This was a nice digestible meal just a couple weeks out of surgery when testing my solid food intake. (Duodinal Switch With Roux en Y) I just had the broth with Shrimp, sliced fish balls, sliced beef balls and calamari rings. The fish balls were probably the roughest a day or two later to handle. I prefer precooking the shrimp slightly also. I've also tried this with Just the Pho Broth cubes from Amazon instead of the liquid broth, cinnamon, ginger, star anise and fish sauce, it isn't quit as rich though, but it works. (I prefer adding bout a tsp or two of sweet hoisin sauce to mine). I was able to handle bean sprouts, small pieces of onion for veggies and all the meat/seafood. Authentic Pho broth alone is about 15g of protein per cup, combined with your protein choice there is a lot of good protein amount in this traditional soup.
INGREDIENTS
½ pound thin rice noodles (labeled "vermicelli" or "rice sticks") (If you have others eating not diet restricted)
8 cups rich beef or chicken stock
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 1-inch chunk peeled fresh ginger
1 onion, quartered (don't bother to peel) (Do not add if you cannot eat onions yet)
4 cloves
1 pound boneless sirloin sliced thin (not for early post surgery), Shrimp, Calamari (Squid), Fish Balls or beef balls (found in Asian grocery are good early options)
2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam, available at Asian markets for the fish sauce personally I prefer Datu Puti Patis Regular Fish Sauce (avail on amazon) which is a brand from the Philippines which isn't as potent in fragrance and bit smoother flavor profile)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges
8 scallions (Green onion), minced (Again only if you can eat onion yet)
Several Thai or other chilies, stemmed, seeded and minced if desired for heat
Bean sprouts if you can handle yet
A heaping plate of mixed herbs, washed and dried: basil, cilantro and mint are most important, but chervil, lovage, parsley, shiso, dill, marjoram and other tender herbs are all appropriate. (if available)
PREPARATION
1.Soak rice noodles in hot water to cover.
2.Combine stock, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, onion and cloves in saucepan; turn heat to high. When mixture boils, turn heat to low, and cover. Let cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much time you have (the longer the cooking, the deeper the flavor). Strain, and return to saucepan; turn heat to medium.
3.Bring pot of water to boil. Drain noodles, add them to pot, and boil for 30 seconds; drain well. Warm 4 large bowls by filling them with hot water; discard water. Divide noodles among bowls. (It's important to do this so you don't loose thermal heat when the broth mixture is added to the bowl. That heat is needed to cook the meat and veggies to the bowl)
4.Turn heat under soup to medium, and add protein source; stir once, and then turn off heat. (The meat is traditionally left rare; if you want to cook it more, go ahead, but these slices will cook through in less than 2 minutes.) Add fish sauce or soy sauce and plenty of pepper to the soup. Taste, and add salt or more seasoning, if necessary.
5.Top noodles with broth and meat, and then bring to the table. Serve, passing lime wedges, scallions, chilies and herbs at the table, so that everyone can add them to taste. Have some Hoisin sauce for that sweet and savory kick (a little goes a long way, start tsp at a time)
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INGREDIENTS
½ pound thin rice noodles (labeled "vermicelli" or "rice sticks") (If you have others eating not diet restricted)
8 cups rich beef or chicken stock
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 1-inch chunk peeled fresh ginger
1 onion, quartered (don't bother to peel) (Do not add if you cannot eat onions yet)
4 cloves
1 pound boneless sirloin sliced thin (not for early post surgery), Shrimp, Calamari (Squid), Fish Balls or beef balls (found in Asian grocery are good early options)
2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam, available at Asian markets for the fish sauce personally I prefer Datu Puti Patis Regular Fish Sauce (avail on amazon) which is a brand from the Philippines which isn't as potent in fragrance and bit smoother flavor profile)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges
8 scallions (Green onion), minced (Again only if you can eat onion yet)
Several Thai or other chilies, stemmed, seeded and minced if desired for heat
Bean sprouts if you can handle yet
A heaping plate of mixed herbs, washed and dried: basil, cilantro and mint are most important, but chervil, lovage, parsley, shiso, dill, marjoram and other tender herbs are all appropriate. (if available)
PREPARATION
1.Soak rice noodles in hot water to cover.
2.Combine stock, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, onion and cloves in saucepan; turn heat to high. When mixture boils, turn heat to low, and cover. Let cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much time you have (the longer the cooking, the deeper the flavor). Strain, and return to saucepan; turn heat to medium.
3.Bring pot of water to boil. Drain noodles, add them to pot, and boil for 30 seconds; drain well. Warm 4 large bowls by filling them with hot water; discard water. Divide noodles among bowls. (It's important to do this so you don't loose thermal heat when the broth mixture is added to the bowl. That heat is needed to cook the meat and veggies to the bowl)
4.Turn heat under soup to medium, and add protein source; stir once, and then turn off heat. (The meat is traditionally left rare; if you want to cook it more, go ahead, but these slices will cook through in less than 2 minutes.) Add fish sauce or soy sauce and plenty of pepper to the soup. Taste, and add salt or more seasoning, if necessary.
5.Top noodles with broth and meat, and then bring to the table. Serve, passing lime wedges, scallions, chilies and herbs at the table, so that everyone can add them to taste. Have some Hoisin sauce for that sweet and savory kick (a little goes a long way, start tsp at a time)