Making Shrimp Pho at home is a lot easier to make than you think! This recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and features flavorful spiced broth, steamed shrimp, bok choy, rice noodles and fresh cilantro!
Love soup? Then you must try my Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup and Slow Cooker Turkey Chili!
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Easy Shrimp Pho
There is nothing like a steaming bowl of soup on a cold day, especially one that is loaded with shrimp and a flavorful broth.
I simplified this shrimp pho recipe to make it in 30 minute for an easy weeknight dinner. This soup is extremely simple to make. (And it looks a lot more intimidating than it is!)
Typically Pho is made at the table with the ingredients placed on top of the broth. I like to make mine up ahead of time, and place the cooked noodles in the bottom of the bowl.This homemade Shrimp Pho soup is warm and comforting, light yet filling. Best of all, it’s simple and flavorful!
HOW TO PRONOUNCE “PHO”
Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a traditional Vietnamese soup made of noodles, thinly sliced beef, and beef stock. I made a twist on the original and used chicken broth and shrimp instead of beef.
Pho can be made a number of different ways. Feel free to try this with beef, tofu, chicken, or pork!
Ingredients
You only need a few pantry staples and some fresh produce to make your own Vietnamese-style shrimp pho at home!
- Rice Noodles: You can use either thin or wide rice noodles. If you can’t find them at your local grocery store you can always use spaghetti instead.
- Neutral cooking oil: I used canola oil to bloom the spices and saute the ginger and garlic.
- Spices: I add both star anise and a cinnamon sticks and bloom them in oil to enhance the flavor of the spices.
- Ginger: Minced ginger is sautéed along with the garlic. I
- Garlic Cloves: I used 4 cloves of garlic! Feel free to use more or less depending on your taste!
- Jalapeño: I slice up 1 whole jalapeño and add half of it to the broth and reserve the other half for garnish! Feel free to use more to amp up the spice level.
- Chicken Broth: Make your own, or opt for low-sodium so you can better control the amount of salt and savory flavors of the soup.
- Fish Sauce: These pack in a ton of flavor in small amounts, be careful not to overdo it.
- Soy sauce: I like to use low sodium soy sauce since the fish sauce and the chicken broth can be a bit salty.
- Bok choy: I use 2-3 heads of chopped up bok choy. You could use whatever veggies you have on hand mushrooms and bean sprouts would also be good in this!
- Lemon Grass: I used 1 stalk of lemon grass in the broth. You could also use the lemon grass paste as well.
- Shrimp: Save your shrimp shells! For extra flavor I like to simmer the shrimp shells in the broth. If have deshelled shrimp you can skip this step!
- Lime Juice and Cilantro: These serve as garnishes and really compliment the shrimp and light broth.
How to make Shrimp Pho
- Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Add oil to a large pot over medium high heat. Add the star anise and cinnamon stick to a large pot. Toast the spices for 2 minutes or until they start to become fragrant.
- Stir in the ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until the garlic starts to brown slightly.
- Pour in chicken stock, fish sauce, soy sauce, lemongrass, half of the sliced jalapeno and the shrimp shells (if using).Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavor to develop.
- Strain out the spices and the shells using a metal sieve.
- Place the pot back on the stock and stir in the bok choy and shrimp.Cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp turns a light pink and plumps up.
- Take off of the heat and stir in the ime juice, and cilantro.
- Divide the noodles among the 4 bowls and pour the soup on top.
More Soup Recipes To Try
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Spicy Shrimp Pho
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rice noodles, uncooked
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 stalks lemon grass
- 1 jalapeno, sliced and divided
- 12 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined (save the shells!)
- 2-3 leaves bok choy, chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp cilantro, plus more for serving, chopped
Optional
- 1 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Add oil to a large pot over medium high heat.Add the star anise and cinnamon stick to a large pot. Toast the spices for 2 minutes or until they start to become fragrant.
- Stir in the ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until the garlic starts to brown slightly.
- Pour in chicken stock, fish sauce, soy sauce, lemongrass, half of the sliced jalapeno and the shrimp shells (if using).Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavor to develop.
- Strain out the spices and the shells using a metal sieve.
- Place the pot back on the stock and stir in the bok choy and shrimp.Cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp turns a light pink and plumps up.
- Take off of the heat and stir in the ime juice, and cilantro.
- Divide the noodles among the 4 bowls and pour the soup on top.
- Garnish with more cilantro and the remaining jalapeno if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Trung
Looks good! I wouldn’t call it pho though if it doesn’t use the traditional noodles (banh pho) or traditional broth (nuoc pho).
Claire
That’s not Phố. Your recipe may be delicious but this has NOTHING to do with Phố and should not be named as such.
Thao Hoang
Exactly. It’s just simply a noodle soup.
Sally
Sounds delicious! Thank you!!!
Kathy Hong
This looks delicious and simple! But I’d just like to point out, as others in the comment section have, that this isn’t remotely similar to phố. The term phố refers to the noodles used, so even a dish made with the same broth but different noodles shouldn’t be referred to as such. Also, the broth is a completely different take on the traditional way of making things. It’s like making a lettuce wrap and calling it tacos. Though there are similarities, it’s really not the same thing.
I’d also like to explain that the reason why people are annoyed with the incorrect labeling of this dish is because it generalizes Vietnamese cuisine, taking away from all the greatness that it is and turning it into something it isn’t. Vietnamese cuisine isn’t just phố! I suggest you explore Vietnamese culture more, and you’ll be surprised by the different flavors and dishes you’ll find. We have many noodle dishes similar to what you made that aren’t phố that I think you’d really enjoy (ex: mì tôm).
Lala
This looks delicious! I’m about to give it a try right now!
CK
Looks like it would taste super good, but this isn’t pho.
Amber
Whether it was traditional pho or not it was delicious and simple to make. Thanks for posting it!
Sonya
I have made this several times. I love it! Delicious
Paulina
This sounds like a wonderful noodle soup.
Please take the advice and rethink next time you name any of your recipes. The ignorance is in the lack of respect for the original, considering it absolutely does not resemble it in any way. A “twist” would be altering it slightly. This, was a completely different soup all together. I love fusion food, but even fusion recipes leave a respectable amount of culture left in their dishes.
Cheers & happy eating.
Kelly Liberto
Kelley,
Might I suggest the name be changed to spicy shrimp faux pho?
GG
Love that