Sirloin Vietnamese Pho

Sirloin Vietnamese Pho!

It seems that every culture in the world has it's comfort soup.  Americans love tomato or chicken noodle, Mexico has tortilla or posole, Koreans love kimchee soup, Japan has miso soup....  the list goes on!  Last night, my son asked for ramen noodles for dinner, and I decided to take it up a notch with a touch of our favorite soup to eat in Hawaii...  Vietnamese Pho (pronounced fuh)!  It is a comforting, and nutritious bowl of the most delicious broth, rice noodles, fresh herbs, and fresh veggies, topped with lime and Sriracha, and it is so delicious!

Start with a big pot of stock.  I made enough for several meals, so I used a box of sodium free veggie and sodium free beef broth, and about 4 cups of water.  I added:

1 Tablespoon fish sauce

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

several slices of fresh ginger

3 smashed garlic cloves

3 jalapenos whole, with slits

1 bunch of cilantro stems

zest of one lime

Boil stock for about one hour, strain, and taste for salt.  I like to start with all low sodium liquid, then add kosher salt at the end, it helps keep a lower sodium content.  You should be able to taste a bit of the tangy lime, soy sauce, grassy cilantro, garlic, and ginger.  The broth isn't meant to be salty, but the salt really helps bring out the flavors.

One of my favorite things about this soup, is that you truly make it your own!  Fill your bowl with cooked rice noodles, and very thin slices of lean sirloin beef.  Some suggestions for the fresh toppings:

thin carrot slices

thin radish or dikon slices

edamame

bean sprouts

fresh basil

fresh cilantro

sriracha (not optional, in my opinion!)

I love to load up on veggies, equal parts with the noodles, it makes it equally comforting, but still healthier!  Be careful with the sriracha, the hot broth intensifies the spiciness!  The most magical part, is slowly pouring the hot magical broth over the raw meat and veggies, and watching as the meat just begins to cook!  I hope you can make it your own, enjoy!