Keto Beef Pho

Keto Beef Pho with Homemade Bone Broth

What separates pho from regular beef soup is the warm spice combination simmered directly in the broth. Cinnamon, star anise, cloves, ginger, and fish sauce. I toast the whole spices in a dry pan for about a minute before adding them to the pot. The heat opens up the oils and the aroma fills the kitchen before the water even boils.

The collagen from the bones is the other half. Under pressure, the bones release more gelatin than a stove top simmer, which is what gives the broth that silky body that jiggles when it cools in the fridge. That texture tells you the broth has real body, not just flavor.

I keep this low carb with hearts of palm noodles added right at serving. At 2.9g net carbs per bowl, the swap is nearly invisible once the noodles soak up the broth. Zucchini noodles work too if you are in a pinch, though they release water and soften fast.

This makes a solid make-ahead dinner. I freeze the broth in quart containers and pull one out whenever I want a bowl. Assembly takes about 10 minutes from freezer to table. It fits well alongside other keto one-pot dinners in a weekly rotation.

Pho Broth

You need real bones for this, not boxed beef stock. Beef bones simmered under pressure release collagen that thickens the broth naturally and gives it that silky body. Marrow bones, oxtails, and knuckles all work. I have had the best results with marrow bones for richness and oxtails when I want more meat flavor in the liquid.

The warm spice combination (cinnamon, star anise, cloves, ginger) is what makes pho broth taste like pho and not just regular bone broth. If you do not have whole spices on hand, powdered versions work. Use about a teaspoon of each powder. For ginger, a teaspoon of ginger powder replaces the 4-inch piece of fresh.

Fish sauce is the other essential ingredient. It smells strong on its own, but it adds an umami depth that you cannot replicate with salt alone. I start with the 1/4 cup called for and adjust after tasting the finished broth. If you enjoy bold Asian flavors, my cashew beef uses a similar umami base.

Thinly Sliced Beef

The beef goes into the bowl raw. When I pour 200+ degree broth over paper-thin slices of strip steak, the meat cooks through in about 30 seconds. This is how pho is traditionally served. The same goes for the vegetables, as long as they are sliced thin enough.

To get those paper-thin slices, I freeze the strip steak for 25 to 35 minutes before cutting. The partial freeze firms up the meat so a sharp knife glides through cleanly. I aim for slices about 1/8 inch thick. You can also ask your butcher to slice it, or use a meat slicer if you have one.

Vegetables in Pho

I slice my vegetables as thin as possible. The broth only has about 30 to 60 seconds to soften them once I pour it over, so thickness matters. I use a mandoline for the bell pepper and onion, and a sharp knife for the mushrooms and broccoli.

My go-to combination is red bell pepper, thinly sliced onion, mushrooms, and broccoli florets broken into small pieces. Zucchini and bok choy also work well. I skip starchy vegetables like carrots and corn to keep the carb count low. If you like your bowls loaded, the chicken stir fry has a similar veggie-forward approach.

Keto Noodle Options for Pho

Traditional pho uses rice noodles, which run about 42g net carbs per serving. Hearts of palm noodles bring that down to under 2g net carbs and have a neutral flavor that absorbs the broth. I use hearts of palm noodles from Natural Heaven for this recipe.

Shirataki noodles are another zero-carb option, though I find the texture too rubbery for pho specifically. Zucchini noodles are a third choice that works in a pinch. They soften quickly in hot broth and release some water, so they are best if you plan to eat the bowl right away. Of the three, hearts of palm are closest to the soft, slippery feel of rice noodles in hot broth.