You are sitting or may be laying down with a series of thoughts wondering what pho soup is. Possibly you’ve even created movies in your head about what pho soup is, how it is made, what ingredients are used to make it, is it healthy, etc. Well, maybe your search has come to an end. In this article we will be looking at what pho soup is and what ingredients are used, along with lots of other frequently asked questions.
Pho Soup is basically a Vietnamese delicacy or noodle soup prepared with ingredients like star anise, cardamon, cinnamon, fennel seeds, onions, ginger, beef bone etc. The basic items for the Vietnamese inspired dish are broth, rice noodles, meat or beef bone, fresh garnishes etc.
There is also the original pho soup and a quick one. Original in the sense that authentic and pretty original ingredients are used for its preparation, which, of course, takes longer, whereas for the quick pho, we use available ingredients and it doesn’t take longer than a few hours to prepare. It’s still rich, but nothing compared to authentic pho.
How do you prepare Pho?
Well, right from the origination of pho soups, one constant procedure in preparing the noodles soup is boiling the beef bone in hot water and allowing it to parboil on low heat for a long period of time, usually between three and four hours at least. Nonetheless, the method applied in the preparation of pho soup is totally dependent on the style and commitment of the chef preparing the meal.
Also, ingredients used in the process of preparing pho soup, from those put into the soup to the period within which they are allowed to stay, all have similar trends between them.
Some ingredients used are ginger, cilantro, fresh or dried rice noodles, beef bone with enough marrow, shallots, yellow onion, scallion, cardamon, salt, star Anise, yellow Rock sugar, cloves etc.
What kind of noodles are commonly used in pho?
Noodles are one of the constituting basic ingredients for the pho soup. You may choose to purchase fresh noodles from the store or not. Dried noodles are perfect for this dish, but always make sure that the noodles are not cooked in the broth so as to not make it foggy. Make sure that your rice noodles are prepared in a separate pot and put in your cooking bowl before you go ahead and add your broth.
Apart from rice noodles, or in situations where you cannot find or access rice noodles, you may also substitute them with ramen, udon, pasta, etc. For additional condiments, we may introduce either your regular basil or the Thai basil, fish sauce, Asian chili sauce, fresh mint, bean sprouts that are crispy, etc. Some people may introduce hoisin sauce but know that it may take away the intricate flavor of our broth, hence it is not always used.
What is the difference between bun noodle soup and pho noodle soup?
Both bun noodle soups and pho soups are Vietnamese delicacies that are really very delicious, and you might sometimes mix these two dishes up if you are not very familiar with your Asian cuisine. So, in this blog, I’ll be pointing out some outstanding, differential properties of these delicacies. Bear in mind that when it comes to pho or bun soup preparation, there are a whole lot of varieties of noodles we can pick from.
Let’s get to their variations so as to make sure you are picking the right option for the right dish. Pho Soup is a rather typical dish that is very common amongst westerners, often prepared and served with beef broth noodles. Also, there exist variations of bun ingredients, and the most predominant is the bun bo hue.
One of the outstanding differences between the pho soup and bun noodles soup is the noodles used. While pho soup makes use of rice noodles for its preparation, vermicelli noodles are used for bun noodle soup. While vermicelli noodles have a characteristic round shape and an often deeper white color when prepared, rice noodles are often flat and shaped with an opaque or translucent color when cooked.
When prepared over boiling water, pho noodles will take less time in water, while bun noodles will take longer time to soften when cooked over boiling water.
The flour used for processing bun noodles is called maida flour, while rice flour is used for making rice noodles used in pho. While the pho noodles are flat and tend to look like fettuccine, the bun noodles take on the likeness of spaghetti, including their round shape.
Finally, while the rice noodles are particularly used in pho soup although can be uses in other dishes, the bun noodles is used in bun bo hue, bun bi, Vietnamese bun rieu etc.
Is pho soup considered a healthy meal?
You might be wondering if pho soup is even remotely healthy to eat. Pho Soup is made with several ingredients like broth, rice noodles, herbs, meat, etc., which are very beneficial for both human and animal health.
Let’s take, for instance, bone broth, which is not just bone but also contains bone marrow. The bone alone contains several minerals like calcium and phosphorus. There is every possibility that it may also contain sodium, magnesium, and potassium. The marrows supply vitamin A, B2, B12, and vitamin E. This marrow also contains Omega-3s and Omega-6s, as well as minerals like selenium, zinc, iron, and calcium.
Apart from the bone broth, other ingredients like the spices, rice noodles, herbs, meat, etc. are also very nutritious, often rich in protein content, and are very beneficial to human health as they aid in reducing inflammation and are good for healthy joints and muscles. Note that this meal should be consumed in an appropriate proportion as it may be very high in sodium and calories.
What can I replace with pho noodles?
Of course, pho soup is very delicious, savory, and easy to prepare, but did you know there are several alternatives that can be consumed in place of pho to warm you up wherever you are?
Here are some dishes that can be substituted for Pho noodles soup.
- Saimin, which is a Hawaiian national delicacy, is often believed to have begun after colonization. Also, the recipes used for its preparation are derived from different origins such as wheat and eggs noodles belonging to the Chinese, dashi broth belonging to the Japanese, green onion, Chinese pork etc.
- Pozole, although it is more like a stew than a soup, Ingredients used for its preparation includes broth made from pork and hominy, cabbage, cilantro etc.
- Bun bo hue is basically prepared with rice vermicelli noodles. One major difference when compared with the Pho soup is that it is often thicker than the Pho. Some ingredients used are cilantro, rice vermicelli, green onion, cabbage beef shank etc.
- Tom ka Gai, a spicy Thai soup described as coconut-based. Compared to pho, this Thai soup is hotter, and ingredients like lemongrass and lime leaves are often added for an additional citrus flavor.
Are pho noodles the same as ramen noodles?
When we are talking about some of Asia’s most popular noodle soups, pho and ramen noodles are basically at the top of the list. These two noodles might look quite similar if you were seeing them from a distance, but they are very different. Although pho and ramen may have similar sizes, shapes, and even meat-based broth, they are not the same thing. We are going to be looking at some of their outstanding differences.
One such outstanding variation is their broth. While both ramen and pho are broth-based, the broth of ramen is seemingly more complex than that of pho, which is made with beef bones. Also, while preparing pho, the broth is a very key feature but it is not that necessary I ramen as brothless ramen is becoming quite popular.
Is Pad Thai the same as Pho soup?
One thing to know is that pad Thai, despite the fact that rice is used for its preparation, is not the same as pho. If you don’t remember any difference, just bear in mind that pad Thai is a Thai delicacy while pho is a Vietnamese dish.
The basics are that pho is a broth-based noodle soup that makes use of beef bones, herbs, rice noodles, and flavoring for its preparation and is of Vietnamese origin. Pad Thai is not a broth but a stir-fried noodle meal that may be combined with protein like eggs, chicken, or pork and originated from Thailand.
The Vietnamese dish that bears the most similarity to Pad Thai is pho xao. It, too, combines all of the recipes used in Pad Thai, as well as vegetables and spices. Condiments such as soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce may also be introduced.
I believe you now know the distinguishing characteristics between these two dishes. Make sure you try them out on one of your weeknights so you get to taste this delicious dish.