RECIPE: Coconut Pho Bowls (from Body Harmony by Nicole Berrie)
This might be my favorite thing to make in the winter. Actually, in the summer too. It reminds me of the piping hot bowls Nick and I would get on the beach in Phuket. In fact, eating hot, steamy, soupy bowls can be quite cooling in the hotter months. The creamy, salty broth is so easy to make and, shockingly, you don’t even need that much time. Fifteen minutes for a fragrant multilayered broth? You bet. It’s also hard to mess up if you have the right aromatics. You can add pretty much any vegetables you have on hand and it’ll still be great. What makes this soup, though, are the fresh and bright herbs and the crunchy, spicy fixings. And don’t forget the lime wedge for extra alkalinity.
Makes 4 to 5 bowls
Ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 large yellow onion, minced
1‑inch (2.5‑cm) knob turmeric, or ½ teaspoon dried
1½- to 2‑inch (4- to 5‑cm) knob ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 scallions, halved
2 cups (115 g) cooked vermicelli
1 (131/2-ounce/398-ml) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup (75 g) napa cabbage, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and shaved
1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup (96 g) shiitake mushrooms caps, sliced
2 cups (142 g) broccoli florets and stems, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
1 zucchini, shaved into “noodles” with a serrated vegetable peeler or thinly sliced into long strips
Optional
¼ cup (60 ml) Vegan Fish Sauce
Garnish
½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed orroughly chopped
1 lime, quartered
Thinly sliced Bird's Eye Chili, or, redchili flakes, or chili oil
½ cup raw bean sprouts
METHOD
In a 3-quart (2.8-L) stockpot, heat the coconut oil. When it has melted, add the garlic, onion, turmeric, and ginger and sauté on medium low for 2 minutes, until fragrant, being careful not to brown. Add 6 cups (1.4 L) water, the fish sauce, if using, and the scallions. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or up to an hour, depending on how much time you have.
While the broth is simmering, in a pot of boiled water, off heat, hydrate the vermicelli, loosening the strands for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Separate the strands with your hands. If you’re not using the noodles right away, you can add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and massage them to prevent clumping.
Once the broth has finished simmering, turn off the heat and add the milk. Combine well. Bring to a low simmer and add the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, and broccoli. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still bright and al dente. Add the sugar, lime juice and zest, and tamari and salt to taste.
In 4 or 5 deep soup bowls, nestle ½ cup cooked noodles and ¼ cup zucchini noodles then ladle 1 to 2 cups vegetables and broth over the noodles. Garnish with mint, cilantro, and basil and crushed peanuts. Add a lime wedge, bean sprouts, and the chili flakes or chili oil. Serve immediately.
Founder of the popular lifestyle brand Bonberi, Nicole Berrie presents a guide to food-combining for a healthier, more balanced life
In Body Harmony, Nicole Berrie reveals how she personally transitioned from the partying years of her teens and twenties to the fast-paced world of fashion and media, eventually settling into a thriving and balanced life and career in wellness. Sharing recipes, advice, and thoughtful guidance, this book is an inspirational lifestyle manual and cookbook dedicated to those seeking the ever-elusive answer to how to nourish themselves with clean, plant-based foods while still indulging in the joys and delicacies of life.
In the introductory chapters, Berrie outlines the founding tenets of the Body Harmony lifestyle and discusses topics ranging from plant-based cooking and intuitive eating to the importance of nontoxic beauty rituals and self care. In addition, the book includes more than 50 original vegan recipes for juices, smoothies, salads, and soups, and grounding grain-based dishes, all meant to cleanse and nourish the body and soul while keeping the reader both pretty and full.
For more information, click here.
