Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do Pho Bo - A Soup That Sings To Me!

Two nights a fortnight Mr Hausfrau and I find ourselves kid free for dinner. Tonight our kids are with their other parents and tomorrow night they don't get back here until after dinner.

On these nights, date nights if you will, if we don't head out for dinner or call for take out, we like to have something that we wouldn't normally have when the kids are here. Usually spicy things. I think we've put the local Thai place owners kids through school!

Tonight a yummy soup is on the menu. A Vietnamese recipe that I've tweeked 'cause we like it hot spicy. It's a Vietnamese beef noodle soup called Phở bò tái nạm - or Pho bo for short. This one is a raw beef soup but don't worry. The beef cooks once the hot broth is added. Stick with me until the end won't you.

What I use

120grms lean rump steak, thinly sliced*
4 cups of beef stock (I use the salt reduced one as the fish sauce will add salt)
2 cups water
1 tbsp fish sauce
1.5 tbsp soy sauce or tamari if you can find it
3cm piece of ginger, thinly sliced, no need to peel
2 pods of star anise
1 medium cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 large red chilli, thinly sliced, seeds in or out depending on your heat threshold. In for us!
80grms dried vermicelli noodles
120g bean sprouts
1/3 cup coriander sprigs
1/3 cup Thai basil leaves
1/3 fresh mint leaves
1 large lime, juiced

How I do it

1. In a pot add the stock, water, fish sauce, tamari, ginger, star anise cinnamon stick, cloves, and half the chilli. Bring to the boil for 5 minutes.
2. While that's happening prepare the vermicelli as per packet instructions, drain and set aside.
3. Using a slotted spoon remove the ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and chilli from the broth.
4. In a bowl place some vermicelli, basil, mint, coriander, chilli and raw beef.
5. Bring the broth back to the boil and add the lime juice.
6. Ladel broth into bowl. The boiling hot broth will cook the finely sliced beef within seconds!

It's full of flavour and sooooo delicious!

* I like to cut the beef while it's still frozen on my bread cutting machine. It comes out perfectly thin. Paper like even! Tonight I cut my ginger on it too.

Do you Pho Bo too??

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