I’m using this recipe here; I haven’t changed anything substantial, so I’m not reposting it.
The thing about Pho is that you have to have a really awesome broth. I think the way to best achieve that is with a homemade vegetable stock. I don’t have a recipe for that per se, but I did take a picture of another one that I made!
Basically, I save vegetable scraps like carrot tops, kale stem, onion peels and the like in the freezer, and then I throw in a little of whatever fresh/frozen veggies I have on hand along with some salt, pepper corns, bay leaves and parsley. I stay away from things like peppers, tomatoes, ginger and basil, because those don’t have the right flavor. Surprisingly, I do throw in a dried mushroom or two. I don’t want them to overwhelm the flavor, but they do have something nice to lend. Throw it all into a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and then simmer for however long you feel like. Strain out all of the solids (reserving the broth, of course), making sure to squeeze all the juice out of them. Toss them into your compost bin.
There are other methods to making veggie broth, and some people frown on the use of scraps. I do only use organic scraps, and I wash them before I peel/chop. I just hate the idea of them completely going to waste, and I really can’t stand the idea of buying all that stuff JUST for broth. The one caveat is that this is not really a finished broth- you have to season it more if you want to use it on its own. I add it to other soups and for seitan broth- it’s excellent there.
Best part? It takes pretty much no time. Since you’re doing all the peeling and cleaning and chopping in the course of making other dishes, the work is pretty much done; it’s just the cooking and straining for this part.
Like I said, VeganMoFo.
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