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Slurping and sipping on a nourishing bowl of Vietnamese gluten free Phở Bò (beef pho) is almost better than getting a hug from your mom. This quick beef pho soup can be on your dinner table in 30 minutes or less. Really!? Topped with loads of fresh herbs, thin sliced beef, bean sprouts and chilis – a delicious way to transition from one season to another.
Jump to:
- Time Saving
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Flavorful Broth
- Assembly Process
- Order of Operations
- Variations
- Side dishes
- Storage
- Frequent Asked Question (FAQ’s)
- More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Gluten Free Pho Bo (Quick Beef Pho Recipe)
Time Saving
Traditionally, making pho broth from scratch takes hours on your stove top while you roast the beef bones and then simmer with aromatics, and spices. Of course, you can try to speed up this process in the instant pot (pressure cooker), but you might end up waiting at least 30 minutes just for your device to heat up.
Our easy stove top method takes only 20 minutes to simmer using store bought beef stock or bone broth. You won’t believe how flavorful this broth gets. Then, just a couple of minutes to plate up and dinner is served.
In addition, our beef pho recipe is gluten-free just like our Chinese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe. This is especially important if you are trying to heal your gut and boost your immunity around the cold and flu season.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Bone Broth or Stock – There are so many delicious gluten-free beef broths on the market to choose from. This is a huge time saver! When the weather starts to cool off, we always make a huge batch of our homemade Nourishing Slow Simmered Beef Bone Broth and freeze it.
Not only is bone broth nourishing but it can help heal a leaky gut. The collagen in bone broth can help boost your immunity by improving your gut health. You can choose any of these in this recipe. Please note though, if you choose a bone stock or bone broth without any added sodium, you may need to season a little more with salt or fish sauce to taste.
Fish sauce – We used Red Boat gluten-free fish sauce. If you are not sensitive to gluten, then you can use your favorite brand of fish sauce.
Spices – Whole spices like cinnamon and star anise are traditional in this gluten free pho recipe. Cloves are also another traditional ingredient. We did not add any cloves based on our flavor preference. Of course, you can substitute with dried ground spices. Hint: 5 Spice powder is a good alternative for whole star anise, if you have difficulty finding this ingredient.
Cinnamon and star anise are warming herbs that can benefit your spleen. If you would like to learn more about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), please read our articles Introducing the Five Energies of Food and Feed Your Spleen: Nourish your Body
Aromatics – onions, garlic and ginger are delicious in this recipe. We like fresh but of course you can add dried ground aromatics, if that is what you have on hand.
Gluten-free rice noodles – Pad Thai noodles or a medium rice noodle work great in this recipe. If you do not have a gluten sensitivity, you can exchange with cooked ramen or whatever your little heart desires. If you are trying to watch your carbs, add in a few zucchini zoodles (noodles).
Beef – Another time saver is having your butcher cut up the beef super thin or buy chipped beef. If this option is not available, sukiyaki beef works great, or you can slice your own beef super thin.
Toppings – This is where you can get creative and use what you have on hand. We love fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, and mint. Sprouted mung beans (bean Sprouts), sliced green onions and chilis are always a huge hit with our family. You can really add anything you like. Other ideas are thin mandolin sliced carrots and spinach.
How to Make Flavorful Broth
You won’t believe how flavorful this simple pho broth becomes in just 20 minutes of simmering.
Here are the basic steps…
- Sauté onions, ginger, and garlic on high to get a nice char. Add in brown sugar or sugar alternative to accelerate the charring process.
- Add store bought gluten-free beef broth or homemade bone broth, cinnamon, Star anise and gluten-free fish sauce and simmer for 20 minutes
- Remove aromatics and dried spices. Now you have a rich beef pho broth ready to serve.
Assembly Process
While your pho broth is simmering away, prepare all your additions and toppings.
- Add hot water to rice noodles to soften
- Wash fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, green onions, and basil to add to pho soup.
- Soak and wash bean sprouts well and drain.
- Cut up fresh limes
Order of Operations
Do you like fun interactive meals like our Spicy Sichuan Hot Pot, Simple Spicy Thai Hot Pot or our Middle Eastern Party Feast? We certainly do! Place all your gluten-free pho ingredients out on the table. If you have a portable cook top, you can keep the broth simmering away right at the table. The pho broth must be piping hot so when you pour it over the super thin sliced beef, it cooks the beef.
No portable cooktop? No problem! Just set out all the ingredients on the counter right next to the stovetop. Family and friends can assemble their own Asian pho just the way they like it - buffet style.
- Put rice noodles in a bowl.
- Add chipped beef or super thin sliced beef on top of the noodles.
- Pour your delicious pho beef broth over the noodles.
- Garnish your personal phở bò with all your favorite toppings like bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and chili peppers.
- Stir up so that the hot Vietnamese broth cooks the thin beef and enjoy!
Variations
The best part of this quick and easy gluten free pho is that it is easily customizable to fit your diet needs.
- Want to make it low carb? Try adding zucchini noodles or other spiralized vegetables.
- Vegan changes include using a vegetable broth instead of beef broth. Try adding shiitake mushrooms instead of beef and or firm tofu. There are also many vegan fish sauce alternatives on the market. Ocean’s Halo fish sauce is vegan, soy free and gluten free.
- Have leftover Savory Herb Roasted Whole Chicken? Try adding chicken broth and slices of chicken instead of beef and beef stock.
- Add quick cooking greens like spinach and bok choy.
Side dishes
Gluten free Pho Bo is delicious all on its own. However, our Summer Rolls with Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce and Vietnamese Shrimp Vermicelli Salad our some of our favorite starters. If it’s the weekend, be sure to start out with a refreshing Tropical Fruit Rambutan co*cktail to get the party started.
Storage
Leftover Pho broth and raw thin slices of beef can be stored separately in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months. Fresh veggies and herbs and such can be stored in the refrigerator, about 7 days.
However, the cooked rice noodles need to be pitched, if not used within 24 hours. The reason we say this is we had the worst food poisoning in our life ever after eating cooked rice noodles. Who knows if it was the noodles or maybe it was the Hong Kong water? However, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Frequent Asked Question (FAQ’s)
How to store fresh bean sprouts?
First and foremost, you must rinse and wash your fresh bean sprouts (sprouted mung beans) well. Next, place your bean sprouts in a plastic container with a lid and fill with cool water to cover the bean sprouts. Change the water daily with fresh cool water. Bean sprouts are living and need water. If stored properly, they can last at least 7 days in the refrigerator.
What is the difference between broth and stock? Beef stock is made from beef meat and some of the bones, and aromatic vegetables. Beef bone broth is made from roasted beef bones and aromatic vegetables.
How to cut thin slices of raw beef?
If you cannot purchase thin chipped beef or sukiyaki beef at the market, cut up your own. Our favorite beef cuts for pho are sirloin steak, round eye, or even filet mignon. Grab your favorited honed (sharpened) knife!
To make your life easier, freeze the beef in a baggie or plastic wrap for about ½ hour before attempting to slice. This makes the slicing process easier. Then, cut the beef super then against the grain. Cut it so thin that you can almost see through it. Making sure you have super thin slices of beef ensures that the broth can cook it while it is in your soup bowl. In addition, it ensures the beef will be tender.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Suan La Tang (酸辣汤) Hot and Sour Soup
- Chinese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe
- Roasted Butternut and Carrot Ginger Soup
- Golden Spiced Noodle Soup
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Gluten Free Pho Bo (Quick Beef Pho Recipe)
Slurping and sipping on a nourishing bowl of Vietnamese gluten free Phở Bò (beef pho) is almost better than getting a hug from your mom. Topped with loads of fresh herbs, thin sliced beef, bean sprouts and chilis – a delicious way to transition from one season to another.
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 bowls
Calories: 658kcal
Author: HWC Magazine
Equipment
soup pot
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Pho Broth
- 1 tablespoon oil for frying aromatics
- 1 large onion peeled and sliced
- 1.5 inches ginger (peeled and sliced) fresh or ½ teaspoon dried ground ginger.
- 4 cloves garlic fresh (bashed on counter to release flavor and remove peel) or 2 teaspoons dried ground garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar (or to taste-can use sugar substitute of choice if diabetic)
- 8 cups beef broth Can use either beef stock or bone broth. We used our homemade beef broth that was salted to taste. Use a gluten-free stock if sensitive to gluten.
- 5 whole star anise if you cannot find can substitute with 1.5 teaspoons ground 5 spiced powder.
- 3 twills cinnamon or 1.5 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- ⅓ cup fish sauce or to taste. If using a bone broth that has no added salt, increase amount of fish sauce or salt to taste. We used a gluten free fish sauce.
Soup Ingredients
- 250 grams rice noodles (or 1-2 of the rice noodle loops) Gluten free Pad Thai noodles works well in this recipe.
- 1 pound beef Sliced super thin. We used chipped beef and sukiyaki also works well. You can use other cuts of tender beef and cut very thin against the grain of the meat.
Garnishes
- 1 cup bean sprouts also known as mung bean sprouts - optional garnish
- ½ cup cilantro roughly chopped (can also use mint, basil, etc.)-optional garnish
- ⅓ cup green onions sliced - optional garnish
- 2 chili peppers garnish (optional)
- 1 lime cut into quarters
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Add oil to pan. Over medium high heat, add fresh sliced onions, ginger and garlic until you get a nice brown sear. Add brown sugar or sugar alternative of choice to pan to enhance the charring process. (If using dried ground spices, add these spices AFTER the beef broth is in the pot.)
Add beef broth or stock to soup pot. Then add star anise, cinnamon and fish sauce.
Bring to soup to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (Make sure it is covered so you do not loose all that delicious broth due to evaporation) Taste and adjust seasoning. (If you have used a salt free broth or stock, you will need to add more fish sauce or salt to taste.)
Please note that if you leave your broth simmer for longer than 20 minutes, evaporation may occur. Just add a little more water or broth and adjust seasonings.
After the pho broth has simmered for 20 minutes, remove the aromatics and whole spices. Skim the soup.
Place rice noodles in a bowl, cover noodles with boiling water just enough to cover. Soak noodles for about 2-8 minutes depending on the size and manufacturer of noodles. Noodles should be cooked just until tender, al dente. Rice noodles with cool water and drain and set aside.
We purchased chipped beef from the market. However, you can also buy sukiyaki beef. If you are unable to find chipped beef or sukiyaki beef then use a tender cut of beef such as a filet mignon or if that is not in your budget try eye round, flank, bottom roast, London broil, just remember to cut the beef super thin and against the grain.)
Just a quick hint: freeze your beef just until it is slightly firm and then it is much easier to cut super thin.
Wash and prepare your bean sprouts, cilantro (mint, basil) green onions, chili peppers, and limes and set aside.
Just a quick hint: If you wash your bean sprouts and keep them in a plastic container with a lid full of water and store in the refrigerator they will last much longer. I change my water every day. Beans sprouts normally live in water so if you keep them water they will stay fresher longer.
Assembly:
Bring your beef broth back up to a boil.
Place 4 soup bowls on the counter.
Lay a handful of cooked/soaked rice noodles into each bowl. (You may have some left over noodles it just depends on the size of your bowls)
Divide the chipped or thinly sliced beef among 4 bowls and lay on top of noodles.
Carefully ladle your steeping hot gluten free beef pho broth into each bowl covering the beef and noodles completely.
Garnish your quick beef pho with bean sprouts (sprouted mung beans), cilantro, (Mint, basil) green onion, chili peppers on top of your Asian pho.
Squeeze a little lime juice on top. Stir to allow the beef to evenly cook in the soup bowl with the hot broth and enjoy.
Video
Notes
If you simmer your pho soup broth longer than 20 minutes, evaporation will occur. You may need to add more beef broth or bone broth or water and adjust seasonings as desired.
Variations
- Want to make it low carb? Try adding zucchini noodles or other spiralized vegetables.
- Vegan changes include using a vegetable broth instead of beef broth. Try adding shiitake mushrooms instead of beef and or firm tofu. There are also many vegan fish sauce alternatives on the market. Ocean’s Halo fish sauce is vegan, soy free and gluten free.
- Have leftover Savory Herb Roasted Whole Chicken? Try adding chicken broth and slices of chicken instead of beef and beef stock.
- Add quick cooking greens like spinach and bok choy.
Storage
Leftover Pho broth and raw thin slices of beef can be stored separately in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months. Fresh veggies and herbs and such can be stored in the refrigerator, about 7 days.
However, the cooked rice noodles need to be pitched, if not used within 24 hours. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 658kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 2595mg | Potassium: 1533mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 308IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 4mg
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