Un'Phở'gettable Soup

Soup is the life

Soup is the bounty of life
The earth gives to us her bounty
And we return the favor
By making yummy soup!

These are the first lines of ‘Soup is the Life,’ a lively tune that was to be the theme song of the ‘Soup is Magik’ blog. Unfortunately, Dara and I were in such soup-making ecstasies as we improvised on the melodies, we forgot to write them down. I’m sure they were great. If you have any ideas on what tune we should use for the ‘Soup is Magik’ theme song, let us know. In the meantime, here is a delicious vegetarian Phở soup recipe to get you in the mood for Fall’s soup-making season. It’s taken from thekitchn.com website, with a few minor adjustments for us soup amateurs:

Vegetarian Phở (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

Serves 3

Broth


1 large onion, peeled and halved


a few chunks of fresh ginger root, around 2 inches each


3-inch cinnamon stick

2 cloves


1 teaspoon coriander seeds


6 cups unsalted vegetable stock


4 teaspoons soy sauce


6 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

Noodles


1/2 pound dried flat rice noodles (known as bánh phở; use 1/16", 1/8", or 1/4" width depending on availability and preference). We weren’t able to find these, so we used vermicelli rice noodles, which worked just fine.

Toppings (optional)


Protein such as fried or baked tofu, bean curd skin, or seitan
, mushrooms
, vegetables such as bok choy, napa cabbage, or broccoli.

Garnishes

1/2 onion, very thinly sliced
, 2 scallions, thinly sliced, 
1 chile pepper (Thai bird, serrano, or jalapeño), sliced, 
1 lime, cut into wedges, 
1 cup bean sprouts
.

Large handful of herbs: cilantro, Thai basil, culantro/saw-leaf herb


Hoisin sauce, sriracha (optional)

For the broth

Char onion and ginger over an open flame (holding with tongs) or directly under a broiler until slightly blackened, about 5 minutes on each side. Rinse with water.
Dara and I charred them over the stove flame, which was kind of fun, like S’mores-making. However, it would probably be faster to broil ‘em.

In a large pot, dry roast cinnamon, cloves, and coriander over medium-low heat, stirring to prevent burning. When spices are aromatic, add vegetable stock, soy sauce, carrots, and charred onion and ginger.

Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain and keep hot until ready to serve.

For the noodles
 While broth is simmering, place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for 20-30 minutes or until tender but still chewy. Drain. (If soaking does not soften the noodles enough, blanch them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.)

For the toppings (optional)
 While broth is simmering, prepare toppings as desired – slice and cook tofu, lightly steam or blanch vegetables, etc. Toppings should be unseasoned or only lightly seasoned so as not to interfere with the flavor of the broth.

To serve


Divide noodles between three bowls. We added some of the vegetables that had been boiled in the broth too. They were tasty, and we just hate to waste!

Arrange toppings over noodles. Ladle about 2 cups of broth into each bowl. Serve with garnishes on the side, which diners should add to taste. Be happy because you are eating delicious, nutritious soup.

The end