Bone Broth Pho in Instant Pot
No need to simmer this aromatic broth for days to get the rich flavor Pho is known for. The Instant Pot yields an intensely flavorful soup in a single afternoon with all the health benefits of bone broth!
Ingredients
Bone Broth
- 3-4 lbs beef bones
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 large piece of ginger (two fingers worth), peeled and sliced in pieces
- 5 Tbsp lite soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
- 6 whole garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp coconut sugar (can also use white sugar in a pinch)
Pho Add-ins
- 1/2 lb beef tenderloin or better cut of steak
- 12 oz rice or vermicelli noodles
- 3 jalapenos, sliced into thin rings
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, cut in ribbons
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced
- 1 lime, quartered
- Optional: Hoisin, sriracha, peanut sauce and/or chili oil for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Rinse the beef bones in warm running water for 1-2 minutes. This helps keep your broth from becoming too "murky" looking. Pat dry.
- Place beef bones on a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes on the top rack.
- Meanwhile, heat a small pan over medium heat and add your star anise, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns. Toast spices until fragrant (4-5 minutes). Then set aside.
- Increase stovetop heat to medium high. Add about a tablespoon of neutral oil to pan. Then add garlic, ginger, and onion. Toast aromatics until slightly blackened but not burned, 8-10 minutes. Toss occasionally to ensure an even charring on all sides.
- Once beef is done roasting, place beef bones, toasted spices, and charred aromatics into the Instant Pot (or whatever pressure cooker brand you prefer). Add soy sauce (or coconut aminos), fish sauce, and coconut sugar. Add water to the max fill line (about 6-8 cups, depending on the size of your pressure cooker).
- Cook on high pressure for 2 hours.
- Shortly before broth is done cooking, prepare your add-in ingredients. Thinly slice the beef as thin as you can go with a very sharp knife. (It helps to freeze the beef for 30-60 minutes to make slicing thiny much easier.) Cut jalapenos into thin rings and scallions into small pieces. Slice the basil leaves into ribbons and quarter a lime. Place dipping sauces of choice in small dishes with spoons for serving.
- Cook rice noodles according to package directions. (These cook in 1-2 minutes so don't overcook them!)
- When broth is done cooking, do a quick pressure release.
- Strain broth through a large strainer. Optional: you can skim fat off of the top but I prefer to leave it as it holds all the good stuff such as collagen.
- To serve: place noodles in a bowl and top with raw, thinly sliced beef and then cover with boiling broth. The hot broth will cook your beef in 1-2 minutes. (Alternatively, you can pan fry or boil the beef prior to serving if you can't get it thin enough or if you're just not keen on cooking it in your bowl.) Garnish with scallions, jalapenos, and basil leaves as desired. Drizzle sauces and/or a squeeze of lime to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
My husband and I typically have another dinner's worth of soup stock left over. I like to save this broth in large mason jars and freeze for later use. It makes a delicious and QUICK weeknight meal I can make in a single pot. The night before, I'll put my frozen mason jars in the fridge, then the day of, all I have to do is boil the broth in a large pot. While bringing the pho soup to a boil, I slice my beef and add-ins. Then I'll add my rice noodles directly to my boiling broth for the last 2 minutes. Voila! Dinner in 15 minutes or less!