Vegan phở

Name: Vegan phở
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 2 onions, halved; 8 cm piece of ginger, halved lengthways; 3 star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 4 cloves; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 10 g kombu or 6 dried shiitake; 2 carrots, in chunks; 1 daikon, in chunks (optional); 2 L water; 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari; 1 tbsp sugar; 300 g flat rice noodles; 250 g firm tofu, sliced and pan-fried until golden; 150 g button mushrooms, sliced; Beansprouts, Thai basil, coriander, spring onion, lime and chilli, to serve

Local name : Phở chay

Vietnam's great noodle soup gone plant-based, a broth scented with star anise and cinnamon, rice noodles, tofu and a pile of fresh herbs.

VeganGluten-free#soup#rice noodles#tofu#star anise#broth

Photo : Ella Olsson from Stockholm, Sweden · CC BY 2.0

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 80 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium

Method

Char the onions and ginger cut side down in a dry pan or under the grill until blackened in places.
Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves and coriander seeds for 1 minute in a dry saucepan.
Add the water, onions, ginger, kombu or shiitake, carrots and daikon. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes.
Strain the broth and season with the soy sauce and sugar. Taste, it should be bold and fragrant.
Cook the noodles according to the packet, drain and divide between 4 large bowls with the tofu and raw mushrooms.
Pour the boiling broth over the top. Serve with the herbs, beansprouts, lime and chilli to add at the table.

Charring the onion and ginger is the step that gives phở its signature smoky depth. Do not skip it.

Nutrition · per serving

Calories: 454 kcal
Protein: 19.2 g
Fat: 6.6 g
Carbohydrate: 81.4 g
Fibre: 6.5 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Why char the onion and ginger before making the broth?

This is the step that gives phở its signature smoky note. The cut faces should genuinely blacken in places, under the grill or in a dry pan; an onion simply dropped into water will not perfume the broth the same way.

How do I get a clear broth?

Keep it at a bare simmer, uncovered, and never let it boil hard, which emulsifies particles and clouds the liquid. Then strain it carefully, without pressing the vegetables in the sieve.

Can I make the broth ahead?

Yes, and it even improves after a night in the fridge before reheating. Never cook the noodles ahead in the broth, though: they would drink the liquid and fall apart. Assemble the bowls at the last minute, boiling broth over cool ingredients.

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