VEGETARIAN PHO

Can you enjoy something you don't know how to pronounce? Absolutely!! Until a year ago, I had never heard of pho. Until this past week, I did not know how to pronounce it. This broth is amazingly delicious...seriously, some of the best broth I have ever made. I am not a fan of rice noodles so next time I will substitute udon noodles and will probably add some fresh spinach. These changes will take this dish further away from its tradition since traditional pho is made with beef, fish sauce and rice noodles. If you are ready to step out of your comfort zone and try something new, this broth is a must!

You can find the recipe at “Cookie + Kate”: Vegetarian Pho.

When experimenting with spices that I have never used (like Star Anise) or purchasing spices I use infrequently (like cloves), I go to Good Foods Co-Op and buy just the amount I need from their bulk spice section. This allows me access to a large variety of spices for pennies a purchase. (See picture for the bulk spice section at Good Foods in Lexington)

Here's an article by Dr. Axe about the health benefits of star anise.

Image from the “Cookie + Kate” blog site

What I did and clarifications:

-I roasted the onion and ginger, top rack of 500 degree oven for 20 minutes

-Added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes but could not really taste it

-Dry sautéed the mushrooms so did not use oil

-Added 1 TBSP reduced sodium tamari towards the end of simmering the broth

-My broth sat for a couple of hours before straining and serving

Best to use brown rice noodles if you can find them and get pho rice noodles which are fatter (I used the wrong noodles so have included the picture from the blog post)