I've been meaning to share my Quick Veggie Faux Pho recipe with you guys for a while. In fact, there are a ton of recipes that I've been wanting to share with you. Most of them are dishes that I make all the time and as a result, don't feel entirely exciting to share anymore but then recently, I had a request for some of those dishes including my Faux Pho so here she is!

It rained so much here in Toronto last night to the point where there was some flooding. I think (I hope) everything is okay now, but whenever it rains, I always crave this Faux Pho. I call this "Faux Pho" because it's not actually pho. I don't know what's required to actually classify a dish as "pho" but I know that broth is stewed for hours on end. This Faux Pho, on the other hand, can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes from start to finish (which is why I love it so much!).

What makes this Faux Pho so great is that it's super comforting, delicious and super healthy too! I'm not against the real deal pho and will certainly enjoy it from time to time (my favourite place in Toronto for pho is Golden Turtle, if you're wondering!). But I usually find I'm super puffy after from all the salt. That, and I really do enjoy cooking food my own food so I can put as much #RealAssFood into it as possible.

This Faux Pho is also super gut-loving, thanks to the miso paste! Miso paste is made up of fermented soybeans which means its packed with probiotic cultures that help to proliferate beneficial bacteria in the gut. The more good bacteria we have in the gut, the better we will be able to absorb nutrients and break down foods. We can get this good bacteria from foods like miso paste, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh or lacto-fermented vegetables!

Strong gut health is also associated with increased immunity, since 90% of your immune system is in the gut, and a positive mood, since 50-60% of serotonin, your "feel-good" neurotransmitters are also produced in the gut. I like the Tradition Miso brand pictured below, which is their chickpea miso paste but I've also tried their brown rice miso paste and really enjoyed it. You can find miso paste at your local health food store.

Whenever I'm shooting, my cat Duncan aka Dunks aka Dunkie aka love of my life (but for real), likes to make an appearance. He's really intrigued by human food so he's always giving everything I'm setting up for a shot a little sniff. If he had it his way, he would eat fluffy bread, kale and catnip for the rest of his life. But like, can you blame him?!

In this recipe, I use vermicelli noodles which are made of rice. It's not the most #RealAssFood-filled food, but I also don't stress about eating real food 24/7. My goal, with anything I make, is to make it as nourishing as possible by adding a ton of veggies and goodness, but to ensure it's enjoyable too! When we eat foods we genuinely enjoy, we feel more satiated, content and less likely to overeat as a result. You can certainly swap out the vermicelli noodles for zucchini noodles to make it more #RealAssFood-based if that floats your boat!

But if you want to stick with vermicelli noodles, go for it! They are gluten-free which make them easier to digest and a friendly option to those that eat gluten-free to cater to a gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease.

I do love my noodles but because I have sensitive blood sugar, I keep the noodles more to a minimum and load up this soup with veggies. What happens when I have too many simple carbohydrates (carbohydrates that are broken down quickly in the body for energy, including white bread, pasta, vermicelli noodles, fruit, ice-cream etc) is that it makes my blood sugar levels skyrocket which makes me feel very foggy and almost drunk. I struggled with this for a long time before I realized what was happening. It's not that I avoid any of those foods entirely now, but I'm mindful of how each of those foods affects me.

So if I'm having pasta, I'll make sure to have it with lots of veggies like sauteed peppers and onions and top it with a protein source like hemp hearts or ground beef in a sauce to slow the release of sugar into my bloodstream.

There's a lot of nutrition information out there, much of which can come off as rigid and restrictive rules. I don't believe in moralizing nutrition and being so rigid when it comes to nutrition, but to get to know your body and figure out what you need to do to help it feel it's best. Each body is different and its going to metabolize foods differently from the next person.

Quick Veggie Faux Pho

Ingredients

3 cups water
2 carrots, coined
1 cup broccoli florets
1 onion diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, halved
1/2 cup vermicelli noodles
2 tbsp chickpea or brown rice miso paste
2 tbsp avocado oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
fresh basil, chopped (optional)
bean sprouts (optional)
protein source (optional)

Directions

Preheat a medium pot on medium-heat and drizzle with avocado oil.
Toss in diced onions until they become aromatic or translucent.
Add in remaining veggies (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms) and saute for 5 minutes or until somewhat soft.
Pour in water, sea salt, red pepper flakes and cover with lid. Bring to a boil (approximately 10 minutes).
Once boiling, add in vermicelli noodles. If you are using a fresh pack as pictured above, it will be about 1/5 of the noodles in the package. Cook noodles for 5-7 minutes or until they are soft.
Once soft, use a small bowl or glass cup to scoop out some water from the pot (about 1/4 cup). Whisk in 2 tbsp miso paste into the hot water. Once thoroughly mixed, add back into the pot, turn off heat and remove pot from heat.
Serve in a wide pho-friendly bowl and top with fresh basil, or any other toppings you'd like!
If you are adding a protein source, you can add fermented organic tempeh, cooked chicken, chickpeas, organic beef or boiled eggs.