Beef Soup Recipe

(Beef Pho)

In Vietnam, Beef Pho is sold by street vendors as a breakfast, late night snack or lunch. To make it more satisfying or to make a change, hard-boiled egg cut into quarters can be added or substituted for the beef.

Ingredients : Serves 4-5

225 g

1

1

4 tablespoons

4

4 tablespoons

1

100 g

3 or 4

90 ml

Broad rice noodles (Banh Pho)

or flat egg noodles

Onion, peeled and chopped into rings

Juice from 1 lemon

Fresh coriander, finely chopped

Lettuce leaves, washed and finely shredded

Fresh mint, finely chopped

Lemon or lime, cut into quarters

Rump steak, thinly shredded

Fresh hot red or green chili peppers,

cut into rings (optional)

Nuoc Mam sauce

Beef stock or use a good quality bouillon cube

• Soak the noodles for 30 minutes in warm water, until just soft.

• Drain and keep warm. Soak the onion rings in the lemon juice for 20 minutes.

• Arrange the coriander, mint, lettuce and lemon or lime wedges on different plates and place on the table.

• First add the noodles to the soup bowls, then follow with the lettuce and herbs then the onion and chilies if desired. Add the meat, placing it in a single layer over the whole.

• Pour the boiling stock over the paper-thin meat, turning it from raw to rare and releasing the scents and flavours of the coriander, mint and chili.

• Add the Nuoc Mam sauce, a squeeze of the lemon or lime and slurp away.