My daughter introduced me to Vietnamese Pho (pronounced ‘fuh’) a few years back, and from that moment I was in love.
I was like "Hello Pho, where have you been all of my life?"!!
This love was not a problem when we lived in San Diego. There were plenty of Vietnamese restaurants to choose from, and you could pretty much find a great one no matter what city you were in.
Fast forward to now.
I live in a teeny town in Western Washington. Most people I know here don't even know what pho is, let alone where to find it.
So I put my love to the back of my mind and moved on.
Then my daughter texts me that she is in Tacoma having pho and it was fantastic.
Do you know how hard it was to not grab my keys right then and there and play a speed racer all the way there? Ya, it was a bit hard.
But we made plans to go for lunch ASAP!
Of course, she was right. it was fabulous. But since she doesn't live with me anymore, trips to Tacoma together are few and far between.
She has her life, and I have mine.
Which includes Kevin
Who is in no way, shape, or form, remotely interested it trying pho *sigh*
He is really worse than a picky kid ya know? I always told my kids that they had to take at least one bite of something and if they didn't like it they could spit it out and that would be that.
Kevin? Not so much. And since I can't ground him or take his video games away, I am pretty much powerless.
So color me all kinds of happy when I found Pacific Foods had a Beef Pho Soup Base!! I seriously did the happy dance right there in the grocery isle.
No joke, I danced. It was epic.
So make some pho.
Give me call.
We will dance!
Easy Beef Pho
The soup:
2 boxes Pacific Foods Beef Pho Soup Base
1 bunch fresh cilantro, rough chopped
2 pounds died rice noodles
1 pound raw eye of round, sirloin, London broil or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain (1/16 inch thick; freeze for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice)
Optional stir ins:
Hoisen Sauce
Sriracha Sauce
Garnish with:
Sliced jalapenos
Sliced Red chilies (I used Fresno chilies)
Bean sprouts
Thai Basil (I couldn't find Thai so I used regular basil)
Sliced green onions
Cover the noodles with hot tap water and soak 15-20 minutes, until softened and opaque white.
In a large soup pot, heat the soup base to boiling. Add the cilantro and remove from heat.
Place slices of raw beef in a deep soup bowl and top with a pile of rice noodles. Pour boiling broth over the top.
Add stir ins if desired and top with garnish of your choice.
Serves 4
ENJOY!!
Isn't it awesome when friends and relatives introduce you to new favorite foods that you otherwise would have never discovered?! I don't eat steak, but my husband does, so I do cook with it occasionally for his sake because I feel kind of bad depriving him of a food he loves. This would be a great meal for us because I could always eat the noodles without the sirloin. Thanks for sharing this; it looks so great that I would have believed you had your told me you ordered it from a restaurant! ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Casey! Yes it would be a great dish for the both of you!!
DeleteI love Ramen and Pho. They are such easy and filling dishes. Our family is in the same predicament. We moved to northern Utah from DC, which had a plethora of international and ethnic cuisine. This is an awesome recipe to do at home. My family will thank you!! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to be of help :) I hope you enjoy!!
DeleteI happen to love steak and this sounds really good-especially on a cold damp night like tonight-and pretty easy to make. I will look for the Pho broth when next I am out and about--maybe the Korean LARGE grocery store has it.
ReplyDeleteOh I so hope you can find it!!
DeleteWe eat a lot of Japanese, but I have never tried Beef Pho. It looks very good though.
ReplyDeleteIt is actually Vietnamese :) I hadn't heard of it before until my daughter took e to try it.
DeleteI have never in my life heard of pho. It sounds odd. lol. If I ever do try it, I'll definitely call you so we can do a happy dance provided I like it. ;) Glad you and your daughter have this opportunity to have a special bond over something.
ReplyDeleteLOL I will look forward to happy dancing with you!!
DeleteOh it looks totally delicious! I have never heard of pho either but will be trying it for sure!
ReplyDeleteIt is so good, and I love that I can make it this quick at home now.
DeleteWell if it makes you THIS excited, it's most definitely going on my must have this list!
ReplyDeleteHehehe I hope you do give it a try!
DeleteThis looks so good, I havent tried it myself but now I am going to have to
ReplyDeleteSuper simple, super good!!
DeleteI've never tried anything like this, but it sounds amazing. I will have to try this one of these days.
ReplyDeleteIt is fantastic so I hope you do :)
DeleteI have never heard of this before, I like all of the ingredients so I will try it out. I love making different things.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad my daughter told me about it!
DeleteI don't think I have ever tried anything like this before - so glad that you found somewhere nearer where you are now to get hold of it as well as making some of your own :) x
ReplyDeleteI am a very happy girl!!
DeleteThis looks so good! I love plates like this!
ReplyDeleteThanks Teresa. It is fun to make pretty plates once in awhile.
DeleteThis looks absolutely delicious! I love the cilantro added touch. I bet that really ads some great flavor.
ReplyDeleteOh ya, I am a huge cilantro lover!!
DeleteI always love trying something new! This looks sooo good! I printed it out and we are going to try it out for dinner!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I hope you enjoy it!!
DeleteI've never heard of Pho before. There aren't a lot of different ethnic restaurants around where I live. I'm going to research it more and try to make it! It looks really good!
ReplyDeleteOh definitely you need to go check out a Vietnamese place!!
DeleteI've been wanting to try more interesting foods. This one does look really easy way to do something new!
ReplyDeleteIt is super easy, but the soup base tastes like it has been cooking for hours!!
DeleteBy the looks of it, a lot of us have never heard of pho before. It sure looks good though!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think many have heard of it unless you come from a city that has a high Asian population and even then I think people shy away from Vietnamese places because they just don't know the cuisine. Trust me, don't be shy!!
DeleteI've heard of Pho plenty times, but never tried it. The ingredient list fits my tastes though! Raw beef? That part seems odd, but I can roll with the punches. Lucky for me, I married a gamer, so I CAN threaten to take away his gaming to get him to cooperate, ha!
ReplyDeleteIf the beef is sliced thin enough the boiling water cooks it just enough. I am jealous that you have leverage LOL
DeleteI have never had it, or even heard of it, but it looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debi. The broth is so rich, I could just drink it alone, but then I would miss all of the good stuff!!
DeleteI've never had it before but it does look and sound delicious. I'm in love with Asian food. I plan on having some next weekend when we go to the outlet. They have the best food there. :)
ReplyDeleteOh I miss outlet centers LOL
DeleteWe love Japanese food. :) The spinach and peppers look great.. we are vegetarians so the beef is not as appetizing lol
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if they have a vegetable based pho starter, but it would be worth looking into!!
DeleteI've always wanted to try pho, and now I know it's easy to make at home. Great recipe!
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura I really do hope you give it a try!
DeleteIt looks pretty interesting. Is this dish spicy? I would be intrigued to try it if it is just spicy and not hot.
ReplyDeleteIt can be as spicy as you want it to be. It just depends on what you add to the broth.
DeleteThe gentleman who does my nails is Vietnamese and a friend. He has been telling me for years about how delicious Vietnamese food is and how good it is for your health. I'm not sure if both are correct but it certainly looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit worried at first too. But I am in love with it now!
DeleteI love those garnish around, looks pretty and inviting, making Beef Pho even more delicious and healthy.
ReplyDeleteFan R @TeddyOutReady
Yes, I love cramming the soup with tons of fresh goodies!!
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