Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup recipe, brought to you by MiNDFOOD. This is popular throughout Vietnam and is often eaten at breakfast time or as a light lunch. It is based on beef stock, with thin slices of quality meat added at the last minute.
Serves 4
2kg beef bones
1 brown onion, halved lengthways
4cm-piece of ginger, halved lengthways
500g beef brisket
3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
200g fillet steak, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fish sauce
600g fresh rice noodles
3 eschallots, thinly sliced
4 green shallots, thinly sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve
2 long red chillies, thinly sliced, to serve
1 bunch coriander, leaves removed, to serve
1 bunch thai basil, leaves removed, to serve
fish sauce (extra), to serve
1 Preheat oven to 200C. Put the bones on a large baking tray. Roast for 25 minutes. Turn bones and roast for a further 25 minutes. Put bones in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water and put over medium heat. Bring to a slow simmer, continually skimming surface.
2 Preheat a chargrill on medium-high heat. Cook onion and ginger on all sides until chargrilled. Add onion, ginger, brisket, star anise and cinnamon sticks to stock. Simmer for 4 minutes. Remove brisket and set aside. Continue to simmer stock for 2–3 hours or until it becomes a rich, clear colour. Strain. Discard bones and vegetables. Return stock to a clean saucepan and bring to the boil.
3 Combine fillet steak and fish sauce in a bowl and stand for 20 minutes. Thinly slice brisket across the grain.
4 Put noodles in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and stand for 3 minutes or until easily separated. Drain. Divide noodles between 4 serving bowls. Put sliced brisket, marinated fillet steak, eschallots and green shallots on noodles. Ladle stock into bowls.
Serve with lime wedges, chilli, coriander, basil and fish sauce (extra).
Note: if you don’t have time to make a stock, purchased beef stock can be used. Stock quantities can be doubled and frozen in airtight containers for later use.
