Name: Slow-Cooker Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup
Total time: 7 h
Cuisine: VietnameseAsianAsia
Ingredients: 2 onions , chopped fine; 6 garlic cloves , minced; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 8 cups beef broth; 2 cups water; 1/2 cup fish sauce , plus extra for serving; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed to bottom 6 inches and bruised with back of knife; 4 star anise pods; 4 whole cloves; 2 pounds beef blade steaks , 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed; Salt and pepper; 8 ounces (1/4-inch-wide) rice noodles; 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 2 scallions , sliced thin; bean sprouts; Lime wedge; hoisin sauce; Sriracha sauce; fresh Thai or Italian basil sprigs

Why This Recipe Works

With its richly perfumed broth and mix of raw/cooked and hot/cold ingredients, this Vietnamese soup, called pho, seemed like a long shot for the slow cooker. But it turned out to be one of our easiest soups. Fish sauce and soy sauce punched up store-bought broth, which we further enhanced with bruised lemongrass, star anise, and cloves. And blade steak was a great and easy choice for this soup since it is so full of rich beefy flavor. Surprisingly, finicky rice noodles worked perfectly in the slow cooker; since the liquid didn't come to a full boil, the noodles cooked gently and did not break apart or turn mushy. Finishing with the requisite garnishes created a perfectly balanced soup.

Before You Begin

You can substitute an equal amount of beef flat-iron steaks, if desired.

Instructions

Microwave onions, garlic, and oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth, water, fish sauce, soy sauce, lemon grass, star anise, and cloves. Season steaks with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until steaks are tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.

Transfer steaks to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks; discard fat and gristle. Discard lemon grass, star anise, and cloves.

Stir noodles into soup, cover, and cook on high until tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Stir in beef and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and scallions. Serve, passing bean sprouts, basil sprigs, lime wedges, hoisin, Sriracha, and extra fish sauce separately.