PHO WITH SPINACH AND TOFU

Pho With Spinach and Tofu image

You can fuse Asian cuisines in this version of pho, substituting soba for the rice noodles and seasoning the tofu with a little soy sauce.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories dinner, soups and stews, main course

Time 20m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 recipe vegetarian pho broth
1/2 pound firm tofu, cut in dominoes
Soy sauce to taste (optional)
12 ounces soba or wide rice noodles
4 to 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems cut away and discarded (can use stems in the broth), caps sliced thin
1 generous bunch spinach, stem ends trimmed away, washed thoroughly in 2 changes water, or 8 ounces baby spinach
1/2 cup Asian or purple basil leaves, slivered if large, left whole if small
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 to 4 bird or serrano chilies, sliced thin or finely chopped (to taste)
6 fresh mint sprigs
3 to 4 limes, cut in wedges

Steps:

Have the broth at a simmer in a soup pot. Place the tofu in a bowl and season with soy sauce if desired.
For soba: Bring 3 or 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the noodles gradually, so that the water remains at a boil, and stir once with a long-handled spoon or pasta fork so that they don't stick together. Wait for the water to come back up to a rolling boil; it will bubble up, so don't fill the pot all the way; and add 1 cup of cold water. Allow the water to come back to a rolling boil and add another cup of cold water. Allow the water to come to a boil one more time and add a third cup of water. When the water comes to a boil again, the noodles should be cooked through. Drain and divide among 6 large soup bowls. For rice noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook until just al dente, firm to the bite, following the timing instructions on the package (my wide noodles take about 5 minutes). Drain and divide among 6 large soup bowls.
Add the thinly sliced mushroom caps and spinach to the simmering broth, and as soon as the spinach wilts (about 20 seconds) ladle the broth and spinach into the soup bowls. Divide the tofu among the bowls. Sprinkle on half the cilantro, half the basil leaves and the green onions. Pass the chopped chilies, the mint sprigs, the remaining basil and cilantro for guests to add as desired, and the lime wedges for guests to squeeze on. Serve with chopsticks for the noodles and soup spoons for the soup.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 300, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 56 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 12 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 160 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams