Bring a taste of Vietnam to your door with my delicious, nutritious and healthy phở recipe.
Pho, a Vietnamese classic that is healthy, delicious and nutritious. A dish typically made from chicken (pho ga) or beef (pho bo) consisting of a spiced broth, rice noodles and garnishes. One of Vietnam's most popular street foods can be enjoyed at all times of the day, and if you're a local even at breakfast. When travelling Vietnam there are regional variations which change pho's composition such as different meats, broths, garnishes and dressing sauces. For example, in southern Vietnam pho is more herbal, less meaty and beansprouts are a common occurrence whereas in the north there are no beansprouts, the broth is richer, the toppings are simpler and it is often served with a side of quay (a fried dough).
The historical wars of Vietnam shape so much of the cuisine today. Through hardship came resourcefulness and innovation that has given rise to some quirky and delicious dishes. Not just pho but egg coffee, banh mi and many more. The origin of pho is disputed but in my opinion almost anything goes as long as the key ingredients are maintained i.e. broth, protein, garnishes and noods.
A resourceful way to make pho at home is utilising left overs from a roasted whole chicken; the meat can be used as a topping, the carcass can be used to make the stock and if any crispy chicken skin is left it makes a tasty garnish. The same applies to vegetables, as those prescribed in my recipe aren't set in stone they can be exchanged for any soon to be out of date veggies. Thinly slice or blanch as toppings or add to the base stock to add complexity to its flavour.
I would always recommend making stock at home because of the nutritional benefits; it's high in protein, low in calories, fat and sugars as well as containing collagen and minerals. Not only this, at home you are in control of the process whereas many dried options may have high levels of salt or are made from dehydrated bone powders or pastes to save on cost. If you don't have time to make the stock base you can always cheat by using Waitrose "Cooks Ingredient Chicken Stock" as it's made from bones and produced authentically. To get a similar result to my recipe infuse the stock on the hob on a low heat with the spices listed.
Noods are essential. Flat rice noodles are authentic to the dish and mostly gluten free, however, if you only have egg noodles or a similar such noodle go ahead and use them. Just know it will still taste good but wont be "authentic". For our keto friends, instead of noodles try using Enoki mushrooms. These 'shrooms are thin, long and white that make a healthy alternative to rice noodles. To cook with these, separate the mushrooms into strands and blanch them when reheating the stock until soft.
Now for those finishing touches, pho wouldn't be pho without a healthy amount of garnishing and a dash of sauce. In southern Vietnam it's common to finish pho with a splash of hoisin sauce, however, both north and south usually offer lime or kumquat wedges, sliced chillies, diced garlic, chilli or fish sauce and zingy aromatics such as cilantro. This combination of ingredients provides top notes of spicy, sour, sweet and salty flavours that awaken the taste buds. It is this balance of flavours and the spirit to be resourceful that are at the heart of Vietnamese cooking, despite what some pho purists might say.
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