The holidays have come and gone and they have left behind an extra pound or two on my behind! So I am definitely ready to get some extra veggies into my daily routine. One of my favorite meals is Pho, pronounced “Fa.” It is a Vietnamese soup consisting of thinly sliced meat and noodles served in a very distinct and delicious broth. I usually get the vegetarian version, which has the same rich broth but rather than meat you get delicious savory vegetables. Typically the soup is served with a ton of garnishes like basil, lime, bean sprouts and spicy sauces like Sriracha! Okay, so the actual soup itself takes quite a while to make and sometimes you just want to get right down to business! So I’ve come up with an easy and delicious faux pho that takes less than 20 minutes to make! What I really like about this recipe is that you can play around with the ingredients to better suit your palate! I have added chicken to mine for some extra protein. The ingredients I have listed are what sounded good to me, but you can definitely add anything you want. The best part of this soup is that it is packed with antioxidants! Rather than cooking the veggies I pour hot broth over them. This allows the veggies to soften slightly while still maintaining their nutrient content and their texture!

Ingredients:

1 Package of Chinese noodles (I used Annie Chun’s Brown Rice Noodles)
2 baby bok choy, roughly chopped
1 carrot grated
4-5 button mushrooms, sliced
¼ of a small head of cabbage, sliced
1 small Head of broccoli
2 large chicken breast, boiled and shredded
48oz box of chicken broth
48 oz box of miso broth
- Okay to substitute a second chicken broth if this is not available in your store
1-2 tsps of sriracha
1 lime

Garnish

Bean sprouts
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Basil
Lime
Sriracha
Chile paste

Directions:

In a large pot, boil the chicken until just cooked through. Remove the chicken from the water. Allow the chicken to cool. Using two forks, shred the chicken.
Follow the package directions to prepare the Chinese noodles. When they are done cooking, drain in a colander and cool under cold running water.
Prepare all of the vegetables by washing, peeling and slicing as desired.
In a large pot bring the chicken and miso broths to a boil. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime. Add 1-2 tsps of sriracha depending on desired spiciness.
Place the desired amount of raw vegetables, noodles and chicken for one serving in a large serving bowl.
Gently pour the boiling broth over the vegetables. The broth will cook the vegetables slightly, but still allow them to keep a crunch!
Serve with desired garnish combination.