Easy Beef Pho

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!!