- 1 yellow onion
- 3-4 inch fresh ginger
- 1 Tbs whole coriander seed
- 1 Tbs whole fennel seed
- 5 whole star anise
- 1 cardamom pod
- 6 whole cloves
- 10 cups beef broth skimmed
- 1 Tbs sea salt
- 3 Tbs fish sauce
- 2 Tbs coconut sugar
- 1 lb beef round, thinly sliced
- 3 zucchinis, spiralized
- For Garnish:
- mint, cilantro, basil, sliced jalapenos, and bean sprouts
- Preheat the broiler on the high setting.
- Leaving the skins on, cut the onion in half and place on a baking sheet cut-side down. Leave ginger whole and place on the baking sheet as well.
- Broil on high until onion and ginger are charred black, about 3-5 minutes. Peel onion and ginger, throwing away the charred skins and roughly chop.
- Optional step: place cinnamon, coriander, fennel, star anise, cardamom, and cloves in a dry saute pan and toast on low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add onion, ginger, spices, and broth to a soup pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook for 90 minutes. Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove solids.
- Add salt, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and adjust to taste.
- To Serve:
- Bring 2 cups of broth to a simmer, add beef and zucchini noodles, and simmer until the beef is cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Top with torn herbs, jalapenos, and bean sprouts.
A different way to take-out: dine in.
This pho is a comforting and satisfying dish that is a great way to get that Vietnamese craving quenched at home for cheaper. Check out my broth recipe to make your beef broth at home! Boxed broth won’t do this baby justice, I promise.
The “faux” in this pho is due to the zucchini noodles that substitute for the traditional rice noodles. It uses one of my favorite kitchen tools, the spiralizer, and is such a tasty way to get more vegetables into your meal. If you’re not ready to spring for the more expensive one, there is also a handheld one for much cheaper as well. But be sure not to over-cook your zucchini noodles at the end!
This recipe also works great in a crock pot if you want to do hands-off cooking!
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