Vietnamese Pho
Vietnamese pho is a brothy noodle dish filled with nutritious vegetables steeped in a delicate but flavorful broth with notes of cinnamon and anise and garnished with bright herbs like cilantro and basil. This is one of those recipes that leaves you feeling completely comforted and satisfied without feeling heavy.
Servings
Produce
Garlic (Organic)
4 2 Clove
Yellow Onion (Organic)
1/2 0.25 Whole
Ginger Root
1 0.5 oz
Shiitake mushrooms
8 4 oz
Lime
1 0.5 Whole
Jalapeno Pepper (Organic)
1 0.5 Whole
Basil - Thai Sweet
1 0.5 oz
Cilantro (Organic)
.5 0.25 oz
Canton Bok Choy
7 3.5 oz
Protein & more
Extra firm tofu
1 0.5 Package
Brown Rice Noodles
1 0.5 Package
Pantry items
Sesame oil
1 0.5 tablespoon
Sea salt
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Spice mix
Tamari
3 1.5 tablespoon
Brown sugar, light
1 0.5 tablespoon
Rice vinegar
1 0.5 tablespoon
Star anise
1 0.5 Whole
Cinnamon stick
1 0.5 Whole
Prep ahead (optional)
a. ¼” slice bok choy stems; chop leaves bite-sized. b. Tear Thai basil leaves from stem, reserve stem for broth; stack leaves and finely slice into ribbons. c. Remove shiitake mushrooms stems and reserve for broth; ¼” slice caps. d. Thinly slice yellow onion. e. Thinly slice jalapeno. Remove seeds as desired. f. Peel ginger. Mince, grate, or thinly slice. g. Mince garlic. h. Tear cilantro leaves from stem, reserve stem for broth; rough chop leaves. i. Cut lime into wedges for juicing.
Instructions
1
Cook noodles:
a. In large saucepan or dutch oven over high heat, add 12 cups water; cover and bring to a boil.
b. Add brown rice noodles; stir to avoid sticking. Reduce heat to medium and cook at a low boil until tender, about 10 minutes.
c. Drain; toss with 1 tbsp sesame oil to avoid sticking.
2
Meanwhile, cook broth:
a. In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 4 cups water (2 cups for 2-person portion), pho base, star anise, cinnamon sticks, basil stems (reserve leaves), cilantro stems (reserve leaves), and shiitake mushroom stems (reserve caps). Cover and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and keep at a low simmer.
3
Cook Tofu:
a. Drain extra firm tofu. Using paper towels, press as much water from tofu as possible. Slice into 1” steaks. Season with ½ tsp salt.
b. In large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. When pan is hot but not smoking, add tofu steaks. Sear until golden, about 2 minutes each side. Chop steaks into 1” cubes. Set aside.
4
Cook vegetables:
a. In same sauté pan over high heat, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Add ginger (peel, mince, grate or finely slice), garlic (mince), yellow onion (thinly slice), and bok choy stems (¼” slice, reserve leaves).
b. Add shiitake mushroom caps (¼” slice). Sauté about 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat; add bok choy leaves (chop bite-sized) and stir to wilt.
5
Assemble pho:
a. Divide brown rice noodles among bowls. Layer vegetables on top.
b. Ladle broth over vegetables (strain broth or simply leave flavorings behind in pan). Garnish with a squeeze of lime (cut in wedges), cilantro leaves (rough chop), Thai basil leaves (stack leaves, roll lengthwise, cut ribbons), and, if using, jalapeño (thinly slice).
Chef's notes
Instead of sautéing the aromatics and vegetables (garlic, ginger, onion, and bok choy), you can also leave them fresh, leaving only the mushrooms to sauté. This not only shortens cook time, but it also creates a soup with much more variety in textures.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX