Beef Pho: A low-kilojoule recipe

Delivering just 890 kilojoules and 9 grams of total fat per serve, this warming beef pho is the perfect recipe for both health and comfort.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• ½ white onion, thinly sliced
• Sea salt
• 500ml (2 cups) beef bone broth (or good-quality beef stock)
• 1 slice ginger, about 5mm thick
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 5g dried flat rice noodles
• 100g beef eye fillet, very thinly sliced, about 2-3mm
• 100g (1 cup) beans sprouts
• 2 small handfuls of coriander leaves
• 2 small handfuls of Thai basil leaves (or regular basil, if you can’t find Thai basil)
• 2 small handfuls of mint leaves
• 1 lime, halved
• Long red chilli, finely sliced, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry for a couple of minutes until soft.
2. Add the broth, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon and fish sauce to the pan. Turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down, cover with a lid and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
3. In the meantime, prepare the noodles according to the packet instructions, then drain and set aside.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove the solid ingredients from the broth; discard these.
5. To serve, divide the noodles between two bowls, then top with slices of beef and ladle over the hot broth – the beef will be cooked by the heat of the broth.
6. Top with bean sprouts and herbs, then squeeze a lime half over each bowl. Sprinkle over chilli, as you wish.

This is an extract from 16:8 Intermittent Fasting by Jamie Chambers, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $29.99, photography by Cath Muscat.

First published in the July 2020 edition of Health Agenda magazine.