Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup with Asian Greens

Ingredients

• 4 cups baby bok choy leaves 
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar 
• 2  cardamom pods 
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce 
• 0.3 cup basil fresh
• 1 cup bean sprouts fresh
• 3 inch ginger fresh peeled thinly sliced
• 0.3 cup mint leaves fresh
• 2  garlic clove halved
• 4 cups less-sodium beef broth fat-free
• 4  lime wedges 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
• 4 ounces vermicelli uncooked
• 8 ounce sirloin steak 
• 1 cup snow peas trimmed
• 1  star anise 
• 1 small thai chile fresh thinly sliced into rings
• 2 cups water 
• 1.5 cups onion yellow thinly sliced

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• ladle
• sieve

Directions

1. Freeze beef for 10 minutes; cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions.
3. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
4. Place onion and next 5 ingredients (through star anise) in a large saucepan; cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Strain broth mixture though a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Return broth to pan.
6. Add soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce; bring to a boil.
7. Add bok choy and snow peas; simmer 4 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender and bok choy wilts.
8. Arrange 1/2 cup noodles into each of 4 large bowls. Divide raw beef and chile slices evenly among bowls. Ladle about 1 2/3 cups hot soup over each serving (broth will cook beef). Top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1 tablespoon basil, and 1 tablespoon mint.
9. Serve with lime wedges.