Vegan Pho Noodle Bowl

People weren’t kidding when they told me that Seattle is a rainy city. In the winter, the skies are gray and misty almost everyday. It’s damp and cold and pretty miserable. I find myself drinking lots of tea to get by.  Aside from its rainy reputation, Seattle is also known for its amazing Asian food, especially Vietnamese. One really popular Vietnamese meal is a noodle dish called ‘pho’, pronounced as if you’re starting to say the bad f-word and leave off the “ck”. There are Vietnamese restaurants  advertising pho all over the place here, literally on every street! Traditionally pho is made with beef broth, but I’ve seen a lot of vegetarian versions here (Seattle is really veg-friendly). On a cloudy, cold day a few weeks ago, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try a steaming bowl of vegetable pho. And holy crap, it was delicious. It is the perfect thing to eat on a rainy day.

I was super excited to make my own version of pho, and it did not disappoint. The smell of the simmering broth on the stove filled my entire apartment with its warm, inviting smell.  I used a bunch of warming spices that release a subtle flavor to make a delicious, savory broth. The star anise and ginger are classic additions to pho broth and all the others are an integral part in making this broth fantastic. You don’t need the beef to get that savory taste. Nope, not at all.

The vegetables are vibrant and the garnishes! Oh the garnishes! Let’s just say that Thai basil is freaking delicious.  Don’t skimp on the basil or cilantro. In addition to adding tons of nutrients, they also add so much flavor a make the soup taste so fresh.

Vegetable Pho (makes 2 very large bowls or 4 smaller bowls)

Broth:

2 large onions, peeled and roughly chopped

5 crimini, shiitake, or button mushrooms, sliced

7 cloves of garlic, each clove sliced in half

1 3” piece of ginger, sliced

1 ½ tablespoons fennel seeds

4 cardamom pods

4 star anise

7 whole cloves

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 Tbs sea salt

7 cups water

1.  Put all of the broth ingredients (spices, onions, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and water ) in a pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer one hour or more with the lid on.

2. Strain broth through a mesh strainer into another pot and set aside. Discard the solids.

Noodle Bowl Add-Ins:

Rice noodles

Broccoli, cut into tiny florets

Carrots, thinly sliced

Baby bok choy (or baby spinach), roughly chopped

Snow peas, sliced

Garnishes:

Thai basil, cilantro, mung bean sprouts, lime, scallions, tamari, sriracha

Assembly:

1. Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Strain them and divide them between the bowls you will be eating from.

2. Add your vegetable add-ins to the hot pot of broth.  Heat very gently on the stove just until the the broccoli turns bright green and the bok choy (or spinach) wilts.

3. Ladle the broth and vegetables into the bowls of cooked rice noodles. Garnish with lots of Thai basil, cilantro, mung bean sprouts, scallions, lime juice, tamari, and sriracha. Enjoy.

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Five Minute Spaghetti Squash Bowl

I don't know about you, but I've been in many situations (usually at the end of a long week) where I look into my refrigerator and there's hardly anything in there but a few odds and ends. And it's during these instances where my mind starts creating and discovering ways to combine whatever little bit of produce and leftovers that I have into meals. And I have to say, most of the time, I'm pretty impressed with my brief moments of genius. This meal was the product of one of those moments.

I realize I've never talked about spaghetti squash before on the blog, but I have to say it's one of my favorite squashes to cook with. All you do it cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, drizzle it with olive oil, and roast it cut-side-up at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. You then gently scoop out the flesh with a spoon and magically, you have spaghetti! Not just any type of spaghetti, but crazy healthy, vitamin A packed and perfectly al-dente spaghetti that can be used any way you would typically serve regular spaghetti. It's really awesome with a quick sauce made with sundried tomatoes and lots of garlic, I might add. Anyways, for this meal, I had half of a leftover cooked spaghetti squash in my refrigerator, plus a half head of broccoli. There were some kalamata olives leftover from a previous meal, plus a bit of goat feta cheese that I had bought as a treat a few days prior. That was about it. So, all I did was put the squash and broccoli in a frying pan with a splash of water, warmed it up until the broccoli was bright green, and topped it with the olives and cheese, plus a healthy grind of black pepper. It was one of the best lunches I had all week. Plus, it was ready to eat in 5 minutes. Gotta love those moments of genius.

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