Recipe: Faux Pho

On a gloomy day like today, I thought this is just what a San Franciscan needs. I made this earlier in the week, and it was absolutely delicious and beautiful! I was craving Pho, the Vietnamese meal-in-a-bowl, and turned to my very thoughtful Christmas gift from my boyfriend, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. I think of this book as the Joy of Cooking for Vegetarians. It’s simple, easy to reference and diverse in its recipe choices. Lately, I’ve also been especially enjoying using fresh herbs in everything; they make every dish come to life and are strongly encouraged in an Ayurvedic diet, plus they look so pretty in my kitchen. I made my Faux Pho for one but it could easily be doubled for two without too much trouble. Enjoy this delicious meal!

Pho is traditionally based on a base of fish and meat, hence this being a ‘faux’ pho ;)

Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

serves 1.

For Soup:

2 ounces dried vermicelli
1/2 T coconut oil

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/4 T fresh ginger, minced

1/8 t ground coriander

1/8 t ground cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg

1/8 c mix of Bragg’s amino acids and light soy sauce

1 bay leaf

1 c sliced vegetables (like bok choy, napa cabbage, mustard greens, broccoli, broccoli raab, carrots, green beans, summer squash, or a combination)
1/4 c exra firm tofu, well drained & diced

For Topping/Garnish:

1/4 c mung bean sprouts

1 stem cilantro

1 stem mint

1 stem basil

1/2 scallion

Cook the vermicelli in boiling salted water until just tender, 2 to 4 minutes; drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside. Put the oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about a minute. Add the spices and stir until warm and fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in 2 cups of water, the Braggs/Soy Sauce and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower the heat so that the soup bubbles gently, and partially cover while you prepare the toppings and garnishes. Chiffonade leaves of herbs, chop scallion, and arrange these and bean sprouts serve. Back to the pot: add vegetables and tofu to simmering soup. Turn the heat to med-high, cover, and cook for 3-5 min or until vegetables are just tender. Stir in the vermicelli and serve in big bowls with the beautiful garnishes. Yuuuuuuuummmmm!

• Vata: Increase oil to 1 T. Can choose cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg. Use bok choy (sparingly), carrots, mustard greens, green beans, and/or squash. Minimize mung bean sprouts.

•  Pitta: Use 1/2 clove garlic, 1/4 t coriander and choose cinnamon. Omit bay leaf. Minimize use of bragg’s/soy sauce (add slowly and taste to see how much is really needed). Use any of vegetables except mustard greens. Increase mint and cilantro and decrease basil in garnish.

•  Kapha: Can choose cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg. Minimize use of bragg’s/soy sauce (add slowly and taste to see how much is really needed). Use any of vegetables except squashes. Use sprouts & fresh herbs to your heart desire.