Pho

One of my best friends is Vietnamese.  She was always talking about how good her mom's pho (pronounced fuh) was.  I had never tried it, and saw a recipe for pho on a blog that one of the moms at my school writes.  I decided to give it a whirl, and have loved it ever since! I changed her recipe up just a bit, but the base of it is the same.  

Ingredients:

For the Broth:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
zest of 1 lime
1/3 cup fish sauce, divided
32 oz. chicken broth
32 oz. beef broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
5 whole cloves

Noodles, Meat, and Garnish

8 ounces dried, flat rice noodles
1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 lime, sliced in wedges
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
2 green onions, sliced thin
12 ounces flank steak, sliced thin across the grain (place in freezer, to make it easier to slice)

Directions:

For the Broth:

Heat the oil in a medium-large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, lime zest, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Cook until vegetables are soft. Stir in the chicken broth, beef broth, and water. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, cloves, and remaining fish sauce. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer. Cook until the flavors have blended, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (I used the colander, because I don't have a strainer). Return the broth to pot. Bring to a boil, turn off the hat, and stir in beef and mushrooms.  Let stand for 2-3 minutes. The beef will cook, so be ready to serve!! 

While broth is simmering, cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain the noodles, and portion them between the bowls. 

Have the bean sprouts, cilantro, lime, and green onions read to top the soup with. 

Ladle the soup on top of the prepared bowls. Serve immediately, topping with garnishes of your choice.

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