Meatballs in an aromatic broth
This one-pan dish is a great way to warm up on cold evenings. We’ve taken inspiration from classic Vietnamese pho flavours. Samuel Goldsmith
SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 45 mins EASY
1 batch of meatballs (see recipe, left)
1 tbsp vegetable oil thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and inely grated
8 spring onions, inely sliced
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 lemongrass sticks, tough outer leaves removed and inely sliced
12 green chillies (seeds removed if you prefer less heat), inely sliced small bunch of coriander, leaves and stalks separated, both inely chopped
1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
1.25 litres beef stock
12 tsp ish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce, plus extra to serve
2 handfuls of ready-to-eat beansprouts
3 rice noodle nests
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 Prepare the meatballs (see recipe, left), then heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches, turning every 1-2 mins until browned all over. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside.
2 Put the ginger, three-quarters of the spring onions, the star anise, cinnamon, lemongrass, half of the green chilli, the coriander stalks, sugar and beef stock in the pan, and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 35 mins until the lemongrass has become tender and the flavours have infused.
3 Add the meatballs and simmer for 10-12 mins until cooked through, then add the fish sauce to taste, along with the soy sauce and freshly ground black pepper. Add the beansprouts, turn up the heat to medium-high, and cook for another 3 mins.
4 Meanwhile, cook the noodles following pack instructions. Drain well and divide between four bowls. Top with the meatballs and broth, removing the cinnamon and star anise. Scatter over the remaining spring onions, chilli and coriander leaves, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
GOOD TO KNOW healthy • low cal
PER SERVING 478 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 4g • carbs 48g • sugars 8g • ibre 5g • protein 33g • salt 1.5g