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Vietnamese Herb Garnish Plate (Dia Rau Song)





Yields
Serves 4




Total Time
10 mins

A fresh plate of herbs comes with many Vietnamese main dishes, including pho, the national soup of Vietnam. This version, from Andrea Nguyen, author of The Pho Cookbook (Ten Speed Press; $20), gives you options. You can go super-simple and stick to just mint and slices of chile, or add more herbs if you like. If there’s a Vietnamese market near you, it’s worth heading there for spicy Thai mint (hung cay); culantro (ngo gai), an herb with a strong, slightly sweet cilantro flavor; and rice-paddy herb (ngo om), which tastes of citrus and cumin. Thai basil is available at farmers’ markets, Asian grocers, and well-stocked grocery stores.

This recipe goes with: Pressure Cooker Chicken Pho

vietnamese-garnish-plate-for-pho-su.jpg




Photo: Thomas J. Story
 4 to 6 sprigs mint or spicy Thai mint, plus the same amount of any of these if you like: Thai basil or lemon basil, culantro or cilantro, and rice-paddy herb
 4 handfuls bean sprouts
 1 or 2 limes, cut into wedges
 2 green or red Thai, jalapeƱo, Fresno, or serrano chiles, thinly sliced (on diagonal if small, so they don't get lost in the pho)
Step 1
1

At least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving, refresh herbs: Trim stems. Set mint (and cilantro and regular basil, if using), stem side down in a large bowl of water. Submerge Thai basil, culantro, and rice-paddy herb (if using) fully in bowls of water. Pat herbs dry.

Step 2
2

Leave bean sprouts raw, or soften them a little so they add just a gentle crunch to pho: When water is boiling for pho noodles (step 10 of master recipe), add bean sprouts, stir around for a minute or so, and lift out with a strainer; set on a paper towel to drain.

Step 3
3

Put chiles in a small dish and set on a large plate or a platter. Arrange everything else on plate and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 0