Easy Crockpot Bone Broth Pho

This recipe for homemade pho is a bit of a labor of love but don’t let the long list of ingredients and instructions discourage you. I have simplified this recipe as much as possible by utilizing a crockpot that will transform your ingredients into a beautiful bone broth. It is absolutely fabulous, packed with flavor, and super hearty. And best of all it is guaranteed not to raise your blood sugar.

Thinly sliced pieces of beef, konjac noodles, lemongrass, Thai basil and loads of other spices make this soup taste just like restaurant pho.

If you like this recipe for pho, I am sure you will love these other soup recipes; Blender Detox Soup, Swiss Chard and White Bean Soup and this Lasagna Soup.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Pho

This recipe for Vietnamese pho has all the lovely Asian spices, a thick hearty texture and loads of flavor.

Ingredients To Make Pho

Spice Mix

• Star anise – This is an Asian spice you may have to go to a specialty store to pick up.
• Whole coriander seeds
• Fennel seeds
• Cinnamon stick – Make sure to use a stick, not ground cinnamon.
• Cloves
• Cardamom pods

For the broth:

• Ginger- I used 8 slices of fresh ginger, cut 1/2” thick.
• Yellow onion – I used one yellow onion, quartered.
• Lemongrass – I used 2 stalks, roughly chopped.
• Grass fed beef bones – You may have to ask the butcher for these.
• Avocado oil

• Grass fed beef brisket – I used 1 1/2 lbs of brisket for this soup.

• Water
• Fish sauce
• Salt and pepper

Pickled Eggs

• Eggs – I used 4 large pastured eggs.
• Water
• Tamari
• Mirin – this is a Japanese rice wine. Make sure to buy one without glucose-fructose.
• Rice vinegar – I used unseasoned rice vinegar.
• Ginger – Use freshly grated ginger for the best flavor.

For serving

• Konjac noodles – Choose the angel hair variety. I used 4 bags
• Grass fed beef round roast or ribeye – I used 1 1/2 lbs.
• Limes – I used 2 limes, cut into wedges.
• Jalapeno pepper – I used one jalapeno, sliced thin.
• Cilantro – I used one bunch of fresh cilantro.
• Scallions – one bunch sliced very thin.
• Thai basil – use Thai basil if you can find it, if not, regular basil is ok.
• Bean sprouts – I used 2 cups of bean sprouts.
• Daikon radish – 1 radish, sliced thinly.
• Watermelon radish – 1 radish, sliced thinly.
• Sriracha as desired
• If you like spicier peppers in your Pho, use some thinly sliced habanero peppers
• Optional black sesame seeds

Equipment

• crockpot
• baking sheet
• skillet
• measuring cups and spoons

How To Make Pho

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
• On a baking sheet add beef bones, sliced ginger, yellow onion, and lemongrass. Sprinkle onion, ginger and lemongrass with avocado oil. Bake until bones and veggies are well browned, about 35-45 minutes.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add spices to the hot pan: star anise, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pod. Heat the spices in the dry pan until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• In a crockpot, add baked bones and browned onion, ginger and lemongrass along with the spices.
• Add the raw brisket on top of the bones, veggies and spices and cover with water and fish sauce.
• Cook on high for 8 hours adding water if needed, so that the level of the broth is always 1” below the top of the crockpot.
• While your Pho broth is cooking, make the pickled eggs.
• Make soft-boiled eggs: (place eggs in saucepan and cover with cold water, bring to a boil, turn off the heat, cover, and time for 6 minutes) and then cool the eggs in ice water. Peel the eggs and soak them in brine (in a jar) overnight, or until you are ready to serve your Pho.
• 20 -30 minutes before you are ready to serve your Pho, pop the round roast or ribeye into the freezer for 20-30 minutes to make it easier to slice very thin.
• When the slow cooker is done, strain the broth. Discard the bones, onion, spices and ginger. At this point, taste your broth and add salt and pepper as needed. Cut the brisket across the grain and add to a serving platter along with limes, green onion, jalapeños, cilantro, Thai basil, bean sprouts, daikon radish and watermelon radish
• Assemble your bowls! Add warmed miracle noodles and thinly sliced raw beef (ribeye or round roast) to the bowls. Pour very hot broth over the noodles and beef, “cooking” your beef. Add brisket, and other garnish to your bowl and enjoy!

Storage

This recipe for pho will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can portion it in individual containers and just take out a meal at a time.

Pro Tips

Here are a few things you can do to make sure your pho turns out every time.

• Take all the ingredients out before you start. There is quite a long list and you don’t want to get halfway through only to realize you are missing something.
• Make twice as much of the spice mix so the next time you make the pho you already have the spice mix on hand.
• Let the broth cook overnight so you can assemble the soup the next day.
• Don’t compromise on the toppings for serving, they really make the soup taste authentic.

FAQS

What is pho?

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup made with beef broth, noodles and fresh vegetables. It eats like a meal. Asian seasonings like lemongrass, star anise and fish sauce make give this soup its distinctive flavors.

What is the broth made of in pho?

The broth in pho is made up of bones and meat.

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