what's for dinner tonight: Vietnamese pho with vegetables

I have been craving pho for the longest time. However, I had such a difficult time finding any restaurants that actually served a vegetarian version that I just decided to make it myself. I had a sous chef help me tonight, and towards the end of our meal, we were both groaning from the massive amount of noodles we had consumed-- it was that good.

Ingredients:

1 onion

Ginger root (about 3 inches)

1 stick of Vietnamese cassia cinnamon

1 star anise

1 tsp. of ground corriander

2 cloves of garlic

4 large carrots, cut into small pieces (I ended up using 12 baby carrots, sliced diagonally in half)

1 lbs of banh pho noodles

4 cups of vegetable stock

2 tsp. of soy sauce

Toppings:

This is based on preference. We used broccoli, snow peas, tofu and carrots. Some other toppings that would go well are napa cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms or bean curd skin.

Garnishes:

This is also based on preference. We had Sriracha sauce, lime wedges, sliced chile pepper, bean sprouts, sliced onion, green onion and cilantro. A few other garnishes that could be used are Thai basil, mint, different types of peppers, or a spoonful of Hoisin sauce.

Peel both the onion and ginger root, and cut in half. Set these onto a baking pan, lined with aluminum foil, and broil until it is slightly blackened, about 10 minutes on each side. Peel off any burnt edges and wash with water.

In a large pot, dry roast (absolutely do not add any water or oils and do not cover), on medium-low, the cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and corriander. Star anise and the Vietnamese cinnamon stick, along with the pho noodles were found at 888 International Market (aisle 11, I had a hard time finding it!) Stir frequently in order to avoid burning. We ended up doing this until the onion and ginger finished broiling, about 20 minutes.

Your kitchen will start to smell very aromatic!

Stir in the vegetable stock, soy sauce, and carrots, along with the charred onion and ginger. Bring the liquid to a boil, and then lower the heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, set the pho noodles into a large bowl. Boil about 8 cups of water and pour onto the noodles. Let this sit for 20-30 minutes, until the noodles are soft and chewy.

When there are only a few minutes left, lightly cook your toppings in the broth.

Drain the noodles and add into a bowl. Strain out your toppings and add these into the bowl along with any garnish. Ladle the soup into your bowl.

There it is! A yummy meal with a ton of delicious vegetables. You can add as many vegetables, or as little vegetables, depending on your taste. I went ahead and pan-fried some tofu, which is also a delicious alternative. Squeeze the lime onto your pho and you are ready to eat. If you're into spicy food, I recommend using Sriracha sauce.

Enjoy! Nom, nom, nom..