Candida Diet Friendly Asian Pho-Style Beef Broth
Rich, deeply fragrant, and built from scratch, this bowl delivers everything you love about a steaming pho without the rice noodles, fish sauce, or sugar-laden hoisin that typically make the dish off-limits. The broth starts with a classic bone-blanching step to keep it crystal clear, then gets its soul from charred onion and ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, and turmeric ā all slow-simmered for hours into a gorgeous amber liquid that tastes like it came from a serious restaurant kitchen. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce and bring that savory depth while keeping the ingredient list clean, and a splash of apple cider vinegar helps draw minerals from the bones during the long simmer. Instead of wheat noodles, spiralized zucchini ribbons soak up the hot broth beautifully and add a satisfying, slurpable texture without spiking blood sugar. Thinly sliced raw beef sirloin is added right in the bowl and gently cooked by the ladled broth ā a technique that keeps the meat silky and tender rather than tough. Fresh cilantro, basil, scallions, and a squeeze of lime finish each bowl with brightness that makes the whole thing feel alive. It takes patience, but the payoff is a deeply nourishing, gut-friendly meal that genuinely does not feel like a compromise.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
For the broth
- 3 lb beef marrow bones or knuckle bones
- 1 lb beef oxtail or short rib pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, halved
- 1 piece fresh ginger (about 3 inches), halved lengthwise
- 1 stick ceylon cinnamon (about 3 inches)
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
Ingredient noteCoconut aminos is a common stand-in for soy sauce on a candida diet. It does carry a little sugar from coconut sap, but this recipe uses only about 1 1/2 teaspoons per serving, which is likely fine.
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 10 cups cold water
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
For serving
- Ā¾ lb beef sirloin or eye of round, very thinly sliced
- 4 medium zucchini, spiralized or peeled into ribbons
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- Ā½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- Ā½ cup fresh thai basil or regular basil leaves
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the beef bones and oxtail in the stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 minutes, until a grey foam rises to the surface. Drain, discard the blanching water, and rinse the bones and pot thoroughly under cold running water.
- 2
Set the oven broiler to high. Place the halved onion and ginger cut-side up on a baking sheet and broil 4ā5 inches from the element for 8ā10 minutes, until the cut surfaces are deeply charred and fragrant.
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