Weeknight Pho

By RoketJSquerl

Health Tip: This recipe is chock full of fresh vegetables and herbs. It contains a cornucopia of nutrients that help you feel healthy and alive. Just one serving of this soup will give you the following (% of daily value):

196% Vitamin K, 62% Vitamin C, 38% Manganese, 36% Vitamin A, 30% Folate, 26% Magnesium, 25% Copper, 19% Iron, 12.5% Calcium, and 109mg of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Wow! Just combining small amounts of different vegetables and herbs can really add up nutritionally, so don’t skip on the garnishes. This meal is a great source of vitamin K, which is very important for proper clotting of blood and bone integrity. If you bruise very easily, you may want to up your vitamin K intake and see if that helps.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips, about 1 1/2 inches in length, 1/2 inch in width
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 0z rice noodles
• 8 scallions, green and white parts, diced
• 1 inch chunk fresh ginger, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomato
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 limes
• mung bean sprouts, for garnish
• 1 english cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced, for garnish
• fresh mint, minced for garnish
• fresh basil, minced for garnish
• fresh cilantro, minced for garnish
• siracha, for garnish

Details

Adapted from eathealthyfeelgood.com

Preparation

Step 1

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is just browning, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions, ginger, garlic, and onion and saute for 3 more minutes until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, water, fish sauce, star anise, and cinnamon stick to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in boiling water for about 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

When the soup is done simmering, remove the cinnamon stick and star anise and stir in the juice of 1 lime. To serve, add rice noodles to your bowl, then spoon some soup over the noodles. Top with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, cucumber, fresh lime juice, and a drizzle of siracha. Serve immediately.