I used to go on a clean-eating binge at the start of every year, sickened by the excesses of the prior season while gearing up for the ultimate excess of Mardi Gras.
I gave this up years ago when I flipped the practice of a season of vegetable-forward eating to a daily one. I knocked off twenty pounds, have kept it off, and look and feel exponentially better. I still enjoy small samples of gumbo and remain highly susceptible to the charms of fried chicken, but now I enjoy them more as they are infrequent treats.
One of my go-tos for an easy, quick fix is a concoction I dubbed Fake or Faux Pho years ago. It is packed with flavor, vegetables, lean protein, and in lieu of noodles (oh, no! Carbs!), thinly sliced or shredded cabbage or mung bean sprouts. When not feeling virtuous, I top this with a giant scoop of Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp, which I love obsessively, but it packs a punch with oil and 100 calories per tablespoon, which adds up fast. When virtue matters, I reach for Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili-Onion Sprinkle, which is not as good as the real deal, but it still adds loads of flavor and texture. The culprit in this dish is salt, so hold off on adding more; otherwise, you could eat this all day and still not move the needle.
I make a big batch of this at the start of the week and have it for lunch at my desk every day.
4
servingsIngredients
- Broth
4 cubes Bao Long brand pho base (any flavor, find it at the Hong Kong Market)
2 1/2 qts water or broth (chicken, beef, vegetarian, whatever)
1-inch piece lemongrass
4 pieces star anise
1/2-inch piece cinnamon bark
2 pieces crushed garlic
- All Ingredients
1 or more large boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
8 oz leftover filet
1/2 lb peeled and deveined Gulf shrimp
1 package frozen Asian soup dumplings (any variety)
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms (the frozen ones from Trader Joe’s are great here)
3 baby boy choy, thinly sliced
2 shallots or green scallions, thinly sliced
fresh mung bean sprouts, and/or shredded cabbage (any variety)
Thai basil
cilantro
lime juice
sriracha and/or garlic chili paste
sliced jalapeno peppers, optional
fried shallots or fried garlic, not virtuous,
so optional
Directions
- Broth
- Simmer broth ingredients for 20 minutes over medium-low heat, then strain
- Pho
- In a large sauce pot, bring water and pho base or seasoned broth to a raging boil over high heat. Toss in meat, shitakes, baby bok choy, and shallots or scallions. Return to a raging boil. Remove from heat.
- For each serving, fill a large soup bowl with the desired amount of bean sprouts and/or cabbage. Ladle the broth over sprouts/cabbage. Add basil, cilantro, Sriracha, garlic chili, lime juice, jalapenos, and/or fried garlic/shallots to taste.
- What to Drink with Fake Pho: Since we are feeling virtuous, let’s kick the juice, too! New Orleans’ mixologist-crafted, non-alcoholic libation, Mockly, just went through a rebrand and rolled out a new look and an energetic new flavor, Citron Café Noir, a cold brew–based non-alcoholic libation that blends cocoa and fennel with a bright burst of lemon for those times when you need a lift. Non-caffeinated flavors include Blueberry Floral Spritz, Herbal Tangerine Elixir, and Pomegranate Ginger Tonic. Get some at drinkmockly.com, Rouses, Breaux Mart, Martin Wine Cellar, Total Wine, and Whole Foods.
- The Expert(s): Spouses and native New Orleanians Aimée and Tarik Sedky founded Mockly in 2021 to deliver the flavor-forward profile New Orleanians lean toward, inspired by the city’s cocktail culture and Tarik’s personal experience with sobriety. He has been sober for years and sought to create drinks that allowed him to participate in social celebrations without alcohol. The Sedkys partnered with New Orleans mixologist Jesse Carr to develop their signature flavors.
