Fantastic Vegetarian Phở and a Brand New Year

Cameron and I rang in the new year at his parents’ cabin in the Rocky Mountains. As we slurped down miso-based udon soup and watched an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Nothing like cheering on Lucy and Edmund Pevensie as they sail the high seas of Narnia to inspire change in our own lives.

By now the new year is officially underway, and like most of us, I’ve made some well-meaning resolutions for 2013. I’ve started training for my first half-marathon in Colorado, and I’ve made a good start in eliminating unnecessary clutter in my life. Two hours of deleting thousands of old emails is a good way to remind myself to hit the “delete” button in Gmail as soon as I read most of the junk that populates my account.

In an effort to organize my life, I’ve also revamped the blog with a slightly more minimalist (that’s right, more of less) design to reflect the visual and written work I’ve been doing without cluttering the page. If you’ve been a reader of Crafty Cook Nook in 2012, you might notice how these changes translated to the blog.

Finally, I’m determined to bring you not only more plant-based recipes but also helpful tips on how to improve your kitchen experiences. Here’s to 2013, to a year of good eating, more time outdoors, and more time with friends and family.

Below you’ll find a recipe for vegetarian phở. My foray into phở happened in Reno, Nevada, of all places. Phở 777 was one of the few places in town that not only offered a vegetarian option on their menu but didn’t sacrifice taste for the “vegetarian” label. I spent many winter evenings sipping broth and slurping noodles with friends at Phở 777. Though I now doubt their broth was truly vegetarian, in an effort to kick off 2013 with more veggies, Cameron and I made a big vat of vegan phở by doubling the recipe below. Happy New Year, friends!

Pho ingredients, assembled. Image by author.

Vegetarian Phở, i.e. Vietnamese Noodle Soup (adapted from The Kitchn)
Serves 2

Ingredients
Foundation
Phở broth (you can make your own, or if short on time, use a pre-made pho broth.)
1/2 pound dried flat rice noodles (known as bánh phở; we wound up using pad thai-style noodles, which worked just fine.)
Protein such as fried or baked tofu, bean curd skin, or seitan (We fried up a tub of tofu for our purposes.)
Vegetables such as bok choy, napa cabbage, or broccoli (We used steamed broccoli, bok choy, and carrots.)

Garnishes
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Large handful of herbs: cilantro and/or Thai basil
Hoisin sauce
sambal oelak chili sauce (optional)

Ingredients options. Not pictured: the all-important lime. Image by author.

Directions
1. Prep all your ingredients, i.e. make your broth or heat the pre-made version, boil your noodles per package directions, lightly steam your veggies, and arrange your garnishes. (Toppings should be unseasoned or only lightly seasoned so as not to interfere with the flavor of the broth.)
2. Divide noodles between two bowls. Arrange toppings over noodles. Ladle about 2 cups of broth into each bowl. Serve with garnishes on the side, and add to taste.

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