Basil is one of my favorite summer smells and tastes, but since we’ve stopped eating pasta and cheese  I have been in search of new ways to enjoy it. Adding it to our green salads is one way, but I wanted more basil in my life!

Thankfully, my daughter introduced me to Pho–and taught me how to pronounce it! She provided the skeleton of this recipe and added a little bit of this and that.

This Pho recipe checks off off all my recipe requirements: easy, delicious, economical, nourishing.   I’d love to hear how you like it.

EASY KETO/LOW-CARB PHO

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup made with nourishing bone broth, meat, noodles,and tasty seasonings. To reduce the carbs, but not the deliciousness of this recipe, I've substituted zucchini noodles. To make it easy and economically, I've used ground beef and leaned on prepared fish sauce for flavor.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 6
Calories 504.29 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced or chopped
  • 2 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 1 lb grass fed and finished, organic ground beef
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped/minced
  • 3 cups chopped mushrooms
  • 2 medium zucchini, noodled using a spiraling device
  • 1/4 tsp ground corriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground clove
  • 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
  • 2 tsp mineral salt or to taste, depending on wether or not broth is salted
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce I like Red Boat
  • 4 cups beef bone broth
  • 2 cups filtered water
  • 3 cups basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2 limes
  • 1/3 cup scallions, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Saute onion in olive oil over low/medium heat
  • Add beef and continue to cook, stirring beef to break it apart.
  • As beef cooks, stir in garlic, ginger, salt, and spices.
  • When beef is cooked through, stir in mushrooms and continue cooking for five minutes.
  • Add zucchini noodles, broth, water, and fish sauce.
  • Gently simmer soup for 15-30 minutes.
  • Finally, stir in basil leaves just before serving.
  • Garnish with chopped scallions and lime wedges

Notes

Additional Nutrition Information: (per serving)
Total fats: 38g, Saturated fats: 9.5g, Monounsaturated fats: 19.16g, Polyunsaturated fats: 2.6g, Trans fats: .7g, Cholesterol: 49.72mg
Protein: 33.2g 
Carbohydrates: 9.5g, Fiber: 2.4g, Sugars: 4.5g
Sodium: 149mg, Potassium: 388mg, Calcium 52mg, Iron: 2.62mg
Keyword easy, keto, low-carb, nourishing, pho, soup