Simple veg vietnamese noodle recipe by a soul food story

INGREDIENTS: 150 gms of Asian Noodles (choose any from flat, to whole wheat or regular chowmein, but make sure they are slightly thick) | 1 Carrot sliced in circular disks | 1 Onion roughly diced | 1/2 Cup of finely chopped Celery stems and leaves | 1 Cup Cabbage roughly diced | 1 /2 Cup sliced Babycorn | You may choose to add as many veggies you like including finely chopped Mushrooms, Broccoli and Beans | 1 Star Anise | 1 Cinnamon stick | 3-4 Pepper whole | Ginger and Garlic in thin slices (1/2 inch ginger slices and 6-7 garlic pieces) | Salt | 1 dried Red Chilli | 2-3 basil leaves, Lemon wedge and Jalapenos for garnish | Any protein of your choice (i used cottage cheese ) | Vegetable oil / Sesame oil / Olive Oil | 1tbsp of Soya Sauce. COOK & PREP TIME : 40 mins | SERVES :1 -2

METHOD:

PART 1: In a thick bottomed pan , dry roast the onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon and peppercorns, red chilli and celery . Then add tsp of oil and stir it for another minute. When the aroma starts to set in add 4-5 cups of water to the pan. Bring it to a boil, cover with a lid and let it simmer and cook for 20-25 mins.

PART 2: Chop all the other veggies as per above instructions and keep them ready. When the spice mix has boiled and reduced, drain it with the help of a sieve and reserve the broth that is left. This broth will form the base for our soup. Add 1tbsp of non synthetic soy sauce and add all the veggies waiting to be used – carrots, beans, babycorn, cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms ( dont use the jalapeno at this stage ), cover them with a lid and let it cook for 5-10 mins. Your veggies should be cooked and not over cooked or boil. Once you achieve the consistency, turn off the heat. Meanwhile on another gas top, boil your noodles, strain them and keep them ready.

PART 3: In a non stick pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, add thinly sliced pieces of cottage cheese or tofu. Pan grill them until they look golden and crispy on the outside. Take off the heat.

PART 4: For serving, keep your garnish ready – use thinly sliced jalapenos and fresh basil leaves. In a bowl, add the noodles on one side and the cooked veggies on another. Add the soup broth on top to fill it enough but not cover the veggies and noodles. Top it off with jalapenos, basil leaves, a dash of lemon and the prepared cottage cheese pieces. Serve hot!

Do try the recipe and tell me know how you liked it in the comments below. Note: all images used in this recipe are owned by A soulfoodstory

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