Goddess Grub Asian Quick Soups

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EASY & QUICK FAUX PHO
BEEF BROTH

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


In a small dry frypan, toast together for about 5 minutes:

4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp cardamon seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 tbsp chopped raw ginger

Bring to a boil 2 cups College Inn or Swanson Beef Broth and 2 cups water.

 Add the toasted spices to the broth (you will strain them out afterward)

Simmer 5 minutes and strain.

To the clear broth, add 1 tbsp Three Crabs brand fish sauce and the juice of 1/2 lime.

In a large bowl, place:

1/4 small yellow onion, sliced in slivers
2 sliced scallions, thumbnail sized slices
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup Thai basil (holy basil)

Pour the broth into the bowl and garnish with:

2 small red chillies sliced, if you want it HOT
Lime wedges, to serve

The above recipe makes a commercial broth more flavorful and nuanced, but it is not like a homemade pho broth.

ASIAN SPICED SHRIMP ASPARAGUS SOUP

32 oz box of Swanson low fat chicken broth
8 ounces water
2 stalks of lemon grass, split, bruised and chopped
3 keffir lime leaves chopped and bruised
1 heaping tablespoon tamarind paste
A chopped up thumb sized piece of galangal (ginger root)

Heat the broth to boiling, and add the lemon grass, lime leaves, tamarind paste and galangal to the pot.
Boil for 5 minutes.

Strain the clear broth into another pan. Discard the spice sticks and roots.

To the clear broth, add:

A handful of raw shrimp with heads and tails on, for flavor
3 tbsp nam prik pao (chili paste with oil) I use Mae Sri brand. Nam prik pao is spicy but not searingly hot.
1 tsp Por Kwan brand Tom Yum Paste
1 tsp shaved palm sugar (or turbinado sugar or brown sugar)

Stir together and turn off heat. Throw on top (do not stir in:)

A handful of chopped asparagus
Half a handful of thinly slivered sweet onions
A handful of chopped Thai basil (holy basil)
A handful of bean sprouts

Put the lid on and keep the pan over the burner you just turned off.

The heat of the broth will cook the shrimp in 5 minutes, especially with the cap of greens under the pot lid.

Prepare your serving bowl by adding

The juice of one-half lime
2 tbsp Three Crabs brand fish sauce

TASTE GUIDE:
If it's too sweet, add more lime
If it's too sour, add a little more palm sugar
If it's not spicy enough, add more nam prik pao
To add spicy hot heat, add fresh green chillis, sliced
If it's not salty enough, add more fish sauce (use fish sauce like a soy sauce for salty, smoky flavor)

The tamarind paste makes it sour. You can substitute white vinegar for the tamarind but it will only add sourness and not the full flavor you want to use the tamarind for.

ASIAN SPICED SHRIMP, SPINACH
AND MUSHROOM SOUP

32 oz box of Swanson low fat chicken broth
8 ounces water
2 stalks of lemon grass, split, bruised and chopped
3 keffir lime leaves chopped and bruised
1 heaping tablespoon tamarind paste
A chopped thumb sized piece of galangal (ginger root)

Heat the broth to boiling, and add the lemon grass, lime leaves, tamarind paste and galangal to the pot.
Boil for 5 minutes.

Strain the clear broth into another pan. Discard the spice sticks and roots.
To the clear broth, add:

A handful of raw shrimp with heads and tails on, for flavor
3 tbsp nam prik pao (chili paste with oil) I use Mae Sri brand. Nam prik pao is spicy but not searingly hot.
1 tsp Por Kwan brand Tom Yum Paste
1 tsp shaved palm sugar (or turbinado sugar or brown sugar)

Stir together and turn off the heat. Throw on top (do not stir in:)

A handful of chopped white mushrooms
Half a handful of thinly slivered sweet onions
A handful of chopped spinach
A handful of chopped Thai basil (holy basil)

Put the lid on and keep the pan over the burner you just turned off.

The heat of the broth will cook the shrimp in 5 minutes, especially with the cap of greens under the pot lid.

Prepare your serving bowl by adding

The juice of 1/2 lime
2 tbsp Three Crabs brand fish sauce

Other vegetables that work well in this soup are broccoli, snow peas, edamame, garbanzos.