Beef Pho with Rice Noodles

“Pho” is a traditional Vietnamese Beef Stew that originated about 100 years ago.  It’s quite possible that Pho evolved from the French dish, Pot au Feu, which is a stew of boiled meats and vegetables introduce by French colonists when Viet Nam was under French rule.

Pho was brought to America during the post war migrations.  There are many Pho restaurants in cities throughout America catering to people of many ethnic backgrounds.

Our featured recipe is a lite, fresh, delicious blend of beef, vegetables and spices served over rice noodles, with broth.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Beef Pho with Rice Noodles

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 cup Onion, chopped

½ pound lean Sirloin Beef, sliced across the grain into thin strips about ¼ inches thick

2 cups canned Beef Broth, reduced sodium

1 Cinnamon stick

¼ tsp Black Peppercorns

½ tsp Salt

8 oz. packaged Rice Noodles, flat

2 medium Scallions, chopped

1 cup Bean Sprouts, fresh

¼ cup Cilantro, fresh, chopped

Instructions

Heat the Oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the Onion and sauté for 2 minutes, until the Onions are soft.  Add the Beef and cook 3 – 4 minutes, until browned on all sides.

Add Broth, Cinnamon stick, Peppercorns and Salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the Noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 6 – 8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and transfer to four individual shallow bowls.

Remove the Cinnamon stick and Peppercorns from the Beef mixture. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the Beef and Onion over the Noodles.  Top with Scallions, Sprouts and Cilantro.  Ladle the remaining broth over the top of each bowl and serve.

Yields 4 servings, ¾ cups each. PointsPlus value per serving is 8. Prep time is 20 minutes, Cooking time is 17 minutes.  Level of difficulty is Moderate.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh