Pho Sho: Vietnamese Faux Pho that won’t make you pho up
If you’re into Vietnamese food, one of the hardest meals to give up is Pho. After all, the probability of finding vegetarian Pho (that’s NOT made with chicken or beef stock) at any decent Vietnamese restaurant is almost absurd. The recipe offers a tasty substitute for those days when you just want some damn Pho.
Go Pho it! (That expression is mildly retarded, I know, but I had to go Pho it. And now I can’t stop…)
Serves 6
What You Need:
- 3- to 4-ounce bundle thin rice noodles or bean-thread noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 32-ounce carton low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 5- to 6-inch piece kombu (optional)
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 2 cups water
- 6 to 8 ounces seitan, cut into thin shreds
- 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, or more to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Thinly sliced lime sections for garnish
What You Do:
- Cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente, then drain and cut into shorter lengths suitable for soup. Set aside until needed.
- Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté over medium-low heat until golden.
- Add the broth, kombu, soy sauce, ginger, five-spice powder and water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Add the seitan, bean sprouts, half of the scallions, and half of the cilantro. Season with lime juice, pepper and, if desired, some additional soy sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes longer, then remove from the heat.
- Serve at once, garnishing the top of each serving with a thin wedge or two of lime, and the remaining cilantro and scallions.
Recipe courtesy of VegNews.com and photo courtesy of To Live and Eat in L.A.
