Tag Archives: soup

Instant Pot Chicken Pho

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  • 1 chicken
  • 2 medium onions
  • 13 grams ginger
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 4 cloves
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
  • 8 cups cold water
  • 2 tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Toast coriander seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves in instant pot and saute for 2 minutes (or until you can smell them). Set spices aside.

Pour in vegetable oil, and then place halved onions (flat side down) and ginger pieces in. Allow them to char for 5 minutes without moving them. At four minute mark, add crushed garlic clove.

Pour in 1/2 cup cold water and deglaze bottom of pot. Add the spices, brown sugar, cilantro, fish sauce and salt. Pour in 3.5 cups of water. Add the chicken. Pour in 4 cups of water. Make sure the chicken is 90% submerged. Close lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes and then 20 minutes natural release.

Transfer whole chicken into large bowl filled with cold water – this will firm up the meat and cool chicken so you can touch it. Strain broth through a fine mesh strainer.

Bring chicken broth back to a boil over medium heat.

Put noodles in bowl, and then cover with chicken broth. Garnish with green onions, fresh cilantro, hard boiled eggs (optional) and freshly ground pepper.

Hot and Sour Soup

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1 ounce (1/2 cup) dried wood ear mushrooms or 5 fresh button or shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral cooking oil
1/2 pound lean pork shoulder, sliced 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1-by-1/4-inch strips, or 1/2 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped scallions, plus more for garnish, if desired
4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/3 cup (about 2 ounces) bamboo shoots, drained
1/2 pound soft tofu, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar (I skipped this)
1 teaspoon black or white pepper
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon Sriracha, plus more for serving
Kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten

If using dried mushrooms: Cover the mushrooms with boiling water in a small bowl, and let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop the mushrooms.

In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil. Add the pork, garlic, ginger and 1/2 cup scallions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the pork is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock and add the bamboo shoots (if using), tofu, 1/3 cup of vinegar, the soy sauce, sugar, pepper, sesame oil, mushrooms and 1 tablespoon Sriracha. Bring the soup to a simmer and season with salt. While stirring constantly, drizzle in the eggs and cook until strands form, about 1 minute. Serve hot, garnished with extra scallions if desired, passing rice vinegar and Sriracha at the table.

Chicken Pho

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Broth
2 unpeeled yellow onions, quartered
Three 1/2-inch-thick slices of unpeeled fresh ginger, smashed
4 quarts cold water
3 pounds chicken bones or chicken wings
One fresh 3 1/2-pound chicken, quartered
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Additional spices (optional): Cinnamon, star anise, black cardamoms, coriander seeds, fennel seeds or cloves
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1 pound dried rice noodles, a linguine shape (bánh phở) if you can find them

Garnishes
1 large scallion, thinly sliced
1 pound mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup torn basil leaves, Thai basil if you can find it
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
Asian chili-garlic sauce
Hoisin sauce
Crispy shallots, recipe follows

 

Char onions and ginger: Heat the oven to 400°F. Put the onions and ginger on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned. [Alternate idea suggested in the comments: If you have a gas range, just char them a bit over a flame. It would save a lot of time.]

Cook the chicken: Fill a large stockpot with the water and bring to a boil. Add the roasted onions and ginger, and the chicken bones or wings, quartered chicken, salt, sugar and any of the optional spices and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to moderate and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken and finish the broth: Using tongs, transfer the quartered chicken to a plate and let cool slightly. Remove the meat from the bones and refrigerate. Return the skin and bones to the stockpot and simmer for 2 hours longer. Strain the chicken broth into a large soup pot and cook over high heat until reduced to 12 cups, about 15 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce; adjust to taste.

*Prepare noodles: In a large bowl of warm water, soak the noodles until pliable, about 20 minutes. You can also prepare the noodles according to the package instructions, if they differ. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Drain the noodles, then add them to the saucepan and boil over high heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Divide the noodles between 6 large bowls and sprinkle with the scallion.

Finish and serve the soup: Add the reserved chicken to the broth and simmer until heated through. Ladle the broth and chicken over the noodles. Serve with the bean sprouts, basil, lime wedges, jalapeños, chili-garlic sauce, hoisin sauce and crispy shallots.

* Note: Phan has you cook the noodles separately in water, so they can be drained and used as needed. I believe he’s concerned about them overcooking in the soup pot. Theoretically, you could of course save time by cooking the noodles in the broth pot while the chicken reheats, however, the noodles are likely to make the broth cloudy, when ideal pho usually has a pristinely clear broth. [Thanks to everyone who mentioned the clouding issue in the comments.]

Do ahead: The broth can be made ahead and refrigerated for two days, a great way to divide up this recipe.

Crispy Fried Shallots

Why make so many? Phan says they’re an essential crispy, salty and sweet condiment in Vietnam, where they’re used in soups, on salads, in meatballs and even sprinkled on dumplings as garnish. Phan recommends that you twice-fry them, once at a low temp and a second at a higher one. I fudged this and just did it at higher one for less time, but they burned easily and I know his way is better, so am sharing this instead. I made about a quarter-recipe of this in a small skillet and wished we had more.

2 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 4 large shallots)
2 cups canola oil

In a small saucepan or large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high until it registers 275°F on a deep-fry or candy thermometer. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently as they’ll want to cook unevenly, until light golden brown, about 4 to 8 minutes, depending on their thickness. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Increase the heat to high and place a fine-mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl. When the oil registers 375°F on the deep-fry or candy thermometer, add return the fried shallots to the oil and cook just until they are crispy and well-browned, about 5 seconds, watching carefully so the shallots don’t burn.

Pour the oil and shallots through the sieve to immediately stop the cooking, then transfer to shallots to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with salt to season. Reserve the oil for another use. The shallots will keep, stored in an airtight container, for 1 day, but they’re best the day they are made.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Instant Pot)

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2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, quartered
2 lbs skinless and boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 red bell pepper, cut into thick strips
6 slices galangal, optional
6 kaffir lime leaves, torn and bruised, optional
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons fish sauce or salt to taste
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
Cilantro leaves

Turn on the Saute mode on your Instant Pot. Add the onion and saute for 10 seconds before adding the chicken. Saute the chicken until the surface turns white. Add the Thai curry paste, bell peppers, galangal and kaffir lime leaves (if using), stir to mix well. Add the chicken broth, fish sauce and sugar. Cover the pot and select High pressure for 6 minutes.

When it beeps, turn to Quick Release. When the valve drops, remove the lid carefully, add the coconut milk and lime juice to the soup, stir to mix well. Top with cilantro and serve immediately.

If you can’t find galangal and kaffir lime leaves you can use lemongrass and skip the two ingredients. Lemongrass is not a substitute for both galangal and kaffir lime leaves but it will infuse the soup with its unique fragrance and aroma.

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

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2 cans (14-ounce/400 mL each)of premium coconut milk
1 heaping tablespoon (20 mL) of Thai curry paste
the tender stems of 1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed well
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 cups (500 mL0 of chicken broth
1 carrot, shredded
4 or 5 lime leaves
2 stalks of lemon grass, halved lengthwise, woody leaves removed
2 tablespoons (30 mL) of fish sauce
the zest and juice of 2 limes
a small knob frozen ginger
a handful bean sprouts
a 8 ounce (225 g) package rice noodles
1 bunch of cilantro leaves, rinsed well
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
a sprinkle or two salt or soy sauce

Scoop the thick coconut cream from the top of just one of the cans into a large stockpot set over a medium-high heat. Melt the cream, add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until they begin to sizzle.

Add the cilantro roots and chicken and sauté until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Add the coconut juice from the first can and all the contents of the second can along with the chicken broth, carrot, lime leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce and lime zest and juice. Grate the frozen ginger into the broth with a Microplane grater or standard box grater. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.

Stir in the bean sprouts. Add the rice noodles, gently pushing them beneath the surface of the broth. Turn off the heat and let stand until the noodles soften, about 5 minutes. Rice noodles don’t need to simmer like pasta to cook; they simply need to rehydrate in the hot liquid.

Stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Remove the lemon grass stalks. Taste and season with a touch more salt (or soy sauce) as needed. Ladle into large bowls and garnish with the green onions and remaining cilantro leaves.

Mushroom Miso Broth with Buckwheat Noodles

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  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • a small knob frozen ginger
  • 2 cups shiitake or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz. Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles
  • 4 heaping Tablespoons fresh miso paste
  • A dash or two hot pepper sauce to taste
  • 1 sheet nori seaweed, finely shredded with scissors
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  1. Bring the chicken broth (or water) to a simmer in a stockpot.
  2. Grate the frozen ginger into the broth with a Microplane grater or the smallest holes on a standard box grater. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until tender, about 10 minutes or so.
  3. Add the soba noodles and continue simmering until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the miso paste, hot sauce, nori seaweed and green onions. Continue cooking just long enough to heat everything through, about 1 minute. Miso is a bit delicate so it’s always best to add it to the hot liquid and then serve it immediately. Miso broth is fine if it sits a while but it tastes best freshly made.

Split Pea Soup

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  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 leeks, halved and sliced into ribbons
  • 1 carrot, chopped small
  • 1 celery rib, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
  • 2 quarts vegetable stock or broth
  • 1-2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf

Heat oil, add leeks, onion and celery.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened.  Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add the dried peas and stir to coat, then add the stock, thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce to a low simmer for 50-60 minutes, until peas have softened.  Remove thyme leaves and bay leaf and serve.

Add 1-2 cups diced ham when you cook the vegetables if you want.

Quick Ramen

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Simmer a quart of chicken stock with a tbsp. of miso paste and a few slices of fresh ginger and mushrooms for 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

Season 6 oz. of chicken with salt, pepper and garlic.  Grill over medium heat until medium done.

Soft boil an egg for 5 minutes.  Rest the egg in a bowl of cold water for five minutes before peeling and cutting in half.

Boil 4 oz. of ramen noodles for 3-5 minutes.

Put cooked noodles in large soup bowl.  Add the broth and the chicken, a sprinkle of thinly sliced onions, and the two egg halves.

Black Bean Soup

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  • 3/4 cup water (or 2 tablespoons olive oil; if not oil-free)
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/3-1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped, to taste (optional)
  • 2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped (or any color)
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
  • 1 15 oz. can organic sweet corn, drained and rinsed
  • 3 15 oz. cans organic black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • sea salt & pepper, to taste
  • toppings: avocado, crushed tortilla chips, jalapeño, cilantro, dairy-free cheese

 

  • Heat the water (or oil, if preferred) in a soup pot or large dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic, with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.
  • Stir in the jalapeño, carrot, red bell pepper, cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Cook until vegetable are soft, about 7-9 minutes.
  • Pour in the beans, corn and broth. Bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans are soft and the broth has lots of flavor, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat.
  • Using a hand immersion blender, blend about half of the soup, still leaving whole beans in tact. Blend more for a smoother texture or less for a chunkier texture, depending on preference (this step is optional; you can also blend half in a regular blender, making sure to let out the steam, to prevent a soup explosion as it gets very hot. Pour it back into the soup pot).
  • Stir in lime juice and cilantro and taste test to see if it needs more salt or pepper.

 

Carrot Miso Soup

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2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger, or more to taste (it could easily be doubled)
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup white miso paste, or more to taste

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic sauté until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add broth and ginger. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender, or all at once with an immersion blender. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso an a half-cup of the soup. Stir the mixture back into the pot of soup. Taste the soup and season with salt, pepper or additional miso to taste.