Make delicious shrimp pho at home in less than 25 minutes with this simple recipe! It’s a tasty, and quick, meal after a long day.
One of the things that I have really loved about cooking is trying new recipes that quickly turn into family favorites.
I love going out for pho. But sometimes I just don’t feel like leaving the house. So I decided to try my hand at pho. It is surprisingly simple and fast.
It only takes 20 minutes of cooking. And most of that time is just letting things boil. I’ve made several different kinds of pho, but so far shrimp pho is our favorite.
Simple Shrimp Pho
What is Pho?
Pho is a Vietnamese soup. It’s typically made with broth, rice noodles, bold spices, and meat. Various toppings, like bean sprouts, cilantro, and jalapeno are typically added after serving. The toppings enhance the flavors of the broth. Sauces, like sriracha, hoisin, or soy sauce, may also be added after serving. So everyone controls the flavors of their own bowl.
This recipe mimics the flavors of pho but is a far cry from traditional pho. It creates a delicious Vietnamese-inspired soup that any level of cooking experience can make.
Ingredients
- Chicken broth
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Star anise
- Cayenne
- Red pepper flakes
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce
- Chili paste
- Vermicelli rice noodles
- Bean sprouts
- Shrimp
How to Make Pho at Home
This dish is simple and straightforward. Start by creating the base for the broth. First, boil chicken broth and water in a stock pot with the onion and garlic.
Next, add cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise. These spices give the soup a bold, but earthy and mildly sweet flavor. I also add cayenne and red pepper flakes because we like our pho spicy!
A Note About Pho Spices
Traditionally, pho is made with whole spices. Such as whole star anise, cinnamon sticks, and physical cloves. The spices are toasted and then added to the broth. Since this is not a traditional pho, and the intent is to make it simple and fast, I use ground spices. With the exception of the star anise. Ground spices are accessible and keeps the recipe very simple.
After 5 minutes add fish sauce and soy sauce. I like a little more soy sauce, so I do 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and 3 tablespoons of fish sauce. I also add chili paste for more spice. You could sub in siracha if you don’t have chili paste on hand. Let that boil for another 5 minutes.
The spices and the savory sauces come together to make a beautifully flavorful broth.
Then add rice noodles, bean sprouts, and shrimp. You can find rice noodles, bean sprouts, chili paste, and fish sauce all in the Asian section of the grocery store. I buy mine at Kroger.
Once the shrimp is pink and curled in a little bit (around 5 minutes) you are ready to serve!
Pho Toppings
For our pho toppings, we like shredded carrot, cilantro, green onion, and jalapeno. I will also add some greens and fresh lime sometimes. I just use the bagged Baby Spring Mix for the greens. Fast and simple is key here.
I love this dish on a chilly evening or if I’m feeling under the weather. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
Let me know if you try making this shrimp pho! Adding chicken, beef or pork is just as easy. The only difference is there’s more prep time to chop the meat and you have to cook those meats a tad longer.
For more delicious dinner ideas, check out my Recipes page!
Shrimp Pho
Ingredients
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 16 oz chicken broth
- 16 oz water
- 5 whole star anise
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp chili paste
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 8 oz vermicelli rice noodles
- 14 oz bean sprouts
- 1 lb shrimp shelled and cleaned
Instructions
- Bring water, chicken stock, onion, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes to a boil.
- Boil for 5 minutes.
- Add soy sauce, fish sauce and chili paste.
- Boil for another 5 minutes.
- Add bean sprouts, noodles and shrimp
- Boil until noodles are soft and shrimp is cooked. About 5-8 minutes.
- Serve and top with cilantro, green onion, jalapeno, shredded carrot, greens, etc.
