeply aromatic.
4. Step 4: Cook 8 oz rice noodles according to package instructions; drain and divide among 4 bowls.
5. Step 5: Thinly slice 8 oz beef sirloin and arrange over noodles.
6. Step 6: Strain broth and bring back to a simmer, then ladle hot broth over beef and noodles to cook the meat.
7. Step 7: Serve with 1 cup bean sprouts, 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil, 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, 4 lime wedges, sliced jalapeño, hoisin sauce, and sriracha on the side for customization.