INGREDIENTS:
Pho Broth:
- 3 Medium sized cinnamon sticks
- 3 Whole cloves
- 2 Whole star anise
- 1 Large white onion, peeled quartered
- 1 four-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced in half down the middle
- 6 Cups of vegetable stock / broth
- 2 Cups of water
- 2 Tablespoons of reduced-sodium tamari or soy-sauce
- 1 Package of rice noodles
- Salt to taste
Garnishes:
- Feel free to add garnishes of your choice! That's what's fun about this recipe, you can add or take away as many garnishes as you like. Customize it to your taste!
Garnishes we recommend:
- Sprigs of fresh basil (use Thai basil if possible)
- Sprigs of fresh mint
- Thinly sliced green onions (mostly green parts)
- Shiitake and/or King Oyster mushrooms
- Extra firm tofu sliced in long pieces
- Small wedge(s) of lime
- Cilantro (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- Peel & quarter onion, slice ginger, place both on baking tray & broil ~ 10mins
- Toast cinnamon / cloves / star anise until fragrant ~ 5mins
- Add onion & ginger, vegetable stock water & Tamari. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer ~ 40mins (longer if you want to increase the spice flavour in broth)
- In the meantime, as the broth simmers, prepare your rice noodles by cooking them according to the package directions. Set them to the side (Ensure you leave the noodles in cold water to prevent them from sticking together)
- To prepare the shiitake mushrooms, warm the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and a few dashes of salt. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 4 to 6 minutes, then set aside.
- Slice the tofu (We did lengthwise, but feel free to cube if you prefer), add 1 tbsp oil to pan with 1 tbsp of tamari, add tofu. Cook on medium heat until golden brown. Remove and set to the side.
- Once the broth is done cooking, strain out the onions, ginger and spice (this is easiest with a small metal sieve, but you can also strain the mixture through a colander into another large bowl). Season it to taste with extra tamari and/or salt until the flavours of the spices really shine.
- Ladle the broth into bowls. Add cooked noodles, mushrooms, and all the fresh garnishes you choose! Serve immediately after adding the garnish!
Enjoy!