Pho`...Vietnamese Soup {In My Kitchen}

My girlfriend recently shared a really delicious recipe with me for Pho`.

I have really wanted to make this for my family, and had been looking for a recipe that was easy, and one where I didn't have to cook a whole chicken to make it.

The recipe is from The Family Dinner Cookbook, which is now on my "to buy" list....and there is a great website that goes along with it

The Family Dinner

You can find the recipe HERE on Martha Stewart's website, which includes a video segment. 

 Laurie David was on Martha's show and made this soup.  They call it "Vietnamese Teapot Soup".  The cookbook is promoting family dinners, so the idea is that you can take the broth to the table in the teapot, and have all the vegetables on the table so  everyone can customize their own bowl...fun idea!

I will also post the recipe below...and I marked some of the changes I made.

This recipe calls for chicken, but you could easily omit this and make it a vegetarian meal!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces flat rice noodles or cooked angel hair pasta - I used Chinese Egg noodles
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth - I use Better than Bullion
• 1 onion, halved
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar   I didn't put this in
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 bunch fresh leafy herbs such as mint, basil, Thai basil, or cilantro
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons sliced scallions
• 2 medium carrots, grated
• 1 fresh red or green chile, very thinly sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced or 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, plus more for serving - we used soy sauce
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Asian chile sauce
• Hoisin sauce- we also had oyster sauce and sirachai sauce
• ** I also added in some bok choy after the broth was ready

Directions

1. If using rice noodles, place in hot water to soak; soak for 15 minutes and drain; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth, onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully skim surface of any impurities and discard. Remove chicken from liquid and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside, reserving liquid.
3. If using rice noodles, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook, stirring, for 45 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer noodles or pasta to a large serving bowl; toss with vegetable oil and set aside.
4. Fill a glass halfway with water and arrange herbs like a flower arrangement; set aside. Place bean sprouts, scallions, carrots, chile, lime wedges, and shallots each in individual small serving bowls. Set aside.
5. Return chicken cooking liquid to a simmer; stir in fish sauce and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Strain broth into a teapot and keep any remaining broth heated on the stove. Fill serving bowls as desired with chicken, noodles, herbs, bean sprouts, scallions, carrots, lime wedges, and shallots; add hot broth and garnish as desired with fish sauce, chile sauce, and hoisin sauce. Serve immediately.
   
   
   Give this soup a try ...it is really delicious!!