Pressure Cooker Lemongrass and Lime Leaf Pho Broth

Recipe by Danielle Lavallee

For the last year, I have been trying to perfect a super easy but beautifully aromatic broth that we could use as a base for pho and other Asian-inspired soup bowls. This recipe is filled with lemongrass, ginger, Makrut lime, star anise, cardamom, and other delicious and health-promoting spices. Unlike many store-bought broths, it has no preservatives or MSG. This batch-cooking recipe makes a large quantity of broth (20 cups), perfect for freezing for later use. I freeze it in meal-sized portions, and then dinner is then as easy as thawing the broth and tossing in some fresh veg and pre-cooked protein.

This recipe can be made in a large pot simmered for several hours on the stovetop, but I prefer to make it in my trusty pressure cooker. Then, it is as easy as dumping in your ingredients, setting the time, and walking away.

Ingredients:

• 3 fresh lemongrass stalks (Ends cut off and woody outer leaves removed. For increased lemongrass flavor, bash the stalks with the side of your rolling pin to release their lovely lemony fragrance.)

• 4 green cardamom pods (Also hit these gently with your rolling pin or crush them with the side of a large chef’s knife to release their seeds.)

• 4 star anise flowers

• 4 whole cloves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 knob of ginger (I keep a bag of ginger knobs in the freezer.)

• 3 Makrut lime leaves (I also keep a package of these in the freezer.)

• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds

• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

• 1 small red chili (optional)

• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons miso paste

• The juice of 2 limes (not shown)

• 5 quarts (20 cups) of liquid, including a combination of vegetable stock and water
  (I use seven Massel 7’s stock cubes, plus 20 cups of water. This is equivalent to 7 cups of vegetable stock and 13 cups of water. You can use any combination of vegetable stock and water that you prefer. If you don’t want to make this quantity of broth, you can also add as little as half the cooking liquid, but I would not include a whole chili, or it will be too spicy.)

Method:

• Roughly chop the lime leaves, lemongrass, chili, and fresh ginger. The peeling can be left on the ginger. It is edible, and it saves time to just leave it on.

• Include the seeds in your chili if you want a spicier soup. Remove the seeds or omit the chili entirely, if you don’t care for spice.
  
  All of these ingredients will be strained out later, so there is no need for precision in your chopping.

• Add your chopped ingredients plus your stock cubes (or vegetable broth) to the pot.

• Add the miso paste, tamari, and 1 cup of water to the pot.

• Stir until the miso paste is incorporated and your stock cubes have dissolved.

• Add water to 5 quart line of your pressure cooker (20 cups).

• Set to the high pressure setting for 15 minutes. Walk away and proceed with your life. (If you desire a greater depth of flavor, try high pressure for 30 minutes.)

• Once the soup is done cooking, squeeze in the juice of two limes. This adds a nice acidic undertone (and some extra vitamin C which increases iron absorption).

• Prior to serving, strain the broth through a fine mesh colander and discard the aromatic ingredients. I strain our soup into a large bowl. The soup will be very hot, so be careful not to burn yourself.

You can then add whatever ingredients you prefer to your bowl. We like rice or soba noodles, baked tofu, edamame, mushrooms of all varieties, any green leafy veg, bean sprouts, and all kinds of fresh herbs, such as basil, mint, Thai basil, and cilantro.

For a quick lunch, I will often thaw some broth and simply toss in some pre-cooked edamame, mushrooms, and a handful of spinach straight from the package.

One of the best ways to make plant-predominant eating easy and sustainable is to batch cook using recipes that make large quantities, such as this one. Cooking in this way allows you to have the base for your meals already prepared and ready for you at a moment’s notice. Batch cooking simplifies your life!

Wishing you wonderfully flavorful meals and abundant good health.
🌱💕