Vietnamese Noodle Soup
Serves 4
Making your own Vietnamese Noodle Soup or Pho at home is not difficult. All you need is an easy to follow straightforward recipe, a few Asian ingredients that you can find in your local store, and you’re good to go.
If you’re sitting there and wondering, “What is pho?” It’s a delicate and delicious Vietnamese noodle soup made from beef stock, ginger, onions, and lots of aromatic spices such as cinnamon and star anise. The way all the spices and flavors come together is amazing and the best part is that you can customize it to your own taste. It’s encouraged that you add any and all of the optional ingredients you desire to make it your very own amazing dish.
A little useful information on ingredients:
Star anise
Star anise can be used whole or ground and in both sweet and savory dishes. Use this fragrant spice whole to infuse flavor into tea, cocktails, pho, soup broth, and even pasta sauce. The ground version can be used in baked goods and is an ingredient in five-spice powder.
Fish sauce
The umami flavor in fish sauce is due to its glutamate content. Soy sauce is regarded by some in the West as a vegetarian alternative to fish sauce though they are very different in flavor. Fish sauce is not only added to dishes as a seasoning, but also used as a base in dipping sauces.
Ginger
Ginger is a popular ingredient in cooking, and especially in Asian and Indian cuisine. It has also been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes. Possible health benefits include relieving nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness, and pain.
Bean sprouts
Mung beans produce an edible sprout that is crisp with a nutty taste. These sprouts are substantial enough too stand-up to stir-frying, but they’re often used raw in salads and on sandwiches. Mung bean sprouts are low in calories, have fiber and B vitamins, and deliver a boost of vitamins C and K
Have fun in the kitchen making your pho.
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh Udon noodles or your choice of noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 6oz beef sirloin steak
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 4-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled and halved
6 cups low sodium beef broth
5 star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
4 green onions, finely sliced
2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce (depending on your taste)
2 jalapeno peppers, preferably red and green, finely sliced (optional)
Handful fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
1 cup fresh bean sprouts (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
How to make:
Prepare the Udon noodles as the label directs.
Place a large wok or frying pan over a medium high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. When hot add the steak, and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the onion and ginger to the wok, and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the broth, the star anise, and cinnamon. Reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
Thinly slice the meat against the grain. Drain the noodles.
Add the fish sauce to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Discard the ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick.
Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top with the broth, sliced beef, green onions, cilantro, bean sprouts, jalapenos, and nuts. Serve.