Sometimes you know a recipe’s just not going to be anywhere near authentic, not going to be nearly as good as you could get in a restaurant, but could still suffice for a quick weeknight meal. This is one of those recipes, from the cookbook How to Eat Supper. Should you really expect a full-flavored broth — the essence of pho! — in a 20 minute cooking-time recipe? No. If you haven’t yet experienced pho, this might stand on its own as an interesting soup recipe, but if you try to compare it to the real thing, it falls short. But hey — it was good enough to warm our bellies on this chilly evening.

Chris says:

What the pho? This just makes me want real pho, not faux pho.

Lisa says:

What if you just think of it as a noodle soup with slices of beef in it?

Chris says:

Okay — in that case, it’s not bad. But the broth could still be more flavorful. You can definitely taste the broiled veggies, and they’re good, but I really need to try to disconnect the pho association.

Lisa says:

You certainly look like you’re enjoying your sauces.

Chris says:

Pho Shizzle. I’m a meat dipper.

Lisa says:

Oh, pho cryin’ out loud… enough with the puns!

Chris says:

Okay, fine. In fact, there’s my review of this recipe. Okay/fine. Not spectacular, but I certainly didn’t dislike it.

Lisa says:

I agree. Good, not great.

Chris says:

Not pho.

Fee, Fi, Faux Pho
For the broth:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3″ piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
6 whole cloves
1 whole star anise, bruised (or 1/2 tsp anise seed)
freshly ground black pepper
4 14-oz cans chicken broth
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp fish sauce

For the soup:
6 oz rice noodles
6 oz top round steak, sliced paper-thin (place in freezer for 30 minutes before slicing to make this easier)

To Garnish:
cilantro
thai basil
jalapenos, sliced
bean sprouts
lime, quartered
hoisin sauce
sriracha, or other hot sauce

Place an oven rack 4-6 inches under the broiler and preheat. On a large piece of doubled-over foil, scatter the vegetables and spices from the broth ingredients (onion through black pepper) and broil for five minutes, flipping once, until the onion begins to char and the spices are fragrant. Remove from the oven and place everything in a large pot.
Add the broth, sugar, and fish sauce and bring to a low boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. While the broth simmers, prepare the rice noodles by soaking them in warm water for 10-15 minutes, or until almost tender. (They’ll lose a little more firmness when the soup gets added.) Drain and divide the noodles between two very large soup bowls. Place the garnish ingredients on a plate and set at the table.
When ready to serve, divide the (raw) beef between the two soup bowls. Ladle the low-boil broth into the bowls (this will cook the meat pretty much instantly). Top each bowl with your preferred garnishes.

2 Servings

Tonight Lisa made this Chicken & Shrimp Laksa, a curry laksa, adapted from a recipe in Asian Flavors. This Malaysian dish consists of wide rice noodles, chicken, and shrimp in a nicely seasoned coconut broth; stir-fried bean sprouts and snow peas add crunch, color, and texture to the soup.

Lisa says:

I think it needs just a little salt and a little bit of Sriracha.

Chris says:

Those noodles really soak up that broth; seems like it thickens as it sits. I like it.

Lisa says:

It would be really good with mushrooms and carrots… next time I’ll add those in.

Chris says:

Yum! And we’ll have to find shrimp paste; our anchovy-paste-and-fish-sauce substitute probably wasn’t quite as intense.

Lisa says:

Well there you go, now we have an excuse to make it again.

Chicken and Shrimp Laksa
2-3 tbsp peanut oil
4 red shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp minced fresh lemon grass
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
1 red chili, seeded an finely chopped
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 cups light coconut milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
16 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
9 oz flat rice noodles
6 oz snow peas, sliced lengthwise
4 oz bean sprouts
scallions

Soak the rice noodles until they are tender. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan and fry the shallots over low heat until softened. Add the garlic, lemon grass, shrimp paste, red chili, and coriander and continue to cook over low heat for two to three minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, coconut milk, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, shrimp, and noodles and leave over a low heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a wok and stir-fry the snow peas and bean sprouts for two minutes or until they start to soften.
Spoon the laksa into serving dishes and stir in the snow peas and bean sprouts. Garnish with scallions, and extra chili peppers.

4 Servings

It’s three in a row for us from Quick From Scratch Herbs & Spices. We were out of town this past weekend so all our dinners this week have been either improvised or planned at the last minute. This book has been great for quick, easy to prepare meals. We’ve made a seafood albondigas soup previously, and I’ve been looking forward to making a beef version. Normally I’d avoid making hot soups like this in the summer months, but Seattle has been in refrigerator-mode recently, and it’s seemed more like late fall than early summer!

Lisa says:

Jeanette’s going to love this — three in a row from the book she got us.

Chris says:

Yay for mini-meatballs! How do you like it?

Lisa says:

Yum, I like this soup — and this one seems more filling than the seafood version.

Chris says:

I was worried you’d complain about it not being hearty enough. You don’t always like these broth-based soups.

Lisa says:

It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s that I think of them as snacks. Plus, I had a bunch of chips beforehand just in case.

Chris says:

Well, I’m definitely a fan.

Mexican Meatball Soup
1 tbsp canola oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices and quartered
2 tbsp fresh oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 15-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
1 3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tbsp lime juice

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and half the jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon of the cumin and cook, stirring, until the zucchini starts to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the broth, water, tomatoes, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper; bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, garlic, the remaining jalapeño, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1 tablespoon of the fresh oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the bread crumbs, and the egg. Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter.
Add the meatballs and corn to the soup and simmer until the meatballs are just done, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh oregano.

4 Servings

Tonight Lisa made a vegetarian version of Carbonada, an Argentinian stew. The recipe comes from the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites cookbook. This stew is loaded with veggies, spices, rice, and… evil?

Chris says:

Oh. When you said we were having Satan for dinner I thought you had somehow secured an audience with our President.

Lisa says:

Um, yeah… it’s seitan, not Satan. Although Satan might have a better texture; this stuff is pretty weird.

Chris says:

Seems fine to me; a little like soggy bread.

Lisa says:

Well, it is “wheat gluten”… makes sense. But you didn’t see me pour it out of the package… yikes.

Chris says:

Pretty hellish, that seitan?

Lisa says:

You are just so amused by that, aren’t you? Anyway, I probably wouldn’t make this again…

Chris says:

The flavors are okay, but you’re right, there are definitely a lot of stews we’ve had that I like better.

Vegetarian Carbonada
——————–
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 medium potato, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3/4 cubed seitan
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the onion, celery, garlic, and oil in a heavy soup pot, cover, and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions soften, stirring to prevent sticking. Add in the spices and the bay leaf and saute for another minute. Stir in the stock, wine, potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to simmer the veggies and broth for 10 minutes.
Add the seitan, rice, and tomatoes and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

4 Hellish Servings

A few nights ago Lisa made one of those perfect-to-use-up-the-CSA-box recipes: this warming soup used just about every vegetable in the kitchen; adding a little pasta and some beans turned it into a great meal.

Chris says:

I love recipes like this that have so many vegetables in them…

Lisa says:

I know! The great thing about this recipe is that you can basically change the veggies based on what you have in the kitchen.

Chris says:

Remember when you used to complain about soups and stews that didn’t have meat in them?

Lisa says:

Only because I didn’t think they’d fill me up!

Chris says:

That’s what the pasta and beans are doing for ya.

Lisa says:

Yep… although it may be time for a meatstravaganza soon.

Chris says:

Huzzah!

“Kitchen Sink” Minestrone
————————-
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diagonally sliced carrot
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups diced tomato
2 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about 1 small)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups thinly sliced collard greens
1/2 cup uncooked small seashell pasta
2 teaspoons dried sage
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and sauté 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add tomato and next 9 ingredients (tomato through garlic), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in broccoli, greens, and pasta; cover and cook 5 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in sage and thyme.

6-8 Servings

I’m also submitting this one to Presto Pasta Nights… it’s been a while!