Know your noodles when it comes to Asian bowls of goodness
Published 9:30 am Sunday, April 16, 2023
- Spicy vegetable beef soup takes the ordinary version to a new, delicious level.
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By Kara Kimbrough
I’ve been open about my obsession with soup. I could easily eat soup every day of the week with one caveat: someone else would have to make it. As much as I love and in fact, do make soup quite often, it’s a time-consuming chore if done right. Boiling the liquid, braising the meat (if it’s meat-based), adding vegetables at just the right moment and then watching the stockpot to make sure hot bubbling liquid doesn’t boil over can’t be hastily done at the end of a long day. As a result, I’m always searching for restaurants with homemade (not shipped from a warehouse in a can) soups.
Pho (not to be confunsed with ramen bowls, which are made with bone broth, pork and wheat noodles) is a versatile soup that can be made with either beef or chicken for protein or omitted altogether for a vegetarian version. Despite its simplicity, pho is usually adorned with some type of greenery. Regular toppings are sprigs of cilantro, mint leaves, bean sprouts and slices of lemon or lime. Crispy wonton strips are my topping of choice.
The best thing about pho? It’s a light, “clean” soup; the perfect antidote if you’re suffering from any type of ailment or are simply in need of a healthy meal.
Pho is easy to make, but if you’re like someone else to do the cooking, a few restaurants around the state to enjoy it include:
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* Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant in Flowood
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* Pho Huong Vietnamese in Jackson
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* Pho Saigon Vietnamese in Hattiesburg
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* D’Iberville’s Henry’s Bakery and Cake
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* Kim Long in Biloxi
If you recommend other pho places around the state, drop me an email and I’ll include them in a future column.
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* Mary Mahoney’s in Biloxi – gumbo
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* The Strawberry Café in Madison – cream of crab soup
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* Primos Café (Ridgeland, Madison and Flowood) – vegetable soup
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* Harvey’s (Tupelo, Starkville and Columbus) – chili
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* Snackbar in Oxford’s French onion soup
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* Broma’s Deli in Brookhaven and McComb – homemade broccoli and cheese and spicy chili
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* Scranton’s in Pascagoula – crab and loaded potato soups
If I’ve missed any that deserve a mention, let me know and I’ll include it down the road.