Vietnamese-Style Beef Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons fish sauce to taste
• 28 fluid ounces beef broth 
• 0.3 cup basil fresh loosely packed
• 6 ounces bean sprouts fresh
• 0.3 cup cilantro leaves fresh loosely packed
• 0.4 inch ginger fresh smashed
• 0.3 cup mint leaves fresh loosely packed
• 3 tablespoons juice of lime fresh
• 4 servings lime wedges 
• 6 ounces vermicelli dried (rice vermicelli)
• 0.5 pound pan drippings from roast beef preferably thinly sliced (from deli counter)
• 1 teaspoon serrano chiles fresh minced to taste
• 1 cup shallots sliced (3 large)
• 1 cup snow peas 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 1.8 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• ladle
• pot
• colander

Directions

1. Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water (not salted) 4 minutes, then add snow peas and boil 1 minute.
2. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking.
3. Drain well. Divide noodles and snow peas among 4 large soup bowls.
4. Cook shallots, ginger, and chile in oil in same pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
5. Add broth and water and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
6. While broth is simmering, divide roast beef, bean sprouts, and herbs among soup bowls with noodles.
7. Discard ginger from broth and stir in fish sauce, lime juice, and salt to taste. Ladle broth into bowls and serve immediately.