Authentic Vietnamese Pho with Zucchini Noodles [Keto-Friendly]
What is Pho Soup?
Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup, traditionally served with rice noodles, tender cuts of meat (usually beef), and a rich, savory broth made with fish sauce, broth, and warming aromatics such as cinnamon, ginger, star anise, garlic, and cloves.
If you order pho from a Vietnamese restaurant, it will also be served with several toppings on the side for extra flavor and texture, such as bean sprouts, green onion, different types of hot sauce, lime wedges, chilis, and fresh herbs like basil and cilantro.
How to Make a Pho Soup
We’ve put a healthy twist on a traditional pho soup recipe by using zoodles (spiralized zucchini in the shape of rice noodles) instead of rice noodles. Not only do the zoodles add extra fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but they also make this pho recipe low-carb and keto-friendly.
While pho is known as an authentic Vietnamese noodle soup, the magic is all in the broth. To make this pho, you’ll start by preparing sirloin steak and zucchini noodles and then getting to work on the broth. Don’t worry—while some pho recipes have extra long simmer times for the broth, the broth for this recipe requires no more than ten minutes (and it’s still packed with flavor).
The broth is the most important part of a good pho recipe, but it’s also very simple. There are only three steps to follow until you have a delicious, warming, flavor-infused broth ready for your zucchini noodles and beef.
Step One: Pull out a medium saucepan and begin by toasting cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves over medium heat.
Step Two: Once fragrant, add Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth to the pan, along with ginger, soy sauce, and fish sauce.
Step Three: Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
That’s it! You could also make this pho recipe vegetarian by replacing the beef strips with cooked tofu.
Are you ready to give this pho recipe with zucchini noodles a shot? Let’s get started.
Vietnamese Pho with Zucchini Noodles
This pho soup recipe is warming and nourishing, loaded with authentic Vietnamese flavors and a low-carb option with zucchini noodles instead of rice noodles.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound top sirloin steak
- 4 zucchinis
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 3 whole cloves
- 4 cups Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth
- 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (Use tamari sauce or coconut aminos for a gluten- free version)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
FOR THE TOPPINGS:
- 2 handful of bean sprouts
- Herb mix (cilantro, basil, or both)
- 1 jalapeño pepper sliced (optional)
- 2 stems green onion chopped
- Sriracha, hoisin sauce, and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
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Place the sirloin steak in the freezer for 15 minutes for easy slicing.
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Use a spiralizer or a julienne peeler to make zucchini noodles. Divide the zoodles into two large serving bowls.
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In a medium saucepan, toast cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves over medium heat until fragrant. Add bone broth in the pan, followed by ginger, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the spices to fully infuse the broth.
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Take the beef out of your freezer and slice it into thin strips. Divide the beef into two portions and add on top of the zoodles in the serving bowls.
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Once the broth is done, also divide it into two portions and pour the hot broth into the serving bowls. The beef will start cooking instantly, and the color changes.
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Top the pho with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, sliced pepper and green onion, drizzle with Sriracha or/and hoisin sauce, squeeze some lime juice in it and slurp up!
About the Author
Sharon Chen is the founder and creator behind StreetSmart Kitchen, a recipe website that helps busy professionals to prepare healthy meals in less time they ever thought possible.
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