Frugal Foodies
With food costs soaring, it's time to find creative ways to spend less on groceries
This simple, hearty and heart-warming soup is the perfect antidote to a rainy day. Traditionally made with chicken or beef-based broth, and served with strips of beef added, this vegetarian version uses ample spices, mushrooms and a variety of your favourite mix-ins and toppings, allowing it to become a simple “let’s use up what’s in the fridge” meal.
A few tricks:
1) Broil or char your onion and ginger before adding to the broth; this adds complexity to the stock and a natural sweetness. You can skip this step, but your broth won’t quite be the same.
2) Toast your spices before adding to the broth. This allows the aromatics to be released to absorb in the stock readily.
3) Par-cook your rice noodles first before adding to the broth. If you cook the noodles in the broth, it will go murky from the starch.
Instructions
INGREDIENTS
Broth
1 white onion, peeled and sliced in half
2–3 inch knob of fresh ginger
1 Tbsp fennel seed
2 tsp coriander seed
2 tsp cardamom seeds/4-6 cardamom pods
2 tsp black peppercorns
4–6 whole cloves
3–4 whole star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 garlic cloves
1 stalk lemongrass
6 cups vegetable stock
Pho
1 cup mushrooms (Shitake, Portobello, are my favourite here)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups rice noodles
1–2 cups chopped mixed raw vegetables—bok choy, kale, spinach, broccoli, edamame, asparagus, snap peas, etc.
garnish—bean sprouts, lime wedges, basil, mint, cilantro, hoisin sauce, green onions, sliced jalapeno
METHOD
Using tongs over a gas flame, carefully char the onion on both sides, about 2–3 minutes.
Slice the knob of ginger in half (no need to peel), and char on both sides as well, 1–2 minutes.
Add both to a large stock pot.
In a small frying pan, add the fennel seed, coriander and black peppercorns. Toast over medium heat, shaking the pan to keep it moving constantly to prevent the spices from burning. Add the cloves and star anise to the pan. When the spices are toasted and very aromatic, add to the stock pot as well, then add the cinnamon sticks. Crush the garlic cloves and slice the stalk of lemongrass in half and add to the pot. Add in the vegetable stock and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to simmer 25-30 minutes at minimum, or up to 6 hours if desired. The longer the broth simmers the more intense the flavours.
To prepare the pho bowls:
Clean any dirt off the mushrooms and slice thinly. Drizzle the olive oil in a medium sized frying pan and add the mushrooms. Don’t crowd them, giving them a chance to brown and crisp, and sauté for 4–5 minutes.
While the mushrooms are cooking, prepare the rice noodles according to package directions.
To serve, place 2–3 ladles of broth in a bowl, add in the rice noodles and mushrooms. Add in the mixed vegetables of your choice and garnish as desired. Allow the vegetables to soften a little before eating if you’re using heartier veg like broccoli and asparagus.
Extra broth will freeze well; strain and add to an airtight container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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