Hello friends,
Happy New Year! We hope you’re staying warm, well-fed, and gently settling into the slower rhythm of winter. This season calls for deep nourishment — the kind that warms your bones, comforts your body, and quietly supports your health.
Most of you know and love our Chaga Chai as a tea or latte, but today we want to share one of our favourite unexpected ways to use it: pho broth.
Traditional pho is built on warming spices like star anise, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and cardamom — the very same spices found in our Chaga Chai — with the added benefit of burdock roots, milk thistle, wild chaga, rich in antioxidants and immune-supportive compounds. Truly, it’s medicine in a bowl.
The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. Instead of sourcing many individual spices, you can use one blend to create a deeply aromatic, medicinal broth that tastes like it’s been simmering all day, without the extra work.
Below is our simple, nourishing, and absolutely delicious pho broth recipe. Feel free to substitute beef with chicken or vegetables — the method remains the same.
CHAGA CHAI PHO
Here's our recipe for a very nourishing Pho Noodle Soup for 3-4 people.
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2 lbs beef + beef bones
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6 cups water
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1 carrot
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1 celery stalk
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1 whole onion
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Fresh ginger (as much as you like)
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2 tbsp Immaculata Chaga Chai
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1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp brown sugar
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½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
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Lime slices, for serving
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Rice noodles
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Herbs (choose what you love): Thai basil, mint, cilantro, green onions
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Vegetables (optional): Bean sprouts, broccoli, carrots.
1. In a dry frying pan, gently toast the Chaga Chai for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, releasing the oils from the spices. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, add a small amount of oil. Brown the meat along with the vegetables and salt.
3. Transfer the browned meat, vegetables, toasted Chaga Chai, water and fish sauce to a cast iron pot or clay slow cooker. Simmer on low heat for 2–3 hours.
4. Once the meat is tender, remove it from the broth, allow it to cool slightly, and slice into pieces.
5. Strain the broth through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag for a clear, aromatic broth.
6. Cook rice noodles and any topping vegetables separately; drain well.
7. To serve, portion rice noodles into bowls, top with vegetables, herbs, and sliced meat. Ladle the rich pho broth overtop and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime.
For an even quicker pho broth -- use your favourite store-bought organic broth and add 2 tablespoons of Chaga Chai for every 6 cups.
This is one of our favourite winter meals — grounding, restorative, and deeply satisfying. We love knowing that one simple blend can move from teacup to soup pot, supporting the body in different ways through the seasons.
May this New Year be filled with warmth, nourishment, and many bowls of good food shared with those you love.
With gratitude,
Stephen & Edane
Immaculata Herb Farm
