We’ve revamped an old recipe to incorporate the beautiful variety of Vietnamese herbs that are so readily available in Houston’s Vietnamese supermarkets.
Ingredients
- 1 pound rice noodles
- 2 quarts Vietnamese Herbs Stock (or chicken or vegetable stock)
- 2 baby bok choy, leaves separated
- 4 farmers market eggs
- Garnish: Rau Răm (Vietnamese coriander), Ngo Gai (culantro), Húng Quế (Thai basil), spring onions, roasted peanuts, jalapeno slices.
- 2 quarts cold water
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- ½ red onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 celery stalk, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4–5 slices peeled fresh ginger
- 1 stalk lemongrass, broken up
- 4 makrut lime leaf
- Handful stems Rau Răm (Vietnamese coriander)
- Handful stems Ngo Gai (culantro)
- Handful stems Húng Quế (Thai basil)
- 2–3 dried red chilis
Preparation
Step 1: Prepare the noodles per instructions on the package. Drain and divide noodles among 4 bowls.
Step 2: Bring the stock to a soft boil on medium-high heat, reduce heat and keep at a low simmer.
Working quickly, add the baby bok choy to the simmering stock and poach for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide over the noodles.
Step 3: Break the eggs in a small bowl and carefully drop them 1 by 1 into the hot stock. Poach each until the egg white has solidified but the yolk is still runny (about 2 minutes). Being careful not to break the yolk, remove with a slotted spoon and put on top of the noodles.
Step 4: Pour hot stock through a strainer over the noodles to fill up each bowl.
Garnish with coarse-chopped herbs, spring onions, roasted peanuts and jalapeno slices as desired. Serve immediately.
For the Quick Vietnamese Herbs Stock
Makes about 2 quarts
Pour the water into a large saucepan.
Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Season to taste. Strain over a bowl.
