Healthy Asian Cuisine - Part 3: Vietnamese Soup

An unlikely yet satisfying choice for a hot summer day.

How interesting that a country with temperatures running around 30 degrees Celcius all year long could have produced one of the most enticing hot soups around: pho. Do the Vietnamese know something we don’t about cooling off in the summer heat?

Hot soup may not be everyone’s go-to summer food, but it actually has a surprising cooling effect. Our tongue and mouth contain molecules that act as receptors, sending signals to the brain that the body is heating up. The brain responds by cooling the body down through sweating.

Pho hits those receptors twice, since it is steaming hot and then served with chili peppers and spices, stimulating once more those same molecules that tell the brain to cool the body down.

What’s more, that tasty beef broth comes with a host of its own health benefits:

• The glucosamine found in beef broth acts as a natural lubricant for the joints. Glucosamine can be taken it as a supplement too, but soup is way more fun and way more delicious!

• Beef broth oils up the hair, skin and nails. Far cheaper and far less damaging that botox!

• It helps restore healthy gut bacteria. The gelatin in bone broth fills in holes in the gut lining - attention sufferers of leaky gut syndrome or other digestive disorders.  

• Hot broth induces sweating, which releases all those icky toxins from the body.

How to prepare this healing and delicious beef noodle soup? Pho is an art. The more you put into it the more you’ll get out of it.

Step One: Prepare the beef bones

Procure two or three kilos of bones. Leg and knuckle joints are best for stock. That lovely yellow marrow holds the key to meaty, rich pho broth. If you can’t find them, use beef bones from your local supermarket (in Western grocery stores, these are often found in the doggie section). Your best bet is to ask your local butcher, or even the butcher at the supermarket. Don’t be shy - they’re used to this sort of request. 

If leg and knuckle joints aren’t available, supplement the broth with oxtail bone or a bit of chuck for extra flavour. Be aware that knuckle joints have more fat because they contain more marrow. It the soup comes out too rich or fatty, decrease the percentage of bones with marrow. Save your fatty soup by refrigerating overnight and skimming excess fat from the top in the morning.

Drop the bones into rapidly boiling water and let them sit for about 10 minutes. This releases impurities like blood particles and extra fat. When a nasty grey foam rises to the top of the pot, you’ll be glad you didn’t skip this step.

Dump out the entire mixture, rinse the bones and throw them into a clean pot with five or six litres of filtered cold water.

Step Two: Prepare the spices

Keep in mind that the fresher the spices, the more flavourful the soup. A prepackaged pho spice mix can probably be found at your local Asian grocer, but spices from the grocer aren’t always 100 percent trustworthy, since they’ve likely been sitting on the shelf in plastic containers for a few months already.

Those old spices rolling around in the back of your cupboard may not be much better. Spices are vulnerable to air, heat and light. Once they’ve been ground, they’ll last about a year. If you plan to perfect the art of pho, take the time to procure the following fresh spices:

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 tbsp fennel seeds

• 5 whole star anise

• 1 cardamom pod

• 6 whole cloves

Secure the mixture in a mesh spice bag or tea bag and toss it into your broth.

A note on spices: Spices should be stored in an airtight container. A glass jar is ideal. Store them in the refrigerator or in a dark cupboard (not the one above the stove!). Old spices won’t make you sick, but they won’t make good soup either. Grinding releases volatile oils that deteriorate the quality and flavour of your spice. Always smell before using. Old spices don’t smell like much. Visit a spice shop for the best quality spices.

DON’T BE TEMPTED BY PHO SPICE PASTE. THE SOUP WILL SUFFER!

Step Three: Char the ginger and garlic

Roast two halved onions and a 10 cm nub of ginger until lovely and brown; you can brush with cooking oil and broil them in the oven on the highest rack for 10 to15 minutes. Toss the lot into the simmering beef broth. Add the following:

• 1 1/2 tbsp sea salt

• 1/4 cup fish sauce

• Small chunk of yellow rock sugar

For a nice, clean soup, periodically skim off the foamy bits that rise to the top. A low simmer will result in less foam.

Step Four: Prepare noodles and beef

Conveniently pre-sliced beef can be purchased in the frozen section of your local Asian grocer. For the best quality, purchase a good sirloin, eye of round or flank from the butcher. Freeze for about 15 minutes and slice as thinly as possible.

Select your favourite style rice noodles and follow the instructions on the box. Most don’t need anything more than a quick blanch.

Step Five: Serve and enjoy

Pho is traditionally served with two condiments: hoisin and sriracha (or any other hot chili sauce). Serve with fresh bean sprouts, a few wedges of lime and some thai basil. Cilantro and mint are a lovely addition. Don't forget to check out Part 1 and Part 2.

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