This weekend was just about perfect! It included dinner with old & new friends, a beautiful bike ride outdoors around Chatfield Reservoir, relaxing night at home, and a gorgeous run with views of the mountains and frosty lakes. We even passed a Model airplane field, so we had lots of planes to provide entertainment. :)
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It was a little strange to see people ice fishing on the reservoir while we were riding our bikes in short-sleeves. That’s not a sport I understand…
We actually decided NOT to go snowboarding this weekend, because both Kirk and I were in the mood to relax a bit more. Funny that relaxing weekend for us includes 5 hours of workouts, but we are a little crazy. ;)
Long bike rides and runs give you plenty of times to think, so it’s perfect for brainstorming recipe ideas. With Udon Noodles being the ingredient for this week, I immediately thought of soup. Lately, my favorite soup has been Pho. There’s a fantastic Pho restaurant close to us that has a vegetarian version with the perfect mix of spices. I decided to use those spices as inspiration for my Udon Noodle Soup.
I used the slow cooker for this meal, so it had plenty of time to absorb the flavors, without tying me to the kitchen for the night. Don’t be scared off by the total time this soup takes, because the active time is fairly minimal. And the end result is worth it – this is absolutely one of the best recipes I’ve created!
Faux-Pho Udon Noodle Soup
by
Keywords: slow-cooker bake soup/stew entree appetizer vegan vegetarian udon Vietnamese
Ingredients (2 large bowls or 4 small bowls)
For the broth
- cooking spray
- 1 1/2 onion, quartered
- 4 inches ginger, halved
- 1 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cardamom pod
- 4 star anise
- 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon lemongrass
- 6 whole cloves
- 64 ounces Mushroom Broth
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
- 1-2 jalapenos, sliced (optional)
- 8 ounces thin Udon Noodles
For the tofu
- 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 8 ounces sprouted tofu
Instructions
Place onions and ginger on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, cut sides up. Broil on high for 10 minutes, rotate and broil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
Prepare spices to be placed into a tea ball or mesh bag. Score the cinnamon stick and break in half.
Combine cinnamon stick through cloves in tea ball and seal.
In a slow cooker, combine mushroom broth, spice ball, salt, sugar, and red wine (optional). Stir to combine and seal slow cooker. Cook on High for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add desired amount of jalapenos (optional). Cook an additional 1 hour, while preparing tofu.
To prepare tofu, combine hoisin through coriander and stir until smooth. Dice tofu into 1-2 inch cubes and toss with hoisin sauce. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cook tofu for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
When soup has cooked for a total of 3 hours, strain solids and discard. Transfer soup to large pot and bring back to a boil. Add Udon Noodles and tofu to boiling soup and cook for 6 minutes or until noodles are tender.
While noodles are cooking, chop “condiments” for serving. I used cilantro, lime, sprouts, basil, jalapenos. I also recommend Sriracha and Hoisin sauce. Top hot soup with desired condiments and serve with chopsticks and spoons. Enjoy!
Now that you’ve seen my take on Meatless Mondays from A-Z Udon, it’s time to your creations! Ready…set…go! :)
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Questions for you:
- Are you a fan of Pho? That’s one soup I still need to recreate from scratch!
- What was your favorite outdoor adventure of the weekend?
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t believe you were biking in short sleeves!!
love the spices you used in the noodles. Sorry I’m missing this week… had to get my Silk recipe up. What’s next?!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted..Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal
It was almost 60* – talk about weather swings! You’re excused this week, because your Silk recipe looks great. :) Next week is Vodka and I’m going to start the “voting” on Facebook this week for the final letters!
I’ve never had legit beef pho, but I really like the vegetarian versions that I’ve had. I’ve also had Pho Tom, which is shrimp. It’s probably a meat-based broth, but I chose to ignore that.
I don’t think I’ve ever had the legit beef pho either, it’s a relatively new find for me! Pho Tom I haven’t tried, although I did have a seafood one with veggie broth. ;)
I want to work out with you for 5 hours!!!!
(is kirk coming to blend? travis wants to know)
Lindsay @ Lindsay’s List recently posted..how i’m healing my poo problem
I want you to join us – it would be so fun! I’m not sure Kirk has any extra days of vacation to come to Blend, but I may try to figure something out. He would love to hang with Travis!
i wanna ice fish! haha. actually i don’t get it either. But man, i could have used this dish on friday. I was sick. just wanted soup!
lindsay recently posted..How to Break the Fast
Sitting on the ice in the cold all day…not my style. I have to stay moving to stay warm!! Sorry this wasn’t posted in time to help with healing powers, but it would be a great choice for next time! :)
LOVE the faux pho ;)
I love the spices and flavors you used (LOVE hoisin!) and I will be making this one soon! I loved udon week – Jason is already asking me to make mine again ;)
Kristina recently posted..gingered sesame-coconut udon with roasted broccoli
Thanks Kristina! I hope you do get to make this one – seriously one of my favorite creations. Kirk has already asked for another batch too. We have awesome supportive hubbys. :)
Your recipe looks so fabulous too!
I had Pho for the very first time a couple of months ago and I LOVED it. The sweet spice and warmth of it all. YUM. :)
I need to actually use my slow cooker, so I’m glad you did. Also, the photos are gorgeous!
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen recently posted..Hot & Sour Jungle Curry [#MMAZ]
I’m glad I’m not the only one new to Pho – it’s such a flavorful soup! You would love this creation, let me know if you make it. And thank you SO much for the photography complement, I’m trying hard to get better at that!
Uhhh I’ve never had Pho… I need to change that I think!! And it was 20 degrees here this weekend so no outdoor time for me!!
This is a great excuse to try it! :) And I don’t think I’d be exercises outside in 20* much either – except for snowboarding.
Infusing spices through one of those tea infusers is genius. I actually have star anise that I bought a while back but I’ve never known what to do with it :S This sounds like an amazing complex-flavoured recipe. Do you have any recommendations on mushroom broth brands? I’ve never seen any before or just didn’t look for them.
Nadiya @ Milk and Honey on the Run recently posted..Down’s Syndrome… deactivating the chromosome?
I used Pacific Foods broth – it comes in a box. Found it at Whole Foods, if that helps! And your description is right – complex flavors all through the broth. It seemed to be the 3rd hour that they developed most.
Cool thanx :) I’ve had pho a few times and I love it. They also make it with sweet potato noodles. So good!
Nadiya @ Milk and Honey on the Run recently posted..Down’s Syndrome… deactivating the chromosome?
Mmm…sweet potato noodles sounds like a great twist!
relaxing to us is working out too! i love that we are so similar!
kalli recently posted..How I Fuel
I love that too – and it makes me feel a little less crazy. ;)
What a great recipe! The spices in the tea ball sound fabulous. I’m going to use my leftover udon noodles from my post and make this! Yum!
xx Kait
Kait @ ChickadeeSays recently posted..Meatless Monday: Homemade Whole-Wheat Udon Noodles with Vegetable Stir-fry
Thank you – and let me know how the spices work for you! I’m already getting requests from hubby to make this again. ;)
Love this. We are huge asian food fans so thinking to add this to the meal plan for next week.
Gorgeous pictures, I never understood ice fishing myself. I enjoy either being on the land or in a boat. Not ice!
Taylor @ LiftingRevolution recently posted..Two Moms In The Raw GiveAway & How To Set A PR {Vlog}
Yes! And then you have to let me know your thoughts – I love when people make my recipes. :)
I think someone needs to explain to us the ice fishing thing to us all!
Haha – love your definition of relaxing ;-) Mine always include workouts too so what’s relaxing is what’s done before or after. Definitely pinning this. My husband is sort of obsessed with Pho.
Heather (Where’s the Beach) recently posted..Honesty, Running and Cathe’s Yoga Max
Exactly – lazy morning and evenings around the workouts! And I hope you guys love the recipe if you make it – let me know what you think. :)
Wow, this soup is beautiful, and five hour workouts is a bit crazy, but crazy is kind of fun.
Thanks Meghan! And I fully embrace the crazy – and the bragging rights aren’t bad either. ;)
I am a huge Pho fan! I’ve made it one time from scratch, and it was horrible! I’ve had a carton of “Pho Broth” in my pantry for about a year now… I should probably try that out some time. We get Pho from a place down the street quite often. I’ve never had vegan pho though… I’ll have to try this out (especially since I have a carton of mushroom broth!)
This will not shock you, but Greg and I “relax” in the same way. We definitely GET IT.
Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning recently posted..Busy Weekend Recap
I actually made this because the veggie Pho we tried was too sweet and not savory enough – I need a mix! I think you guys would really like this and the crock pot makes it a low-maintenance recipe.
I knew you and Greg would understand our relaxing weekend! :)
The weather looks wonderful! Can you make sure it sticks around until I get there in March?
Natalie @ Free Range Human recently posted..A Marvelous Recap
I will try – although I’m also hoping for some cold snaps and good snow in the mix. How about snow in the mountains and warm in the valleys. Although I guess you probably want mild temps for the hike…
Actually in March we’re coming to ski so I’d like snow too! I’m hoping for a lot of snow in between now and then, and sunny skies once we get there!
Natalie @ Free Range Human recently posted..I’d Still Have To Pick Erudite
Ah – we’re on the same page then. :)
it was way too cold here to be outside this weekend! It looks beautiful there!!! I am craving soup now!! :)
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted..Currently…
I think you got the crazy cold weather we had the weekend before – sorry it made it’s way to you!
Can I please come over for a cooking lesson????? Your recipes always amaze me. :)
Yes please! And we’ll go for a fun run to burn off the yummy calories. :)
Now this looks amazing! Pinning! :)
I need to learn how to make broth!
Kierston recently posted..#RECIPEFRIDAY: Chocolate Protein Dipped Frozen Banana Bites!
Oh – you should, it just tastes better homemade. :)
Ooh, this looks good… I love pho!
Miranda @ Biting Life recently posted..Slow Cooker Enchilada Soup
Thanks Miranda – me too! :)