Pho For Two
Pho For Two
vegan/dairy-free/gluten-free/nut-free
Serves 2
Sometimes, we just crave something simple, fresh, comforting and delicious. What better than a steamy bowl of noodles? This pho, is a lovely Vietnamese noodle soup made with fresh veggies and roasted tofu. You can chose your own favourite veggies to add, and double or triple the quantities if preparing for more than two. This meal is easy to prepare, healthy, light and oh so satisfying!
Ingredients
- For the tofu -
200g extra firm tofu, cut into 2cm chunks
30ml soy sauce
30ml toasted sesame oil
20g arrowroot powder
1tsp yellow mustard
1tsp maple syrup
1tsp sesame seeds
For the broth:
1lt water
1tbsp veggie stock powder
15ml white miso paste
1 shallot, peeled & sliced
1 leek, peeled & sliced
1 carrot, peeled & sliced
A small head of broccoli, cut into florets
15ml soy sauce
4 large mushrooms, sliced
A pinch of dried thyme
110g brown rice vermicelli noodles
Juice of one lemon
- To serve -
2 slices of lemon
Some sprigs of fresh curly parsley
Some freshly ground black pepper
A few sesame seeds for sprinkling
Method
First prepare the tofu.
Preheat the oven at 180C.
In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, the sesame oil, the arrowroot powder, the mustard and the maple syrup. Dip in the tofu chunks and coat them well with the marinade. Place them on a lined baking tray and sprinkle them with the sesame seeds. Reserve the remaining marinade. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes, turning half way. Set aside.
While the tofu is baking, prepare the broth. In a saucepan, add the remaining marinade, the water, the veggie stock powder and the miso paste. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, add a drop of olive oil and sauté the shallot, the leek and the garlic. Sauté until soft and translucent. Add these veggies to the broth, along with the carrot and the broccoli. Simmer for 7 minutes, until veggies are almost tender.
Meanwhile, in the same frying pan where shallot, leek and garlic where sautéed, add the soy sauce, the sliced mushrooms and the thyme. Sauté for a few minutes, until mushrooms are cooked and browned. Set aside.
Add the noodles in the broth and continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes, until noodles are soft and turn off the heat. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and stir.
To serve, ladle the broth, noodles and veggies in two bowls and arrange tofu, veggies, mushrooms and lemon slices around each plate. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and toss a few sprigs of parsley over each plate, grind some black pepper and enjoy!
Notes
Pho originated in Vietnam hundreds of years ago and was served as street food. Traditionally, pho is prepared using beef, noodles and bone broth. These days however, there are many available variations. Here, we have put together a much healthier option, which offers complete nutrition. With balanced amounts of carbohydrates, protein, fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, this is a wonderfully healthy, tasty meal, low in calories and easy on digestion.
