Seafood Pho Recipe

Prep bones and aromatics

Rinse beef bones under cold water. Place bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water (about 5 cups or enough to submerge bones). Bring to a rapid boil for 8–10 minutes to blanch and release impurities. Drain bones and discard blanch water. Rinse bones and the pot to remove scum.

Char aromatics

While bones blanch, char the halved onion and ginger over an open flame, under a broiler, or in a dry skillet until surfaces are blackened (about 6–8 minutes), turning occasionally. This adds a smoky, aromatic note to the pho.

Simmer broth

Return the cleaned bones to the pot and add 5 cups of fresh water. Add the charred onion and ginger, star anise, cloves, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Skim any foam occasionally. Simmer gently, uncovered or partially covered, for 2–3 hours to extract flavor from the bones.

Season and clarify

About 30 minutes before finishing, add fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning (add more fish sauce for umami, salt as needed). If you prefer a cleaner broth, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot and discard solids. Keep broth hot on very low heat.

Prepare noodles

Place dried rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with warm (not boiling) water to soften for 20–30 minutes, or follow package instructions. Alternatively, bring a pot of water to boil and briefly blanch noodles 20–45 seconds until pliable but slightly undercooked. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop cooking. Portion noodles into serving bowls.

Cook seafood

Pat shrimp and scallops dry. Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly season shrimp and scallops with a pinch of salt and the white pepper. Sear scallops 1–2 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Cook shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until opaque and curled. Alternatively, you may poach seafood directly in the simmering broth for 1–3 minutes until done. Warm the crabmeat gently in the pan or in the hot broth for 30–60 seconds to heat through; avoid overcooking delicate crab meat.

Assemble bowls

Divide the prepared rice noodles among 4 bowls (servings). Arrange cooked shrimp, scallops, and warmed crabmeat on top of the noodles.

Finish with hot broth

Bring the broth back to a rolling simmer. Ladle very hot broth over each bowl to submerge noodles and seafood; the hot broth will finish cooking the seafood if slightly underdone and warm the noodles. Taste one bowl and adjust with extra fish sauce or a pinch of salt if needed.

Serve each bowl with a side plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, sliced jalapeño, hoisin and Sriracha, and sliced green onions. Let diners add bean sprouts and herbs to taste, squeeze lime over the soup, and swirl in hoisin or Sriracha as desired.

Suggested plating: place herbs and sprouts on the side so they remain crisp. For restaurant-style presentation, top each bowl with a few sprigs of basil and a lime wedge; place hoisin and Sriracha on the table for diners to customize heat and sweetness.