Active Time

　　40 minutes

　　Total Time

　　1 hour

　　Use this soup as a chance to show off rich, slow-simmered homemade beef broth, or take a shortcut and use a store-bought base. Either way, you'll enjoy the fragrant and fresh flavors of this Vietnamese classic. Fish sauce, which adds a savory (and non-fishy) depth to the broth, is available in the Asian section of most supermarkets.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　12 ounces beef eye of round steak

　　Two 2-inch pieces of ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced

　　4 garlic cloves, smashed

　　2 star anise pods

　　1 cinnamon stick

　　5 whole cloves

　　8 cups Beef Bone Broth or store-bought low-sodium beef broth

　　1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce

　　Kosher salt, to taste

　　4 ounces dried rice noodles, such as vermicelli or bahn pho (rice sticks)

　　8 ounces kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 4 cups)

　　4 ounces assorted mushrooms, such as cremini, shitake, oyster, beech, and/or maitake, sliced if large

　　

Optional garnishes:

1 cup mung bean sprouts

　　1/2 cup fresh herbs such as basil, mint, and/or cilantro

　　1 small red or green chile, thinly sliced

　　1 scallion, thinly sliced

　　1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed in cold water

　　1 small carrot, julienned

　　1 lime, cut into wedges

　　

Step 1

Place beef in freezer to make it easier to thinly slice. Set a medium pot of salted water to boil.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium-high; add ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Toast the spices tossing them constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Immediately add broth, cover, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon, spider strainer, or small sieve to remove ginger, garlic, and spices from broth; discard. Add fish sauce to broth and taste; season with a little salt and an additional 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce, if desired. Cover pho broth and keep at a gentle simmer.

　　

Step 3

Add noodles to the medium pot of boiling water; cook according to package directions. Drain noodles and divide among four bowls. Remove beef from freezer and slice as thinly as possible.

　　

Step 4

Add kale and mushrooms to broth and simmer until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sliced beef and simmer until just barely cooked, 20 to 30 seconds (it will continue to cook in soup). Using tongs, divide beef among bowls.

　　

Step 5

Ladle broth, kale, and mushrooms into bowls over noodles. Garnish with your choice of toppings, and serve right away.

　　Do ahead:

　　Broth can be seasoned with fish sauce and salt (just before adding the kale and mushrooms) and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Seasoned broth can be frozen for up to 6 months.