Complete honesty here folks, I was seriously reluctant to make this Vietnamese soup, even though I had already purchased all of the ingredients for it. Perhaps it was because what I was really craving was shrimp and grits in a heavy Cajun cream sauce and not a healthy bowl of Vietnamese pho. It happens, and more often than you would think. On almost a weekly basis, I find myself buying ingredients at the market to make one particular thing and then changing my mind once I arrive home. My cravings are fickle and can change quite suddenly for absolutely no reason at all.

Instead of caving to the desire to make a big ol’ batch of shrimp and grits, smothered in hate and self-loathing, I decided to stick to my original plan and whip up a pot of pho, using shrimp, rice vermicelli, and a few herbs and spices to give it just the right amount of heat and flavor. Was it as good as the shrimp and grits would have been? Surprisingly yes. And guess what? There’s not a whole bunch of hate and self-loathing to go along with it. That’s a bonus, right? Don’t worry y’all, this health kick won’t last forever because now I’m craving biscuits, swimming in butter, and smeared with Small-Batch Ginger & Peach Jam.

Ingredients:

• 8 Cups Chicken Stock or Broth
• 1 Star Anise Pod
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Pressed
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
• Rice Vermicelli Noodles
• 1 Pound Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined
• 4 Mushrooms, Destemmed & Sliced
• Scallions, Chopped (Green Part Only)
• Cilantro, Finely Chopped
• 1 Lime

Directions:

1. Place the stock or broth in a large pot over high heat along with the star anise, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
2. Bring to a boil and then allow to cook for 5 additional minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the noodles to the stock or broth; cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp to the stock or broth; cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until perfectly cooked.
5. Divide the noodles, stock or broth, and shrimp between four bowls.
6. Discard the star anise pod.
7. Top with sliced mushrooms, chopped scallions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice before serving.

Suggestions:

• I used instant rice vermicelli noodles in this recipe because I like how they melt into the stock or broth. You can add as many or as few as you would like. I used two bundles in mine because I didn’t want a lot of noodles in this particular pho. Remember that rice vermicelli comes in many shapes and sizes, so the cooking time may vary slightly. Allow the noodles to cook until they are almost done and then add the shrimp to the stock or broth.
• You can use whatever size shrimp you prefer in this recipe. I used extra-large shrimp because they were on sale for much less than the small variety.
• Make sure to remove the stems from the mushrooms before slicing them. The stems have a woody texture that will not work well in this soup.

Improvements:

• Add additional toppings to this pho, such as bean sprouts, carrots, Thai basil, or mint.
• Use a garlic press to press the garlic called for in this recipe.
• Make your own chicken stock or broth. Simply cover the carcass of a rotisserie chicken with at least 3-inches of water in a large stock-pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium. Allow the stock to simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Remove the chicken and then strain the stock or broth. This will make the perfect amount of stock or broth for this pho recipe.

Print

Yum

Healthy Shrimp & Rice Vermicelli Pho

Ingredients:

• 8 Cups Chicken Stock or Broth
• 1 Star Anise Pod
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Pressed
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
• Rice Vermicelli Noodles
• 1 Pound Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined
• 4 Mushrooms, Destemmed & Sliced
• Scallions, Chopped (Green Part Only)
• Cilantro, Finely Chopped
• 1 Lime

Directions:

1. Place the stock or broth in a large pot over high heat along with the star anise, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
2. Bring to a boil and then allow to cook for 5 additional minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the noodles to the stock or broth; cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp to the stock or broth; cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until perfectly cooked.
5. Divide the noodles, stock or broth, and shrimp between four bowls.
6. Discard the star anise pod.
7. Top with sliced mushrooms, chopped scallions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice before serving.

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