Vietnamese Style Pho Soup (With Vegan Options!)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 L liquid stock of choice
• 400g of organic chicken mince (for vegan option add 400g silken tofu cubed immediately before serving)
• 1 tbsp finely sliced fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 whole star anise
• 2 cinnamon quills
• 1 dessertspoon coconut sugar
• 1-2 tbsp fish sauce to your taste (for vegan option substitute with Tamari)
• 375g favourite asian noodle (try a brown rice vermicelli or organic udon noodle!)
• 1-2 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 green onions (shallots), thinly sliced
• 1/2 a bunch of fresh coriander, stalks and leaves finely chopped
• 1 carrot, julienned or grated
• 1 cup fresh sliced green beans or snow peas and/or mung bean sprouts
• 1 long red (mild) chilli, seeds removed & thinly sliced (optional)
• 1/3 cup fresh thai basil leaves, to serve
• 1/2 cup extra coriander leaves, to serve

Cook noodles in a saucpan of boiling water as per packet instructions. Drain and set aside, keeping warm. Heat oil in a large saucepan over low to moderate heat, add mince and stir to break up meat as it cooks, using a wooden spatula. Once the meat is half-cooked and well minced (around 2 mins) add the stock, whole spices and garlic, ginger and sugar to the saucepan. Put lid on and increase the heat so the stock is simmering very gently for 20 mins. Add fish sauce (or Tamari) and veggies, bring to a simmer for another 3-4 minutes so veggies are just cooked. Ladle soup over noodles in individual bowls and allow diners to garnish their serving with as little or as much chopped fresh herbs as they like! Leftovers are even tastier the next day 🙂

Recipe lovingly created for us by Leonie Small