A Beef Asian Bone Broth Soup with rice pho noodles, topped with roasted Shiitake, spinach, carrots, and scallions, for a bowl filled with flavours and a touch of heat!
If you have ever wondered what makes a truly great bowl of Asian soup, the answer starts with the broth, and this one has been simmering for at least 24 hours. This beef bone broth soup is inspired by the clean depth of Vietnamese pho but takes it somewhere bolder and more personal: a rich, slightly spiced broth built on roasted beef bones and knuckles, finished with ginger, garlic and chilli oil, then loaded with pho rice noodles, roasted shiitake mushrooms, wilted spinach, carrots and scallions. It is not strictly traditional; think Vietnamese soul with Chinese and Korean influences, and that is exactly what makes it worth making.
Once the broth is ready, you can drink it straight as a warm restorative, freeze it in portions for later, or use it as the base for soups, stews, and noodle bowls. For this recipe, use an Asian-inspired broth finished with star anise, cinnamon, and pepper for that signature pho warmth. Unlike a traditional pho, which stays pale and clear, this version welcomes a little colour; a carrot added during the simmer gives the broth a natural sweetness and a beautiful golden hue. The bone broth freezes beautifully for up to 3 months, so making a big batch always pays off.
Why Bone Broth Deserves a Permanent Spot in Your Kitchen
Bone broth is one of the most nutrient-dense liquids you can make from scratch. A long, slow simmer pulls collagen, glutamine, glycine, and proline from the bones, compounds that support gut lining repair, reduce inflammation, and improve joint mobility. Since the gut is essentially the command centre of your immune system, keeping it in good shape matters more than most people realize. Think of bone broth as regular maintenance for your body, the kind your car gets with an oil change, except the results show up in your skin, your digestion and your energy levels. The collagen doesn’t hurt either.
Bone broth is believed to support gut health by helping repair the intestinal lining, which may benefit those dealing with food sensitivities or digestive issues. It is also rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium and phosphorus that contribute to bone strength, plus collagen, which supports skin elasticity and joint comfort. It is not a miracle cure, but as far as everyday kitchen habits go, a warm bowl of slow-simmered bone broth is one of the most nourishing things you can make. For a deeper dive into the science behind it, the BBC Good Food guide on bone broth benefits is worth a read.
The Soup: Bold, Not Delicate
This is not a shy, pale pho. The broth gets a generous hit of chilli oil, which turns it a deep reddish colour and adds a warmth that builds rather than burns. Fresh ginger and garlic go in at the end for brightness, and the whole thing is served over wide pho rice noodles, though ramen noodles or any rice noodle work just as well. The heat level is easy to adjust: keep the chilli oil on the side and let everyone dial it up themselves. Tofu or thinly sliced beef make excellent additions if you want a more substantial bowl.
Toppings
Roasting the shiitake whole in the oven rather than sautéing them makes all the difference — they come out meaty, firm and slightly caramelized at the edges. The carrots roast alongside them. Spinach and scallions go in fresh, wilted by the heat of the broth the moment you pour it over. Simple, intentional, and every element earns its place in the bowl.
Sides
This soup is a main meal, but if you want some extra sidekicks, check out these recipes:
Let’s start simmering!
Asian Bone Broth Soup
Ingredients
The Beef bone broth
- 2 kg beef bones, marrow and/or knuckles
- 1 carrot (1)
- 1 onion
- 2 anise stars
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 whole black pepper
The Soup
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 15 g ginger (grated or finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp chilli oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- fish sauce to taste
The toppings
- 300 g pho noodles (or any asian noodles)
- 200 g shiitake mushrooms
- 3 carrots
- spinach (to taste)
- scallions (to taste)
Instructions
- Sear the bones in oil in a big pot or Dutch oven, then add the rest of the ingredients and let the aromas develop for a minute before filling the pot with water and bringing it to a simmer. Let it simmer for 24 to 72 hours, adding water as needed to keep it at a low level.
- Discard the bones and pass the bone broth through a meshed sieve.
- Once you have the broth, add the rest of the soup ingredients.
- Soak the Pho noodles for 60 minutes in cold water to soften them; once the soup is ready, add them to a pot of boiling water for 1 minute.
- Roast in the oven or sauté in the wok the carrots and mushrooms (15 minutes 180°C (350F°)) with a light spray of oil and salt.
- Drain the noodles and add them to a preheated bowl (using the boiling water from the noodles or the oven's residual heat).
- Cover with the hot soup and the toppings.
- Add extra chilli in oil or hot peppers on the table to adjust the heat, and soy sauce or fish sauce to adjust the salt.
Notes
- For the richest, most gelatinous broth, use a mix of beef knuckle bones and marrow bones: the knuckles provide collagen and the marrow adds depth and fat. Ask your butcher to cut them into smaller pieces if needed.
- The minimum simmer time is 24 hours, but 48 hours gives you a noticeably richer, more gelatinous result. A slow cooker on low is the easiest hands-off method.
- Freeze the broth in portions; ice cube trays for small amounts, mason jars or freezer bags for larger batches. Keeps for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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22 Comments
What a delicious looking soup! I love my bone broth, and you’ve inspired me to take some out of the freezer right now and make soup for lunch!
It’s my second batch in 2 weeks I’m doing! I’m totally falling for this broth, plus so healthy.
Love your photos. They made me want to lick the screen!
It won’t taste the same though;) Thanks for the comment!
This looks so good! I recently had Pho in Vietnam and it was so good! I think yours looks even prettier! And I love the benefits of adding bone broth to make it healthier. It’s funny that bone broth is gaining popularity recently, it’s a nice return to old values, because that’s basically what all soups used to be in the past. When my grandma was growing up in the early 20th century, the family always had a big pot of soup/broth simmering. 🙂 I love that these old cooking techniques are coming back because they’re good for us too! Nicely done!
Yes, you are right! Good to go back to our roots sometimes!
How delicious! I absolutely could not find any bones to make this with so I just bought organic beef broth and added the soup ingredients along with anise and cinnamon. Instead of onions I used leeks and it turned out amazing!! I can’t wait to order some bone marrow to make this with instead. I don’t typically eat meat outside of fish but want to add this to my diet for extra collagen. Thank you so much for this recipe it’s a keeper 😊
yummy! This looks so delicious!!
This looks yummy Marie! Your blog makes me drool! Haha
Oh my goodness. This sounds freaking good. I love soup but I love Asian soup even better. Asian flavors are ridiculously delicious. I really love the sound of this. It will be my first time making bone broth. Can’t wait to try it!
You ll love it!;)
That broth looks so rich and delicious! I was just thinking this morning how it had been so long since I’ve made beef stock…pinning this for later!
takes long but it’s worth it;)
Really nice recipe! I love Chinese bone broth soup, I may try this recipe. Looks really good! 🙂
Thanks!
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I didn’t see in your list of ingredients on how much water to use for step one where you say to slowly simmer for 24 to 72 hours.
There is no precise amount of water, it’s simply filling up the pot, the water will evaporate, so every second hour or so you have to go and make sure it’s not too low, if so adding water. Just like any broth, water quantities are variable. This recipe is for any big pot from 20L to 30L let’s say. I did mine in a big oval Dutch oven. Hope it helps.
Hello. So I really want to make your Asian bone broth and the soup as well. I was wondering how you came to there being 77g of carbs for a serving? When I look up rice noodles it’s only 41g of carbs for one cups worth. I don’t see how a few carrots and mushrooms would bump the carbs up that much.
Hi Mandy! The carb count largely depends on the brand of banh pho noodles you use, as they can range up to 75g per portion. Carrots contribute about 7g, broth adds 1g, and mushrooms around 4g of carbs. If your noodles are 41g of carbs, the total should come to approximately 53g. Always check the packaging for exact carb details!
I tried making the broth but it turned out cloudy and not clear. How do I get the broth to be a clear broth?
The key to an easy clear broth is to simmer, really low heat, if it does too big bubbles, even for a minute it’s too late. You can also, blanch the bones, meaning you bring to a simmer, discard the water and redo it. This clean all impurities. Also, when straining you can doubly filter with first a strainer then a fine meshed sieve and a cheese cloth or kitchen paper. If you are into pro technical stuff you can always make a broth ultra clear with the whites of eggs, but this is a technique that requires a bit of knowledge. I suggest you check videos online for this technique. Hope it helps.