Faux Pho-- A Vegan Noodle Soup

Faced with a bag full of strange greens, including Tatsoi, from the CSA this week I went online and found this recipe for a Faux Pho. I choose this recipe because it was vegan and because I thought I might successfully substitute the Tatsoi for Bok Choy. Oi!

We liked this light and flavorful soup alot and will definitely try it again.

As is often the case, I did not have the exact ingredients on hand to make the dish, so I made a few changes. Here is my slightly tweaked version of a very nice recipe.

Faux Pho

Ingredients

• 6 oz. Soba noodles
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil (mild flavored, such as peanut, vegetable, soy, or canola)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 inch knob of fresh ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon crushed or ground szechuan peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• +-1/4 cup cooking oil (mild flavored, such as peanut, vegetable, soy, or canola)
• 2 baby bok choy, sliced----I used a head of Tatsoi
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced lengthwise
• 1 T sesame oil, divided
• 8 oz button mushrooms
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
• 1 handful fresh basil, shredded or sliced
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions, then immediately drain, and rinse in cold water. Toss with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to keep from sticking.
2. Add the ginger, szechuan peppercorns, crushed red pepper, and 2-3T of cooking oil to a small stock pot.  Mix together, then increase the heat to medium.  Allow the ingredients to sweat for 10 - 15 minutes.  They should become fragrant, but do not let them burn.
3. Add the carrots, onions, mushrooms and red bell pepper.  Saute for about 5 minutes, just long enough for the vegetables to begin to soften. Add minced garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes. 
4. Add the broth and bouillon and greens.
5. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then quickly reduce to a simmer. 
6. Add the soy sauce and the noodles.
7. Taste, then add salt and pepper as needed.  You may also want to add a little crushed red pepper or siracha sauce to add a little heat. 
8. Divide the soup, noodles, and vegetables into bowls, then garnish with the fresh basil.