One-Pot Pho-Style Beef Meatball Soup
with Veggie Noodles & Spiced Broth
- Wheat
- Fish
- Soy
To paraphrase Anthony Bourdain, a good bowl of pho will always make us happy. This iconic Vietnamese noodle soup has a heady broth, deep with beef flavor and fragrant with aromatics, that comes from simmering all day. It’s what inspired our riff with silky ribbons of zucchini and carrots in place of traditional rice noodles. Our shortcut version comes together in minutes instead of hours. Big, tender meatballs cook right in the pot, adding more beefy goodness to the broth—scented with ginger and lemongrass. Finish with a bright squeeze of lime juice and some chili flakes for a big bowl that’s as delicious as it is life affirming.
Ingredients
1 unit
Zucchini
6 ounce
Carrots
2 unit
Scallions
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
1 thumb
Ginger
1 unit
Lime
10 ounce
Ground Beef
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
18 milliliters
Ponzu Sauce
(Contains: Wheat, Fish, Soy)
3 unit
Veggie Pho Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Beef Stock Concentrate
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
Not included in your delivery
¾ teaspoon
Sugar
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • Trim ends from zucchini and carrot; peel carrot. Using a peeler, shave zucchini and carrot lengthwise into ribbons, rotating as you go, until you get to the seedy cores; discard cores. • In a medium bowl, toss veggie ribbons with one packet ponzu (two packets for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally. • Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens; finely chop whites. Peel and mince ginger until you have ½ tsp (1 tsp for 4). Quarter lime.
• In a second medium bowl, combine beef*, panko, garlic powder, half the scallion greens, remaining ponzu, one veggie pho stock concentrate, 3 TBSP water, ¾ tsp sugar, ¼ tsp salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, use two veggie pho stock concentrates, 6 TBSP water, 1¼ tsp sugar, and ½ tsp salt.) • Form into 6 equal-size meatballs (12 meatballs for 4).
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 3-6 minutes (they’ll finish cooking in step 5). (For 4 servings, you may need to work in batches.) • Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Wipe out any burnt bits in pot if needed.
• Return same pot to medium-high heat. (TIP: If pan seems dry, add a drizzle of oil.) Add ginger and scallion whites; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. • Stir in 4 cups water (8 cups for 4 servings), beef stock concentrate, and remaining veggie pho stock concentrates; bring to a boil.
• Once broth begins to boil, add meatballs along with any juices from plate. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook until flavors meld, 8-10 minutes. • Taste and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Divide zucchini and carrot ribbons between bowls; top with meatballs and as much broth as you like. (You may have some broth left over— seconds!) Top with scallion greens, a big squeeze of lime juice, and chili flakes to taste. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the rich, flavorful broth; some found it bland and added extra seasoning for depth 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Veggie ribbons were time-consuming; several suggested cutting vegetables smaller for easier eating.
- Suggestions: Consider adding rice noodles or quinoa for a heartier meal; try making smaller meatballs that hold together better.
- Portions: Some found it light for dinner; others had plenty for leftovers or added extra ingredients to bulk it up.
- Meatballs: Tender and tasty, though a few had trouble with them falling apart while cooking.
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