Vietnamese soup mixes?

[dmreed]

I have been a pho fancier for some time. I usually eat pho at a couple of local restaurants but I do try new restaurants from time to time. I frequently get pho to go (all components separate) with extra dia tai and extra vegetables. I have made pho from scratch a couple of times and they came out OK but when I get a pho craving at home I am not close to a restaurant :>(

so, for my emergency cravings, I finally bought a couple of Vietnamese soup mixes by Dragonfly Brand: Soup Bun Ho Hue and Soup Pho Bo (also Thai Tom Yum which we did not really care for). my wife and I both liked the Bun Ho Hue (I added fresh ginger, green onions, onion to the broth) with fresh rice noodles, cilantro, culantro, and Thai basil (my wife prefers 1/4" cubed potato to the noodles) and sliced pork or sliced beef.

I just made the Soup Pho Bo broth and it seems to be OK but I have not yet added noodles, etc....update: IMHO definitely needs additional ingredients.

my question is, for such emergency cravings, which brands of Pho Bo and Bun Ho Hue broth mixes do the members of this forum prefer?

[dmreed]

I have found an instant Pho Bo noodle soup...Vifon "Vietnamese Style Instant

Rice Noodle Beef Flavour". It is alright by itself but I usually add fresh Thai basil and ngo gai (culantro) and thinly sliced eye of round. It is definitely not as good as that served in good pho restaurants but it definitely gets us by in a pinch!

[Ce'nedra]

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for but IMHO, for GOOD pho, you simply cannot substitute it with a soup mix. I made really wonderful, fragrant pho with my mum once (she makes it every other time) but I didn't write down the recipe (nor remember it) so I'll have to ask her again but I can tell you that it was even better than the restaurants.

[dmreed]

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for but IMHO, for GOOD pho, you simply cannot substitute it with a soup mix. I made really wonderful, fragrant pho with my mum once (she makes it every other time) but I didn't write down the recipe (nor remember it) so I'll have to ask her again but I can tell you that it was even better than the restaurants.

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definitely no argument from me! but when I am in a hurry and do not have any pho broth on hand I will use a soup mix although I almost always have frozen sliced meat and fresh Thai basil and usually ngo gai and always chili peppers or chili oil on hand which perks up the taste.

[heidih]

I would add that you can enhance the pho via packet by using frozen homemade stock instead of water to get a better mouth feel.

[HungryC]

I haven't found a dehydrated pho base woth a hoot...but I am going to try making pho ga in the crockpot. I've made it the usual way, and the long, slow simmer seems to lend itself to a translation to the crockpot. I'll char the ginger & onions, then dry-toast the spices (star anise, coriander, black pepper, a few cloves), then toss it all into the crockpot with chicken backs & necks for a long, slow, overnight cooking.

[Soup]

Here is my trick and it is every bit a good as the places I go. When I go out for pho, I pick up a few quarts of just the broth from the resturant. They usually charge me $3 quart. I bring it home and freeze it. It then take me about 15 minutes to have pho just as good as my favorite pho place but at home.

[jmolinari]

Here is my trick and it is every bit a good as the places I go.  When I go out for pho, I pick up a few quarts of just the broth from the resturant.  They usually charge me $3 quart.  I bring it home and freeze it.  It then take me about 15 minutes to have pho just as good as my favorite pho place but at home.

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That's exactly what i do too....always try to have at least 2-3 servings on hand...

[dmreed]

Here is my trick and it is every bit a good as the places I go.  When I go out for pho, I pick up a few quarts of just the broth from the resturant.  They usually charge me $3 quart.  I bring it home and freeze it.  It then take me about 15 minutes to have pho just as good as my favorite pho place but at home.

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That's exactly what i do too....always try to have at least 2-3 servings on hand...

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thanks, folks, for the idea...I have always bought the whole works to go...it never occurred to me to just buy the broth :>(