How I make Faux Pho
The confluence of my addiction, budget and health needs lead to this concoction
I love pho. This Vietnamese concoction is, for me, the ultimate comfort food. Sipping the hot, flavorful broth transports me to a happy place. It’s absurdly simple and delightfully complex. The secret, IMHO, is the rich long-simmered broth. Traditional Vietnamese home cooks, from what I’ve gathered, will simmer bone broth for anywhere from 6 to 24 hours. Spices and any vegetables used to make the broth are not added until the last hour or two.
This nourishing liquid forms the base of a bowl of pho. Rice noodles and raw meat are added to a bowl over which the broth is poured, which quickly cooks everything. What could be simpler?
Fresh herbs, sprouts, condiments, onions or scallions, and peppers can all be added.
In my area, there are a half dozen pho places within 10 minutes of my house. It is a pho mecca. Some local joints have amusing names like Pho King Good and Pho Shizzle. Most serve huge portions.
So why would I bother making my own, particularly when making the broth is so labor intensive?
Partly it’s because I actually like to cook and soup is one of my favorite things to make. Partly though, it’s for health and humane reasons.
I don’t like what factory farms due to animals. I’m not opposed to meat but I think we should treat the animals with respect. While it’s more expensive, I cook with pastured meats. Since I’m on a budget, that means I don’t eat much meat, but that is healthier.
In studying the Blue Zones and other long-lived populations, it was discovered that these folks weren’t subsisting on chicken fried steak.
Animals that are well treated and given access to pasture are healthier and happier, and that makes their meat better for those who eat it. Call me crazy but if a living creature is nourishing me, shouldn’t the least I do to respect that is making sure it has a decent life?
So I use pastured bones to make my broth and add thin slices of pastured meat to the hot soup.
When I make my own pho, the focus on health doesn’t stop with the broth or the meat, though. My pho has no MSG or other potentially harmful substances. The basil and hot peppers are from my garden. I make my own sprouts. The cilantro and onions I use are organic. I also typically add organic broccoli or cabbage because these are potent anti-carcinogens and I like the flavor. I’ve also been known to add cooked rice instead of rice noodles — I prefer the taste of the latter but haven’t been able to source an organic version and I try to eat as clean as possible.
Well, this is a faux pho. I never claimed it was purely authentic!
So, what is a good recipe? Here is my version, but feel free to modify based on your own tastes and dietary needs. Feel free to go vegan if that is your bliss. Or add an egg or carrots or flavor with miso. Focus on what you love and the comfort will follow.
The Broth
- 3 pounds of cleaned beef bones — I suggest marrow and knuckle bones
- 3–4 pieces of star anise
- 3–4 cloves
- 3–4 cardamom pods
- A large stick of cinammon
- 1–2 onions
- A knob of ginger
- Nam pla or sea salt to taste
- A gallon of water
First par-boil the bones for 10–15 minutes and skim off the scum. Then simmer in a crockpot or on the stove at low heat for at least 8 hours or up to 24. Towards the last 2 hours of cooking, add the other ingredients. Then at the end, strain everything out and discard the solids. You will have a delicious, nourishing broth. Add nam pla or sea salt to taste. Always add a little and take a taste before adding more!
The pho
I usually make my pho with some nutritious veggies like broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage. So I get a pint simmering on the stove and toss in fresh or frozen veggies — about a cup’s worth.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, I place some rice noodles or cooked rice, about 2–3 ounces of thinly sliced pastured meat, and a few thin slices of red onion and hot pepper. I pour my hot broth mixture over this and then add fresh herbs. Sometimes I add a squeeze of lime, sometimes a squirt of honey. If my sprouts are ready to harvest, I’ll add a generous handful.
I’ve been thinking of using quinoa next time instead of rice. I know, blasphemy. But it’s a nutritional powerhouse and very tasty. So I might give it a try…
What do you think? Are you going to try making your own pho? How will you modify the recipe to make it yummier?
Whatever you do, enjoy the boost of nutrition from your own healthy home-made soup!
