VEGAN PHO WITH CARROTS, NOODLES AND EDAMAME

Vegan Pho With Carrots, Noodles and Edamame image

When I was testing my vegan pho broth for a Recipes for Health series last spring I froze a few containers of the broth; I had forgotten how good it is. I didn't have some of the traditional ingredients for pho - bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions, green chiles - so I used what I had and it was definitely pho. I used cayenne for heat and a chiffonade of romaine lettuce was a good stand-in for the bean sprouts, crunchy and fresh. Lots of chives stood in for scallions. I did without cilantro or Thai basil but had plenty of Italian basil and mint from my garden.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Time 20m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 recipe phô broth (about 2 1/2 quarts)
3/4 pound rice noodles, preferably wide ones
2 medium or 1 large carrot (about 5 ounces) peeled and cut in 1 1/2-inch julienne
2 cups edamame (can use frozen, thawed)
6 ounces tofu, cut in matchsticks
1/2 cup Asian or purple basil leaves, or Italian basil, slivered
4 scallions, chopped, or 1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Several sprigs fresh mint

Steps:

Have the broth at a simmer in a soup pot. Season to taste with cayenne if you are not using fresh chiles.
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 carrots and edamame to the simmering broth and simmer until just tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Ladle a generous amount of hot broth with the carrots and edamame into the bowls. Divide the tofu among the bowls. Sprinkle on half the cilantro, half the basil leaves and the scallions or chives. Pass the bean sprouts or lettuce, chopped chiles if using, the remaining basil and cilantro (if using), mint sprigs, and the lime wedges. Serve with chopsticks for the noodles and soupspoons for the broth.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 286, UnsaturatedFat 1 gram, Carbohydrate 53 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 10 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 186 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams