Vietnamese pho soup

Pho, the famous noodle soup of Hanoi is considered Vietnam's national dish. It is best for breakfast or snack. Often topped with chopped chicken instead of beef, it is also sold in restaurants and food stalls on the street.

The dish depends on the full-flavored stock, for which there is no quick substitute. It takes a while to cook, but worth the wait. The stock can be made in advance and frozen, making it easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 kg beef shin bones
350 g gravy beef
5 cm fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
2.5 liters water
6 black peppercorns
1 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
6 coriander seeds
2 tablespoons nuoc cham sauce
400 g thick fresh rice noodles
150 g rump steak, thinly sliced thick fresh rice noodles
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced     

Directions:

Put bones, gravy beef, salt, ginger, and water in a large pan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and boil gently uncovered for 90 minutes. Skim off scum on the surface. Add cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, coriander seeds and nuoc cham sauce.

Cook for 40 more minutes. Remove gravy and set to cool. Drain the stock, reserve all the liquid and discard the bones and spices. Cut beef into pieces. Put noodles into a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain noodles well and add to gravy with meat chunks. Garnish and serve.

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Or 1 fresh diced garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons corn oil
4 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes, diced (optional)
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies, diced
1 (1 1/4-1 1/2 ounce) packet taco seasoning, I use McCormicks
1 (10 count) package corn tortillas (broken or cut into small pieces)
12 ounces chicken meat, poached, diced
1 cup milk
12 ounces monterey jack cheese or 12 ounces Mexican blend cheese, shredded corn tortilla chips, broken into small pieces

Directions

Saute onions, carrots and celery in corn oil. Add garlic, salt and pepper and cook until tender. Add chicken broth and boil. Add tomatoes, rotel, taco seasoning, and chicken. Cut tortillas into small pieces and add to broth mixture. Let boil for 20 minutes or until tortillas are incorporated, stirring occasionally to deter sticking. Reduce heat and add 8 oz. cheese.

Simmer for additional 10 minutes. Add milk and simmer for additional 10 minutes. If thicker soup is desired, add more diced tortillas. Garnish with shredded cheese and broken tortilla chips. You can substitute 1 cup Masa Harina (Masa Flour) for 1 10 ct. package of corn tortillas to thicken soup .

Canada's Aboriginal Corn Soup

Ingredients:

2 cans white hominy corn
1 cup dried red kidney or navy beans
1/4 lb. lean salt pork 6 cups water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In small saucepan, cover beans with water; bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Cover and let stand for 1 hour; drain and rinse under cold running water. Place in large saucepan.

Drain corn, adding corn liquid to beans; set corn aside. Chop salt pork into 1/4 inch cubes; add to saucepan along with 6 cups water. Cover and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until beans are tender.

Stir in reserved corn and return to simmer; cook gently for 20 minutes to blend flavors. Add more water if desired. Serve sprinkled with parsley. Makes 10 to 12 servings.