Pho or any type of noodle soup has to be up there in ranking for comfort food. I can have pho in every season. It doesn't matter if it's boiling hot outside. I can still enjoy a great bowl of Pho.
It's also a great last minute alternative. When you don't have time to do much else, you can put together a bowl of Pho fairly quickly by cheating. I know we're supposed to make our own stock...blah, blah blah...but sometimes you just don't have the time or the energy. I cheated tonight and I'm proud of it.
I've experimented with different brands of stock cubes but have found one to be especially good for Pho. It's called "Vien gia Vi Pho Ga". It's excellent. We get it at the Asian supermarket for $0.25 each packet (4 cubes in a packet).
For Pho at home, use any meats or fish/meatballs you have. I always have my freezer stocked with beef balls and fish balls. I love to have tofu puffs in my soup too. I also added some Spicy Chili paste to the soup to add a kick.
For noodles, you can really use whichever noodles you like. I like wonton noodles (the very thin egg noodles). I cook them in boiling water first before draining them and then tossing them with a little sesame oil. I put them into a soup bowl and add the broth with the fixin's on top.
DELISH!
