Looking for a soup that hits deep with flavor but doesn’t demand an all-day cook? This Vietnamese-inspired beef soup brings bold, aromatic goodness with minimal effort—just toss your beef neck bones, oxtails, and aromatics into the Instant Pot and let it do the heavy lifting. A rich, velvety broth forms the base for this East-meets-southwest twist, where smoky chiles, tomatoes, and warm spices meet melt-in-your-mouth beef. Add your favorite toppings—from crispy tortilla strips to fried poblano rings—and dig into a bowl that’s comforting, complex, and unapologetically hearty.

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vietnamese-inspired beef souip (instant pot)

Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 4 servings
Author sunny

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. beef, cubed
  • 1 tsp. five-spice powder
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. lemongrass paste (or 2 fresh stalks, crushed)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup finely diced onion (or 4 shallots for milder, sweeter flavor)
  • 2-3 ea. green Thai chilies (or sub 2-3 serranos or 1-2 jalapeño peppers)
  • 4 ea. large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" rounds
  • 1 lb. butternut squash or sweet potato, cubed
  • 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
  • 3 1/2 cups beef bone broth or stock
  • 1 ea. cinnamon stick
  • 2 ea. star anise
  • 2 ea. makrut lime leaves (or 2 bay leaves + zest from 1/2 lime)
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 4 tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup cold beef broth/stock (should be fridge-temperature)
  • 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil, roughly chopped (you can also julienne or just leave whole)
  • 2 ea. pretty pieces of basil for garnish

Instructions

  • Combine five-spice powder, salt, black pepper, lemongrass paste, garlic, and brown sugar in a mortar and pestle. Grind into a uniform paste, adding bits of the soy sauce as necessary. Mix the paste with any remaining soy sauce and pour over the cubed beef. Marinate 8 -24 hours (overnight is best).
    PS:This step is optional, but highly recommended… if you don’t want to fool with it, though, just mix it with the soy sauce and go from there.
  • Remove the beef cubes when ready to make the soup, and shake/brush off any extra marinade (mostly so the garlic doesn’t burn).
  • Heat 2 tbsp. oil in an instant pot, then add the beef cubes and brown as well as possible (it’s admittedly hard when they’re as wet as these will be). Remove to a plate.
  • Add a splash more oil if necessary, then the chopped onion or shallot. When they just start to color, add the green chilies and stir around for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the carrots, sweet potato or butternut squash cubes, crushed tomatoes, and beef stock. Stir to combine. 
  • Mix in the cinnamon stick, star anise, and makrut lime leaves (or lime zest + bay leaf).
  • Add the reserved beef cubes with any accumulated juices and give it a stir.
  • Cook at high pressure for 40 minutes, then allow a 10-15 minute natural release.
  • While waiting for the pressure to release, make the roux. Add butter or oil to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until melted or shimmering.  Sprinkle the flour over the butter, then whisk until well combined; add the cold beef stock and whisk vigorously until the mixture is perfectly smoth. (If your stock is cold enough, you should have no issue with lumps.)
  • Quick-release any remaining pressure, then switch the InstantPot to Saute and whisk the roux into the hot soup until combined. Let the soup heat until just simmering to cook off any raw flour taste, then switch off the Instant Pot. Stir in the basil, reserving two sprigs for garnish if desired.
  • Serve with rice and a side wedge of lime.