Love Pho as much as I do? Well, you can still enjoy it, even on a low-carb, keto diet with this Keto Pho recipe!
I love experimenting with recipes and ingredients from different cultures. There’s the Adobo Chicken, Gochujang Sesame Broccoli, and the Harissa Salmon with Kale.
More recently, I’ve been getting into Asian-style dishes. And a dish that I have fallen in love with over the winter is ‘pho’. I’ve made it many times, with many different variations. It is a comforting and restorative meal, especially when it’s cold and wintery outside.
What Is Pho?
Vietnamese Pho (or Phở), pronounced “fuh”, is popular street food in Vietnam. It is a Vietnamese soup that consists of broth, rice noodles, meat, and herbs. Beef is most commonly used, but sometimes chicken is used also.
Thinly sliced raw beef is placed on the rice noodles, and it is then cooked with the steaming broth that is poured over it. Vietnamese Pho is most commonly eaten as a breakfast dish in Vietnam, but really – it is good for any time of day.
What Noodles do I use for my Keto Pho Recipe?
I’m sure you’ve already realized that traditional pho is definitely not keto and low-carb friendly, due to all the rice noodles. Just one cup of rice noodles has 42 grams of net carbs! No thank you.
Instead of rice noodles, I use Wonder Noodles Fettuccine Noodles. Wonder Noodles is a brand of Shirataki noodles. Shirataki noodles are the perfect replacement for rice noodles because they are very low in calories and contain zero digestible carbs. In fact – the noodles are around 97% water!
You can find them on Thrive Market. Thrive Market has the best price for Shirataki noodles and you can get $25 off your first order using THIS link. I suggest you stock up on these noodles, they are great for all your pasta needs!
If you’ve never used shirataki noodles before, don’t be alarmed when you first open the pack You’ll notice a ‘fishy’ smell, but this doesn’t mean they are off.
The noodles are packaged in freshwater. The water ends up absorbing the odor of the konjac plant.
Before cooking with the noodles, you’ll need to drain the noodles in a colander or sieve, and then rinse very well for a few minutes, using fresh running water. This will remove most of the odor.
Keto Pho
Ingredients
For the broth:
- 3 lb oxtail
- 3 lb beef shanks
- 3 lb chicken wings
- 2 medium onions, quartered
- 2 heads of garlic, halved
- 4-2 inch pieces of ginger
- 6 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 12 cardamom pods
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2/3 cup fish sauce
- 12-14 cups water
- 1 tbsp Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener (use code eatbefitexplore for 20% off)
- 1 tbsp salt
Serving and Garnishes
- Wonder Fettucine Noodles
- 1 lb sirloin steak
- Scallions
- Bean Sprouts
- Jalapenos
- Basil
- Mint
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
Equipment
Instructions
For the broth:
- Blanch the ox tail bones and beef shanks for 20 min. Drain the water out.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the chicken wings, onions, garlic, and ginger on one baking sheet.
- Place the drained oxtail and beef shanks on another baking sheet.
- Roast for 40min-60min occasionally flipping the meat and veggies so they don't burn.
- While the bones and veggies are roasting, toast all the spices on low heat for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Transfer the spices to a cheesecloth and make a spice pouch (this will make draining the broth easier).
- Transfer roasted bones and veggies to the large stockpot. (make sure it's clean).
- Add the spice pouch and 12-14 cups of water. Make sure the water covers the bones.
- Add in the fish sauce, salt, and sweetener.
- Simmer the broth for 9 hours. (or at least 2, but the broth will not be as flavorful)
- Drain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer (do not throw away the meat, it's delish and so nutritious).
To serve
- Slice the steak razor-thin. Pour broth into a bowl and top with RAW steak (the broth should be hot enough to cook the steak).
- Add in the wonder noodles (prepare based on package instructions).
- Garnish with bean sprouts, jalapenos, cilantro, scallions, basil, mint, and lime. Top with hot sauce if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 345Total Fat 15gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 35gCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gProtein 19g
More Keto Recipes to try:
- Clean Keto Creamy Garlic Salmon
- Keto Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary
- The Best Easy Clean Keto Lunch Recipes
- Easy, Dairy-Free Keto Soup Recipes To Keep You Warm
Are you curious about What is Clean Keto Carb Cycling? Check out my post and learn if this way of eating is right for you.
I lovr Pho soup! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you!
I did not think I could ever make Pho keto friendly until I found this recipe. I am so thankful!
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
You will love it!