A traditional Pho is a soup made of deeply spiced and aromatic broth. Rice noodles, beef and toppings are then added. The beef is either cooked with the broth or thinly sliced steak is added to the bowl of hot broth. Toppings can be as little as just onions and herbs. I like to top mine with mushrooms, Thai chili, onions, jalapeno, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and cilantro. Now this may be too much for some but I like the works. You can top it the way you prefer.
What makes Pho, a Pho? It’s the broth. Typically the broth is simmered with all the spices and aromatics on low heat for long hours. The low heat ensures that the broth stays clear. Most of us do not have that kind of time and need something quick and easy, that tastes delicious. I use my homemade bone broth and add the spices and aromatics. Simmer for 20 minutes. While the broth is simmering. I prep all the toppings and within 30 minutes we have a delicious pho that pleases the whole family. Yes my non keto family enjoys it as much as I do because it is amazing.
I use a whole onion and ginger to flavor the broth. Don’t worry they do not add a giant amount of carbs. I understand that it can be confusing because onions have a lot of carbs. Keep in mind that we’re just simmering it for 20 minutes and then throwing it out. So even though there’s a whole onion in the recipe, it’s not going to make a difference. You can use any toppings you prefer to bring the carb count even lower.
You can have a visual of what the ingredients look like. I always char the ginger and onion under the broiler. Believe it or not, it gives the broth that authentic flavor. Another step that makes this recipe so good is, toasting the spices. So please do not skip these steps. Now on to the noodles. we know that rice noodles are not an option on keto. So we have got to work with Shirataki noodles, Miracle noodles, Konjac noodles, or yam noodles. I like to use miracle noodles (i didn’t have any today) or yam noodles. These are the ones that are all the way at the bottom of the picture. These noodles are less than 1g carb per serving so that makes me very happy. You also don’t have to cook them ahead to get rid of the smell. That makes them easy to use.
The Best Keto Pho
Ingredients
Spices & Aromatics
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp peppercorns
- 3 pods star anise
- 2 pods black cardamom
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp whole cloves
- 2 inch ginger piece
- 1 med onion
Pho Soup
- 6 cups bone broth low sodium
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp sweetener
- 1 lb sirloin or ribeye steak
- 2 pks miracle noodles or yam noodles preferred for very low carb (can use shirataki)
- 4-6 mushrooms
Toppings
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 jalapeno optional
- 1/2 onion sliced (optional)
- 1 Thai chili if you like it spicy
- cilantro for garnish
- Thai basil for garnish
- lime wedges
- sriracha optional
Instructions
Make the broth
- Char the onion and ginger under the broiler for 5 minutes or until charred.
- Add all the whole spices in a pot and toast for about 2 minutes.
- Add the bone broth in to the pot along with the charred ginger and onion.
- Cover and simmer on low for 18 minutes.
Cut & Prepare Toppings
- Add boiling hot water to your serving bowls and set side. This will help to keep your soup hot.
- Slice the beef very thinly so it cooks once you add the hot broth.
- Slice the mushrooms the same way. You can blanch the mushrooms and bean sprouts if you'd like but I like to let the hot broth do all the cooking.
- Thinly slice the jalapeno Thai chili, and onion. Prep cilantro and Thai basil.
- After 18 minutes of simmering the broth, remove the lid and add the sweetener and fish sauce. Bring to rolling boil to serve. The broth must be boiling hot.
- Arrange the steak , noodles and mushrooms in your hot serving bowls. Pour hot broth over. Add onion & jalapeno slices if using. Squeeze a wedge of lime and garnish with Thai basil & cilantro. Now get messy, it's worth it!
Excellent! I’m so glad this receipe was created!