Aromatic Rice Noodle And Beef Soup

Soup for the sickie! That’s me – the sickie.

I’ve been ill this week. It must be the ragweed, unless I actually have a cold. Nevertheless, I feel like crap. I've got a bit of bronchitis and all the wonderful things that go with it. I’ll spare you the details. Oh, but I will tell you that when I blow my nose, my ears pop and I get a momentary case of vertigo. Not much fun!

So, I was too ill to cook yesterday, but I wanted some soup with a spicy kick to make me feel warm inside and open up my sinuses. Yesterday I settled for canned and boxed soup. Today, I’m going for the gusto and trying something that I think will hit the spot.

This recipe comes from Gourmet Magazine. It is a classic soup from Lao. Apparently it has a lot in common with Pho (a Vietnamese soup). I’ve never had Pho, but I’ve been wanting to try it. So I almost feel like I am today.

I never used lemongrass before (not fresh lemongrass). So that was a new experiment. It resembles scallions, in a way. But it's more wood-like. Especially the outer layers. The inner parts are softer than the outer. You remove the outer and throw it away. But don't worry if the inner parts aren't soft like scallions. You end up pouring the stock through a sieve and throwing away the solids.

In the end, you place the noodles in a bowl, pour the stock over it, and then add the rest.

I used beef in the recipe - sirloin. But Gourmet says you can use pork, chicken, or fish instead. Either way, I'm sure it will wake up your senses and make you feel good. :)

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