Pho Bo Recipe (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

This weekend, we had a quiet dinner with only my family and I decided to make my dad the Vietnamese dish I think I make the best. There are several variations of Vietnamese beef noodle soup; I wanted to make Papa’s favorite, which is the one with beef tendon, called phở bò tái gân.

We watched la Météo (weather forecast) yesterday on TV and it seems it's going to be raining all week!.The clear broth is absolutely delicious and it's perfect if you feel under the weather, which seems be happening to us given the rain!

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup Recipe

Since we arrived in Paris, my husband Lulu and I have taken the opportunity to have romantic getaways in Europe and leave baby Aria with my parents. My parents are thrilled to get to have time alone with their granddaughter, and thankfully, so is Aria. As the crazy mom that I am, I've left a long list of instructions for my mom to ensure the happy well-being of my baby girl, and that includes what she eats. Ever since Aria started eating solid food, I've managed to feed her only homemade baby food. I use the term baby food loosely, since I only feed Aria food that I would also eat.

I've taught Maman one of Aria's favorite soups: roasted bell pepper soup. It's a healthy blend of lentils, brown rice and roasted bell peppers. When Lulu and I came home, there was still some soup left, so we all ate it as a first course. I garnished it with sweet basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. It's fantastic!

Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe

While picking fresh vegetables at a local Korean market with Aria sitting in my shopping cart, a very nice lady began chatting with me in front of stacks of neatly arranged young Chinese cabbage heads. She said they make excellent kimchi, as well as a delicious soup for little ones. I love sharing new foods with my daughter, so I definitely appreciated the advice.

I kept the soup fairly simple, adding potatoes as the primary thickening agent. They give the soup a richer mouth-feel without making it heavy and overbearing. It's a very pleasant way to start a meal, whether you're young, old or in-between.

Spicy Udon Noodle Soup Recipe

The spicy paste in this coconut udon soup provides not only  the kick, but also most of the flavor. It's made of miso paste, a lot of red Thai chiles, Thai basil, sesame and garlic. The rest of the preparation is very basic. A mix of Asian vegetables such as straw mushrooms, sweet baby corn and bok choy are boiled in vegetable broth. At the last minute, fried tofu, pre-cooked fresh udon noodles and coconut milk are added to complete the tasty soup.

The temperature is finally dropping in the Bay Area, which makes hot soup so soothing! 

Spinach Avocado Soup with Shrimp Chips

The idea for this little first course came from an attempt to introduce avocado to my 10-month old baby Aria. The cream soup consists of barley and toor lentils, avocado and spinach. It was so delicious, I thought I'd share the same dish with our dinner guests, with a few alterations, of course. I fancied up the recipe with fresh sautéed spicy crab and Vietnamese shrimp chips called bánh phồng tôm. The velvety texture of the soup against the tasty, cracker-like chips was heavenly.

I love the idea of sharing meals with my daughter, and I’ll share more of our personal favorites. I think I have a little foodie in the making!