{"id":11547,"date":"2013-11-12T21:13:14","date_gmt":"2013-11-13T05:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailywaffle.com\/stage1\/?p=11547"},"modified":"2020-06-06T12:19:06","modified_gmt":"2020-06-06T19:19:06","slug":"slow-cooker-beef-pho-with-tofu-noodle-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailywaffle.com\/stage1\/slow-cooker-beef-pho-with-tofu-noodle-soup\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Slow Cooker Pho with Tofu and Vegetables"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"pho<\/a><\/p>\n

Growing up not far from Little Saigon, pho shops all had numbers — Pho 79, Pho 84, but somewhere along the line pho went mainstream and so did the names of the shops.  So let’s get the jokes and gimmicky names out of the way upfront.<\/p>\n

“What the Pho?” — Kids in my class were using this one as far back as junior high — in the late ’80s. Now, it’s a noodle shop in Bellevue, WA.<\/p>\n

“9-0-2-1-Pho” — This is real. And yes, it’s in Beverly Hills.<\/p>\n

“Jenny Pho”  — Also real. In Issaquah, WA.<\/p>\n

And of course, the king of all Pho shops…well, there’s an, um, king and he don’t serve burgers.<\/p>\n

Creating a good pho broth takes hours, but there’s no reason you can’t do it. Put aside your worries about leaving a pot simmering on the stove unattended overnight, because you can make a good traditional pho broth in the slow cooker.  I never would have thought of it, and then a lightbulb flicked on over my head when I saw the recipe on Serious Eats.<\/p>\n

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\"pho<\/p>\n

My slow cooker gets most of its work with braises, say pulled pork or corned beef or a copycat recipe of the Meat Burrito filling from Tito’s. I rarely make soups in it because most of them don’t need<\/em> to cook for 8 hours. Pho, of course, is an exception and the crock pot really is the perfect tool. Set it and forget it (for 10 hours).<\/p>\n

When we go out for pho, I usually go for the Pho Chin —  cooked beef with extra vegetables, but sometimes we just go off menu and order the beef broth with tofu and vegetables.  You still get the beefy goodness of the broth without doubling down on the red meat. And that’s the inspiration for version. It’s traditional where it counts — the broth.<\/p>\n

SERIOUS EATS: Slow Cooker Pho with Eye of Round<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I made a few adjustments to the Serious Eats recipe<\/a>, omitting the Better Than Bullion, which I’m sure is imparting some beefy-ness, but mostly salt…and it seemed like a bit of a cheat. I also replaced the yellow rock sugar with turbinado and was pleased with the result.  The oxtails also gave off a good amount of fat, so I skimmed it after cooking and refrigerated the broth overnight to get most of the rest the next day. That said, fat is flavor, so don’t go overboard.<\/p>\n

A few tips & notes — these things always seem to come down to the details:<\/p>\n

1. Noodles: Fresh rice noodles are best, I’ve used the Fresh Rice Sticks in the pink bag from Sincere Orient<\/a>, but if you use dried, soak them in cold water for an hour before cooking (that’s a tip from Eric Banh, chef and owner of Seattle’s Ba Bar, in this gorgeous How to Make Pho video<\/a>).<\/p>\n

2. Vegetables: Up to you on what to add — carrot, celery, onion, broccoli, snow peas, even baby corn. All but the broccoli can go in as-is if sliced thinly. Blanch the broccoli.<\/p>\n

3. Fish Sauce – I used Red Boat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. To sriracha\/hoisin or not — It’s your call. I typically add sriracha instead of the jalapenos for a little heat, but others argue adding these sauces is usually to compensate for an inferior broth. Follow your tastebuds.<\/p>\n

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Pho with Tofu and Vegetables (Slow Cooker)<\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Ingredients<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t