Bun Bo Hue Recipe (Hue-Style Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

If you're familiar with phở, bún bò Huế is another beef rice noodle soup. The beef soup dish originated in the city of Huế, the old imperial capital of Vietnam. Like traditional phở bò, the broth of bún bò Huế is simmered with beef bones and Asian spices such as ginger, but the similarities pretty much end there. The real difference is that the broth is finished with lemongrass and red chiles.

I made a very basic soup with thinly sliced beef shanks, but some people are more adventurous and add pig knuckles, congealed pig blood called huyết (which I do not like), and serve shrimp paste on the side as a condiment. I garnished the soup with the commonly used bean sprouts, lime wedges, cilantro and raw sliced white onions, thinly sliced purple cabbage and shredded iceberg lettuce. Purple cabbage makes sense because it most closely resembles the texture of banana flowers, which are traditionally included in bún bò Huế. The taste is obviously different though.

Once the dish is prepared, everyone should roll up their sleeves and commence slurping down the bowl of beef broth in front of them. This is not a subtle dish; your taste buds will be bombarded with sweet, savory and spicy flavors. My mouth waters just thinking about it!

Korean Tofu Soup with Rice Cakes

Rice cakes are made from glutinous rice flour. We buy them at the Korean market. They're a great alternative to bánh phở or ordinary noodles. What I love most about this product is  that they're made with no additives or preservatives. They're a favorite at our house. The texture is very nice, and works well in a simple, clear vegetable broth. If you're looking for a healthy meal, this is not your average diet cabbage soup.

Vegetarian Pho (Pho Chay)

I made some beef pho again today -check out the new photo, I've just updated the post- and I felt like making a phở chay, vegetarian rice noodle soup for the rest of the family. The only extra work for pho chay, in addition to the beef pho (for the carnivores at home) is to fry some silken tofu and make the vegetarian broth.

Lulu, my husand, has been begging me to find Vegemite. I finally found some. It brings back good ol' memories from my trips to England as a child. Believe me, it tastes no different than Marmite. Vegemite is a combination of yeast byproduct and vegetable flavorings, and if you've never had it, it sort of has the taste of beef boullion cubes. Vegemite is not only great as a spread on a piece of bread, but can be a tasty addition to vegetable broth. Though not traditional, I used a bit in my pho broth to give it a more complex flavor.

Pho Bo Tai Nam (The Perfect Vietnamese Beef Rice Noodle Soup)

Gooooood morning, Vietnam! Phở is the National Vietnamese food. Phở bò tái nạm is a beef broth served with rice noodles and tender, thin pieces of flank steak flavored with traditional Vietnamese spices. It's one of my favorite Asian soups. When I visited Saigon 10 years ago, I remember having a big bowl of phở for breakfast! It's as good in the morning as it is for lunch and dinner. I think it's THE best street food in the world. Oh and it's pronounced "fuh" like the beginning of the word "fudge".

OK. Here goes... I might get in big trouble for handing out this recipe. I got it from my Tatie Danielle (aunt) who, unlike the one in the French comedy classic, is a sweetheart and an amazing cook, except that she does not share her recipes. She used to run a restaurant in the early 90s. She doesn't know the existence of this site yet and she's not very computer literate, so I hope that keeps me safe. At any rate, I figure I can't call myself a femme fatale if I don't do a little bit of recon and intel gathering. Shhh...

If - like me - you're a fan of Anthony Bourdain, you might be interested to know that Pho is one of his favorite dishes. Tony, this pho is for you .