Residing in Northern VA, we have access to some of the most amazing Vietnamese cuisine you could ever imagine. I’ve been introduced to so many wonderful dishes thanks to all of the local restaurants in the area. Most people are familiar with Pho, the traditional Vietnamese soup that is known for it’s aromatic broth. The broth begins with marrow rich bones and includes spices such as cinnamon, clove, anise and ginger. It is then simmered for hours to achieve just the right balance of flavors. My version calls for beef broth and a heaping teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice which hits all of these notes but doesn’t require hours to achieve an intensely flavorful broth.
For the broth:
- 4 cups of reduced sodium beef broth
- 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
Ingredients for your Pho:
- 1 bag Shirataki noodles *
- bunch of cilantro,
- bunch of mint
- bunch of basil
- handful of bean sprouts
- 1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 tbs white onion, sliced
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- Sriracha to taste
- Hoisin to taste
- Lime wedges for garnish
Begin by putting your broth over medium – high heat. Add in Chinese Five Spice, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Allow to simmer while you ready the rest of your ingredients.
Drain and rinse Shirataki noodles and cut them a bit with kitchen shears to make them more manageable. Add them, along with the rest of your ingredients to a large bowl and pour broth over top. Add Sriracha and hoisin to taste and finish with a squeeze of lime juice. YUM!
* Shirataki Noodles a great pasta substitute that are made from tofu and are lighter than regular pasta. They’re also ridiculously low in calories and fat and taste amazing. You can read a bit more about them and find out where to purchase here.
This is a pretty straight forward version of Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) but feel free to switch it up by adding shrimp, more veggies, whatever.