Pho

Pho is so easy to make that I feel a little bit silly posting a "recipe" for it. The ingredients list should be taken as a general guide-- it's up to you to find the proportion of lime/noodles/garnishes that you like!


Anyway, this is one of my very favorite quick lunches or dinners, because it takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish (unless you want to go crazy and make vegetable broth from scratch-- more on that later). I like it both with and without tofu. If you have some left over asian-ish flavoured tofu, throw that in-- it tastes great and makes it more of a complete meal.


Now, about the broth. The cookbook that this recipe was inspired by instructed the cook to make her own vegetable broth, which isn't exactly condusive to a quick supper. I usually make it with frozen or canned veggie broth, or even cubes, and it still tastes wonderful. So do as you like.

Pho (serves 2)



4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup water, or to taste
2 star anise
2 clove
1/2 inch chunk of peeled ginger
1 lime
1/2 lb thin-to-medium rice noodles
3 scallions, sliced
2 thai bird chiles, or other spicy chile, chopped (red looks prettiest)
1/2 lb bean sprouts
Generous handful of cilantro, chopped
Asian basil leaves
Lime wedges

Put the vegetable broth in a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Add the water (it will simmer for a while, and get too concentrated without the extra water). Put the spices and ginger in a spice bag, and put in the broth. (Or just put them in the pot, and fish them out before serving.) Let simmer on lowest heat while you prepare the rice noodles.

Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. (Mine are about 1/4'' wide, and take around 8 minutes to cook.) While the noodles are cooking, prepare the garnishes.

When the noodles are just-tender (don't over cook!), rinse them with water until the water runs clear, then drain. Put into bowls (the bigger the better!), squeeze the lime into the broth, and pour the hot broth over the noodles. Top with garnishes of your choice.

Enjoy!