Pork Pho with Zucchini Noodles
I’m ashamed to say I’d never had pho until just a few years ago. Despite growing up in an area with an abundance of Vietnamese food and having a fairly adventurous palate, I never got around to trying any until moving to a new city where Vietnamese food was basically my only gluten-free option. I’d been missing out! Pho is a delightful blend of fragrant broth, your meat of choice (in this case, pork), and noodles. Rice noodles would be more traditional, but since rice gives me a headache, I’ve subbed in a healthier alternative in this Pork Pho with Zucchini Noodles. It only takes about 30 minutes to throw together and has quickly become one of my favorite cold-weather comfort meals. You’ll have to make some adjustments to the recipe if you’re on the AIP or IC diets, but I promise the meal will still be worth the effort. Don’t forget to add salt to taste!
Need a Break From Cooking?
Whether you’re traveling, moving, or just tired of spending so much time in the kitchen, 28 Days of No-Cook AIP can help. With four one-week meal plans designed for lazy days and/or a poorly-stocked kitchen, these simple dishes (including but not limited to salads, wraps, and smoothies) will make sticking to your autoimmune protocol diet during business trips, holiday travel, and times of illness or stress a lot easier! The e-book is now available as a digital download for $9.99.
Pork Pho with Zucchini Noodles
Equipment
- spiralizer
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 small onion peeled and halved, omit for IC
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 pods star anise omit for AIP
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds omit for AIP
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes omit for AIP or IC
- 1 inch ginger peeled and crushed
- 8 cups chicken broth check ingredients for IC
- 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder steaks
- sea salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste, omit for AIP
- 1 large zucchini spiralized
- 2 stalks green onion sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 small lime quartered, omit for IC
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion with the cut side down about 5 minutes, until it has browned around the edges. Transfer to a large saucepan.
- Add the garlic, cinnamon, anise, coriander, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add to the saucepan with the ginger and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Season the pork steaks with salt and pepper to taste and cook through, 4-8 minutes per side depending on how thick the cuts are. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing thinly and dividing equally between 4 serving bowls along with the spiralized zucchini.
- Strain the broth and ladle equal parts into each of the bowls. Garnish with green onion, cilantro, and lime wedges before serving.