Try Vietnamese Pho for Breakfast, Because Why Not?
Rhoda Boone
Photo credit: Mick Shippen, StockFood
Here’s a bold statement: There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of pho.
This typical Vietnamese breakfast is a perfect meal whether you need a jump-start for your immune system or a soothing pick-me-up on a dreary day. Vietnamese food is known to be one of the healthiest in the world because of the importance placed on a balance of yin and yang to create food that is beneficial to the body. With its rich and aromatic broth, hearty beef and vegetables, and fresh and fragrant toppings, our Detox Pho is a great example of a harmonious dish that is as healthy as it is delicious.
Start with a really good broth
As you may have heard, bone broth is the new coffee. Bone broth offers health benefits for your entire body, including improving your digestive and immune systems, bones, joints, hair, teeth, and nails.
Broth is the most important element in pho and can make or break this dish. The soup can be made with either beef broth (pho bo) or chicken broth (pho ga). We prefer a rich, earthy homemade Beef Bone Broth for our pho. No time to make your broth? That’s ok. Ours employs garlic, ginger, spices, and fish sauce to enliven even the blandest store-bought broth.
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Add any health-boosting ingredients you like
Our Detox Pho incorporates thinly sliced beef for an extra protein punch, antioxidant-rich mushrooms, and everyone’s favorite super green: kale. Don’t care for mushrooms? Try broccoli or carrots. Swap out kale for collards or swiss chard. Skip the noodles and add mung bean sprouts if you’re going grain-free in the New Year. And feel free to toss in some tofu, bok choy, or cabbage if that sounds good to you.
Use toppings to add complex flavors and textures
What makes pho so unique is its combination of warm, savory broth and cool, bright toppings. You can add crunch with bean sprouts or julienned carrots. Basil, mint, and cilantro bring a freshness to the dish. We love adding some heat and bite with sliced chile and red or green onion. And a squeeze of lime to finish makes everything better.
Detox Pho with Beef, Mushrooms, and Kale
Ingredients
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
Preparation
Place beef in freezer to make it easier to thinly slice. Set a medium pot of salted water to boil.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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photo: David Cicconi. Food styling by Rhoda Boone.
