Faux Pho




One sip of real Vietnamese Pho offers your taste buds a spectrum flavors. But real Pho can take hours to prepare. My daughter, C.C., helped me come up with a quick and easy version that she prepares often for the family.

The recipe uses a bevy of convenience products including canned broth and deli roast beef , and you can even use pre-shredded cabbage (labeled “angel hair cabbage”) sold in bags in the produce section.

While this Faux Pho is a beefy dish, I don’t care much for the flavor of prepared beef broth so I’ve used a larger ratio of chicken to beef broth. The broth is flavored with a hint of cinnamon and more flavor is added by each family member with garnishes of cilantro, mint and basil, hot chili peppers and lime wedges.

  • 2 32-ounce containers reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 14.5-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon prepared ginger puree or 3 1/4-inch slices fresh ginger root
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 8 ounces linguine, cooked according to package directions
  • 8 ounces sliced lean deli roast beef
  • 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • Fresh cilantro, mint and basil, for garnish
  • Hot chili peppers, for garnish
  • Lime wedges, for garnish
Place the broths, ginger and cinnamon stick in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes.

Divide cooked linguine, roast beef, shredded cabbage and green onion among soup bowls and ladle the steaming hot broth over the top. Allow each diner to garnish their serving with the herbs, chili and a squeeze of lime juice.

Makes 8 servings.