Northern Thai Khao Soi

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 head garlic, mashed
• 2 teaspoons red chili paste (find at asian market)
• 2 tablespoons soybean paste (also from asian market)
• 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1 lb lean ground beef or 1 lb ground turkey
• 40 ounces pho beef broth (two 20 oz cans also from asian market)
• 28 ounces flat rice noodles, also called banh pho (two 14 oz packages)
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 6 leaves napa cabbage, chopped (or other cabbage)
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaf
• 1 cup fresh bean sprout
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (thai ingredient from asian market)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)

Recipe

• 1 stir fry together: sesame oil, mashed garlic, red chili pepper paste, soy bean paste, salt, and ground meat. stir fry until meat is cooked through.
• 2 in medium pot, heat pho beef broth. bring to boil, then simmer until later.
• 3 in another pot, boil water for the rice noodles. cook noodles until tender and drain.
• 4 rinse and chop: cilantro, green onions, napa lettuce. rinse and separate basil bunch into sprigs. rinse bean sprouts. cut limes. put all garnishes on a platter or in small bowls in the center of the table.
• 5 sauté minced garlic in a little sesame oil - only for a minute or it will burn! set in a small bowl on the table with the garnishes.
• 6 assemble! put a handful of noodles in a bowl, add a large scoop of meat, and ladle some broth on top. at the table, spoon a bit of the sautéed garlic into your bowl, top with a little of each of the veggie garnishes, and squeeze a lime wedge into your soup. for an authentic (but very pungent!) taste, pour a bit of fish sauce into your soup (only needs a tiny bit!). add some soy sauce if you like it more salty. carefully stir together, and enjoy! you'll need chopsticks as well as spoons to eat/slurp this dish.