Simple Vegetarian Pho Broth
New York Times Cooking: The focus of this broth, a base for pho dishes with tofu and a variety of mixed vegetables, is the charred ginger and onion. Spice comes from a bag filled with star anise, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and cloves and more flavor flows from an abundance of sweet vegetables. Non-vegetarians can add fish sauce to this aromatic and beautiful vegan broth if they wish.
From Classic Pho
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Preheat: ° | Yield: 2.5 qts - 6 servings | |
Prep: 0:10 | Wait: 0:00 | Cook: 2:00 |
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (about 1/2 pound), peeled and quartered
- 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger
- 3 quarts water
- 1 pound leeks (1 1/2 large), tough ends cut away, halved lengthwise, cleaned and cut in thick slices
- 2 medium turnips (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut in wedges
- 1 pound carrots (3 large), peeled and sliced thick
- 2 ounces mushroom stems (from about 8 ounces mushrooms), or 4 dried shiitakes
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half
- 2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed, smashed with the side of a knife, and sliced
- Salt to taste
- 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons sugar (to taste), preferably raw brown sugar
- 6 star anise pods
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam), to taste (optional)
Directions
- Scorch the onion and ginger by holding the pieces above a flame with tongs, or in a dry frying pan if using an electric stove. Turn the pieces until they are scorched black in places on all sides. Slice the ginger lengthwise.
- Combine the scorched onion and ginger with the water, leeks, turnips, carrots, mushroom stems or dried shiitakes, garlic, lemon grass, salt to taste and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Tie the spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to the soup. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the fish sauce if using, and simmer for another hour (2 hours total, with or without the fish sauce). Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.
Notes
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