Phố

Phố has become a staple dish in my house. We especially love it in the fall and winter. I’ve started to make it at least once a week and the great thing about this dish is that it’s simple and you can switch out your proteins very easily. Since I don’t eat beef, my go to is chicken/chicken balls, or seafood. Just keep in mind that most broths for Phố are beef. You can start from scratch and make it with beef bones or you’ll see a few short cuts I’ve adapted below. Let’s take a look at this delicious soup that you can make easily on a weeknight or when time is limited. Estimated total cooking time is 30 minutes.

Here’s your basic ingredient list:

1/4 tsp of both salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1 package of Thai rice stick noodles
3 cups of water
1.8L of broth, this can be a prepackaged store bought Phố broth or you can use a traditional Vietnamese cube like Phố Bo. To use the cube, I like to use a beef broth and vegetable broth mixture to add more flavour. You can also make your own beef broth base and then add Phố seasoning.
3 cups of bean sprouts, rinsed
6 sprigs each of fresh basil, cilantro and mint
6 chilis, optional
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
6 tbsp of hoisin sauce
6 tbsp of soy sauce
Protein choice 1: Beef – use 1/2 lb eye of round steak cut into 3/4in slices, 1 package of beef balls or both
Protein choice 2: 1 lb of Chicken thighs cut into 3/4in slices, 1 package of beef balls or both
Protein choice 3: 1 lb of Seafood. I like using a seafood mix of mussels, clams, squid and shrimp but I’ve also added just shrimp/prawns. You decide!

For beef and chicken dishes, season your protein with salt, pepper, 3 tbsp. each of hoisin and soy sauce. Heat oil in skillet on medium-high heat. Add 2 green onions. Add protein; cook, turning once, 4 minutes. Transfer to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice beef against the grain.
In a large saucepan bring broth to a simmer. Add remaining hoisin sauce and soy sauce. You may choose to add more depending on the flavours you and your family like in your phố.
In a separate large saucepan bring water to boil. Remove from heat; add noodles. Let stand, stirring once to separate noodles, 3-4 minutes. Drain; rinse well under cool water.
If I’m making seafood phố then I add all of my seafood to the pho broth before serving.
Divide noodles, steak/chicken, broth mixture, basil, cilantro, mint, chili’s (if using), green onions and lime wedges among serving bowls.

Makes 12 servings.

You’ll see that I like to add siracha, hoisin and chili oil to my Phố. If you find you will make this dish for your family a lot it is worth keeping these items handy in your fridge.

I hope that you enjoy this dish as much as we do! Let me know your thoughts and what variations of this recipe you use in the comments below.