Serves 6
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
1.5 litres (2½ pints) good-quality chicken stock
2 lemon grass stalks, bruised
small piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons soft dark brown sugar
125 g (4 oz) dried flat rice noodles
275 g (9 oz) sirloin steak, sliced
To serve
150 g (5 oz) bean sprouts
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded
and thinly sliced handful of Thai basil
handful of mint
Put the stock, lemon grass, ginger, soy sauce, lime juice and sugar in a large heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes until fragrant.
Remove the lemon grass and ginger using a slotted spoon; discard. Add the rice noodles to the simmering broth and cook according to the packet instructions, adding the sliced steak for the last 2–3 minutes of the cooking time to cook through.
Spoon into warm soup bowls, top with the bean sprouts, chilli, basil and mint and serve immediately.
For salmon pho, cook the stock using fish stock insteaad of chicken stock. Dice 250 g (8 oz) skinned and pin-boned salmon (or trout) fillets, add to the fragrant stock after removing the lemon grass and ginger and simmer for 6–8 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles separately in boiling water for 2–3 minutes. Drain and divide among 6 warm soup bowls, then spoon over the broth. Top with the bean sprouts, chilli and herbs, and serve immediately.