From cook Courtney Sonia-
Pho at Chewonki!
Pho, a Vietnamese soup, is a favorite here at Chewonki. The dish consists of a savory broth, rice noodles, a protein, and an assortment of toppings. We make our pho with tofu as the protein, and we use seasonal vegetables and herbs as toppings.
Pho broth is unlike many other broths because of the spices used – star anise, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. In American cooking these spices are often reserved for desserts or sweet dishes, but when used in this savory soup they lend quite an exotic flavor. We add garlic, onion, and chili pepper paste to the broth as well. The broth can have a base of beef or chicken stock, but for our pho we used a vegetable stock. The broth simmered for about three hours before the spices were strained from the liquid. The rice noodles and tofu are then added to the broth and cooked right before serving.
The toppings are presented on a platter, and students and staff may choose which toppings to take. Basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and thin sliced onions are the more traditional toppings we had available. We also offered shaved carrots and think sliced sweet bell peppers. Homemade Chewonki hot sauces were available for anyone who felt brave.
The meal was completed with a kelp salad on a bed a of mixed greens. The slaw-cut kelp came from a local company, Ocean Approved. We dressed the kelp in a sesame-ginger dressing and topped the salads with toasted sesame seeds. It’s a light, but satisfying salad, and always a crowd pleaser.
