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Mushroom pho
Serves 6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 3 onions, halved
- 18cm-piece fresh ginger, cut into big chunks
- 2 carrots, halved lengthways and cut into chunks
- 2 garlic bulbs, halved through the middle
- 500g shiitake mushrooms
- 30g dried mushrooms
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 star anise
- 3 black cardamom pods
- 1tbsp coriander seeds
- 1tbsp salt
- 1tbsp palm sugar
- 1⁄2tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1tsp white or yellow non-soya miso paste
- 1tbsp gluten-free tamari soy sauce or Maggi liquid seasoning or coconut aminos
To serve
- 600g wide, flat rice noodles
- 100g beansprouts
- 4 spring onions, finely chopped
- 150g pak choi, sliced lengthways into thin wedges
- 1 large bunch fresh Thai basil
- 1 large bunch mint
- 1 large bunch coriander
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
- Sriracha or hoisin sauce (optional)
Method
To make the broth, put the onions, ginger and carrots, cut-side down, in a hot, dry frying pan and cook until blackened, then toss the garlic around the pan until it is slightly charred all over. Transfer the vegetables to a large stock pot, add 3 litres of water and stir in the rest of the broth ingredients.
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover and simmer for at least 4 hours. Top up with water now and then if it starts to get low.
Strain out the vegetables and spices, keeping the broth and 8 of the shiitake mushrooms. Thinly slice the mushrooms lengthways. Keep the broth hot and check the seasoning.
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Using tongs, divide
the noodles between serving
bowls, then add a few slices of the shiitake mushrooms, the
beansprouts, spring onions and
pak choi. Pour over the hot broth.
Divide the herbs between the
bowls, then top each bowl with a sprinkling of red chilli and a
wedge of lime to squeeze over,
plus any sauce you would like.
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