Pho Chay (Vegetarian Vegetable Pho), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener

Method

1. Cut 800g luffa gourd, 500g chayote, 500g daikon radish and 300g carrot into large pieces.
2. Thinly slice 100g leek and part of the onion, and soak them in water to take off the bite for serving.
3. Put the prepared vegetables in a pot with 6.5 liters water and start the broth.
4. Toast 10g cinnamon bark, 10g star anise, 10g coriander seed and 5g black cardamom in a dry pan until fragrant.
5. Fry 250g ginger, the rest of the 500g onion and 250g shallot in 100g cooking oil.
6. Add the toasted spices to that pan and stir them together until fragrant.
7. Tip everything from the pan into the broth.
8. Cut 80g vegetarian sausage and 80g vegetarian ham, and set them aside with the lime.
9. Lift the solids out of the broth.
10. Season the simmering broth with 40g salt, 85.5g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 4g MSG and 35g vegetarian seasoning powder.
11. Blanch 180g pho rice noodle.
12. Put the noodles in a bowl, ladle over the broth, and top with 80g button mushrooms, the vegetarian ham and sausage, 30g bean sprouts, rice paddy herb, sawtooth herb, Thai basil, spring onion and red onion.

Tips

• Toast the cinnamon, star anise, coriander seed and black cardamom dry before frying them with the ginger and shallot, and the broth turns deeply fragrant rather than acrid.
• Soak the thinly sliced leek and onion in water to take the bite off before they go on top.
• Lift out every solid before seasoning and the broth stays clear.
• Hold the pot at a bare simmer, since a rolling boil breaks the vegetables down and clouds the broth.
• Blanch the noodles right before ladling so the strands do not go soft.