Recipe 1: Vegetarian Pho

Vegetarian Pho (also known as sup chay or pho chay)

Ingredients:
Broth
Vegetable oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 onion, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
½ tsp anise seed (can use less)
4 whole cloves
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 gallon of water
2 carrots, chopped into chunks
Leftover stems from the broccoli that will go into the soup
1 stick of cinnamon
1 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar

Separate Ingredients for Assembled Soup
Broccoli
Carrots
Sugar Snap Peas
4 shallots
Scallions
Cilantro
A block of firm tofu (baked with peanut oil)
Rice vermicelli
(other optional ingredients: sprouts, mushrooms, cauliflower, or baby corn)

In a stock pot, sauté over medium heat the minced ginger, onion, shallots, anise seed, cloves and garlic in a lot of oil. When the onions and shallots are brown, add the water, carrots, broccoli stems, cinnamon, peppercorns, salt and sugar. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for an hour.

While the soup cooks, prepare the other ingredients. Cook the rice noodles and set them aside. Individual steam each vegetable (broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas) for three minutes in the microwave. Cube the tofu and bake it in the oven at 400 degrees (for 25 minutes) after tossing it with peanut oil and salt and drizzling a bit more on top (grease the cookie sheet with Pam). Fry the shallots and chop the scallions and cilantro.

Drain the stock over another bowl with a strainer and discard all solids. Return the stock to the pot and keep warm while you assemble the soup. Place in each bowl a nest of noodles, vegetables, a few cubes of tofu, scallions, fried shallots, and cilantro. Pour broth over the mixture and serve.

(this recipe was created with guiding help from a recipe found on the "veggie asia" website and many tastes of Nam Viet's vegetarian pho)