[Magdalen] a question you should never ask at Walmart

[Jay Weigel]

Actually there's an even better way, possibly also available at the dreaded
Wal-Mart. Swanson's makes a variety of flavored broths/soup bases, most of
which we've found WAY too strong for our taste. Their hot and sour will
remove your tonsils and possibly also your larynx; however, it makes a nice
base for a faux pho of sorts, as follows:

4 cups beef broth
1 cup Swanson's hot and sour broth
some rice noodles
some lean beef, sliced very thin
basil
bean sprouts
cilantro, chopped
green onions, sliced thin
hoisin sauce
sriracha

What I did was heat up the broths to near boiling and add the noodles,
cooking until softened, then remove those to heated bowls. Then add the
beef and cook for about 15 seconds, remove, and place on top of the noodles
in the bowls. Heat the broth again to near boiling and pour over the
noodles and beef in the bowls, add cilantro and top with green onions.
Serve with plates of bean sprouts and basil alongside, and add hoisin and
sriracha to taste. Serves 2-3 according to how hungry they are and how much
beef and noodles you use. I made this last week when I had a nasty cold and
it was really good. You could also use the Swanson's Thai ginger soup base.

On Tue, Feb 3, 2015 at 2:46 PM, ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:

> So I'm currently slurping pho made with a base of Campbell's
> golden mushroom soup. Not too bad, if truth be told.
>
> I didn't know Campbells made this stuff actually. But Campbells
> is what Florida has to offer, so be it.
> -M
>