Image of Pho soup in a bowl.
By Andrew Thrift, Managing Editor
Inspired by the Vietnamese soup dish, pho, this college friendly soup recipe can be made on the stovetop or even a microwave. All of the ingredients that you need for this 10-minute dish can be purchased for less than a dollar each. This soup recipe can be adapted for anyone’s pallet. There are vegetarian options as well.
Just in time for the change in the season and for when you might be starting to get sick of eating at the dining hall. The recipe calls for wontons, but ramen noodles may be a more dorm- friendly option.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 chicken bouillon cube (vegetable bouillon cube for a vegetarian option)
- Half of a cinnamon stick (1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
- ½ teaspoon anise seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 whole cloves
- Add red pepper flakes to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder or minced onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Black pepper to taste
- (optional) Ramen noodles or Frozen wontons
For stove top:
Step 1: Add 1.5 cups of water into a small pot with your bouillon cube, cloves, anise seeds, cinnamon stick (or powder), red pepper flakes, bay leaf, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, soy sauce, Italian seasoning and black pepper and bring to a boil for five minutes.
Step 2: After five minutes of boiling, add your frozen wontons or ramen noodles. Follow instructions for cooking on packaging.
Step 3: Remove whole cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
Step 4: Add to a bowl (it will be hot!) and enjoy!
For microwave:
Step 1: Add 1.5 cups of water into a microwave safe bowl with your bouillon cube, cloves, anise seeds, cinnamon stick (or powder), bay leaf, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, soy sauce, Italian seasoning and black pepper and microwave for five minutes.
Step 2: Once it has microwaved for five minutes, add your frozen wontons or ramen noodles and microwave for three to five minutes or until the ramen or wontons are cooked. Be careful, the bowl will be hot.
Step 3: Remove whole cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
Step 4: Enjoy!
This recipe is a play on wonton soup and Vietnamese pho and draws inspiration from both. There can be multiple substitutions for this recipe if you are unable to get some of the ingredients. As long as you have a soup base, you’re golden.