I’ll start by saying that basically, I am not a soup person. I will do navy bean, New England clam chowder, split pea, potato—the creamy soups—the ones with substance and the higher calorie count! Give me vegetable soup or any other soup that is too…liquidy…and I’ll go only as far as to pick out the good stuff. (Yes, I know liquidy is not a real word but it is so fitting!)

So, how can this be? How could I have grown up on Campbell’s chicken noodle, beef barley and tomato and not have held onto some sort of love for them? Having slurped these alongside tuna salad sandwiches throughout grade school, shouldn’t they at least qualify as comfort food? Well now, maybe these questions answer themselves. I’m sure we all remember soggy noodles, spongy chunks of unidentifiable matter and the experience of forgetting to add that all-important can of water before heating. Case closed.

My soup-aversion does include a few exceptions, though, and they have never seen the inside of a tin can—they are Pho (pronounced phuh), a Vietnamese noodle soup and Mi Bo Kho, a Vietnamese beef stew.

Introduced to Pho years ago, it was not love at first bite, so to speak. My husband and friends LOVED it so I tagged along on weekend lunches and eventually came to love it too. Although I still pick out the good stuff I truly enjoy this soup and the combination of ingredients blended with a well-made broth is heavenly. If lucky enough to find a restaurant that knows how to make the stock, which is the key to good Pho, you will be well rewarded. The steamy broth is fragrant with star of anise, ginger, cloves, onions, scallions and cilantro. It is topped with rice noodles and chicken or a variety of meats—eye round, brisket, flank, tendon and tripe. It’s accompanied by a plate of fresh bean sprouts, basil leaves, lime wedges and sliced jalapenos. My personal favorite is Chin, Pho with slices of well-done lean brisket.

Now, not long ago I started venturing into other pages of the menu and found a new favorite—Mi Bo Kho. Tasting completely different from Pho, Mi Bo Kho’s soup base is seasoned similarly, but with the additional flavors of lemon grass and fish sauce. Slightly reminiscent of my mom’s Sunday pot roast, ingredients are a marinated stew-type of beef, carrots and sliced onions, topped with thin egg noodles. It’s accompanied by a small dish of pepper and salt for dipping the beef and lime to drizzle over the soup. Now this is comfort food!

Although we’ve tried many Pho restaurants, Pho Hot in Annandale, Virginia, is our current favorite. If you’re not familiar with Pho but want to try it, do a search for Vietnamese restaurants in your area. If you’re ever in Northern Virginia there are plenty to choose from. Happy souping!