Pho (Vietnamese rice noodle soup) with broccoli and tofu

I posted a pho recipe not so long ago. Follow the technique there for preparing the tofu until I manage to put up a separate post on foolproof tofu prep (coming up shortly).

This version of pho is great for the evening because it's light, yet packed full of nutrients. You've got more or less everything you need here in one bowl of joy!



Serves: 4
Cost per serving: 7 zl (1.26 GBP, 1.60 Euros, 39,000 Vietnamese Dong)

You'll need: 

- 300g tofu (prepare according to the previous pho recipe or the next post on foolproof tofu prep)
- a mix of veg for the stock (1 carrot, 1/2 white radish, leftover broccoli, a couple of slices of celeriac, 2 celery stalks, 1 leek, some kale, some slices of ginger)
- 1 onion
- 2 star anise
- 4 black cardamons
- 2 cloves
- 1 tsp pepper corns
- 1 piece of cinnamon
- 1-2 tsp of salt
- 1-2 apples
- 300g rice noodles
- 8 pieces of broccoli per person (so one head of broccoli for 4 people, more or less)
- 1 clove of garlic roughly chopped
- a good splash of soy sauce
- finely chopped spring onion
- chopped fresh coriander (if you can get it)
- mung bean sprouts
- lamb's lettuce
- 1 lime
- chilli paste (optional)

Prepare this in stages. First of all, make sure the tofu's ready. Having done that, we can proceed with the stock.

The stock.

1. Halve the onion. Dry roast till brown along with the spices. Turn the onion to make sure as many sides as possible get brown. 



2. In the meantime, boil around 3 litres of water in a large pan (this will make stock for 6 servings). While the water's boiling and the onion is dry roasting, chop up the veg.



3. Aha! The onion's ready! Take off the heat.



4. Add everything to the boiling water, including the onion and spices. Use a little water from the pan to wash out the onion residue into the stock. Add the salt. Cover and simmer on low heat for around 30 minutes.



5. Add the chopped up apple. Simmer for a further 30 minutes.



6. When the stock's ready, let's finish the dish! Boil up some water in a pan for the noodles. Meanwhile, soak the noodles in cold water (for around 5 minutes while the water comes to a boil).



7. Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients.



8. When the water boils, get the noodles in the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes then drain immediately.



9. Soak the lamb's lettuce to remove any grit.



10. A little oil in a wok. Heat up high. Broccoli in. Stir fry till light brown (3 minutes).



11. When it's a little brown, add the garlic. Stir fry for 30 secs, then add a good splash of soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and rest.



12. The noodles should be ready now so drain. Now we can build the pho! Get the noodles in a deep bowl.



13. Broccoli in along with 7 pieces of tofu. Add some of the soy sauce from the wok. Be careful not to add too much of the garlic from the wok - it can be a little overpowering.



14. Pour in stock almost to the brim.



15. Add the mung bean sprouts. Squeeze over some lime juice. Add the spring onions and coriander (if available). Stir in a little chilli paste if you want some heat. I know I do!



16. Add the lamb's lettuce on top and enjoy!



Costing:

- tofu: 5 zl
- veg for stock: 4 zl
- lime: 2 zl
- broccoli: 3 zl
- mung bean sprouts: 4 zl
- lamb's lettuce: 4 zl
- rice noodles: 4 zl
- the rest: 2 zl

Total: 28 zl
Serves: 4
Per person: 7 zl