There are few better comfort foods than Vietnamese phở. When I'm on the verge of a cold or in need of a culinary pick-me-up, I sit down to a restorative bowl of aromatic broth, slippery rice noodles, and fresh, customizable garnishes.
Between the broth, noodles, and assorted garnishes like onions, herbs, chiles, and lime, phở (pronounced "fuh" not "foe") is a wonderful interplay of textures and flavors. Traditionally, the soup is made with beef or chicken bones. Vegetarian versions, called phở chay, may be found at Buddhist establishments or restaurants catering to contemporary, Western clientele but, sadly, these often leave much to be desired.
In the interest of making vegetarian phở at home, I consulted my mother, who recalled her experience living in a Vietnamese Buddhist community that made meat-free phở broth with a medley of spices, ginger, and lots of carrots. This recipe is my interpretation. While it admittedly lacks the richness of meat-based phở, it's still quite fragrant and filling without being heavy. There's also room to make it your own by adding different proteins or vegetables. I continue to work on perfecting the broth, so let me know what you think!
Vegetarian Phở (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
Serves 2Broth
1 large onion, peeled and halved
2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and halved lengthwise
3-inch cinnamon stick, preferably Vietnamese cassia-cinnamon
1 star anise
2 cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
Noodles
1/2 pound dried flat rice noodles (known as bánh phở; use 1/16", 1/8", or 1/4" width depending on availability and preference)
Toppings (optional)
Protein such as fried or baked tofu, bean curd skin, or seitan
Mushrooms
Vegetables such as bok choy, napa cabbage, or broccoli
Garnishes
1/2 onion, very thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 chile pepper (Thai bird, serrano, or jalapeño), sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Large handful of herbs: cilantro, Thai basil, culantro/saw-leaf herb
Hoisin sauce, sriracha (optional)
For the broth
Char onion and ginger over an open flame (holding with tongs) or directly under a broiler until slightly blackened, about 5 minutes on each side. Rinse with water.
In a large pot, dry roast cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and coriander over medium-low heat, stirring to prevent burning. When spices are aromatic, add vegetable stock, soy sauce, carrots, and charred onion and ginger.
Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain and keep hot until ready to serve.
For the noodles
While broth is simmering, place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for 20-30 minutes or until tender but still chewy. Drain. (If soaking does not soften the noodles enough, blanch them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.)
For the toppings (optional)
While broth is simmering, prepare toppings as desired – slice and cook tofu, lightly steam or blanch vegetables, etc. Toppings should be unseasoned or only lightly seasoned so as not to interfere with the flavor of the broth.
To serve
Divide noodles between two bowls. Arrange toppings over noodles. Ladle about 2 cups of broth into each bowl. Serve with garnishes on the side, which diners should add to taste.
More Vietnamese vegetarian recipes:
Bánh Mì with Lemongrass Tofu
Bún Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Noodle Salad)
Chè Đậu Xanh (Vietnamese Dessert Soup With Mung Beans)
Gơi Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Salad)
(Originally published January 29, 2010)
It's Reader Request Week at The Kitchn! This post was requested by bkk, STH and hamiltonmka.
(Images: Emily Ho)





Peeler by Normann C...

Comments (31)
Oh PHO. That would be so perfect on a freezing cold day like today...and there is a Vietnamese community not far from my house. Wonder if I can convince the husband to venture out into the elements and bring some home for me?
(I realize the proper response is: Oh PHO. I should try this recipe for myself!)
This sounds totally do-able. I had no idea I could make pho at home. I'm definitely going to try it.
Question: Star anise and rice noodles. Are those items one could buy at a typical grocery store?
Got any sources for *unsalted* vegetable stock? (I sometimes make/freeze my own, but don't always have the time)
@clampers An Asian market would be the best place to look, but a well-stocked grocery store might have star anise in the spice aisle and rice noodles in the Asian foods section (Thai Kitchen and Annie Chun are common brands). Trader Joe's also sells the noodles as Rice Sticks.
@e_minor28 If you're using salted vegetable stock, just omit the soy sauce and then season to taste at the end.
Shouldn't there be fish sauce in there somewhere?
I'll be interested to try this one. I love phở and a good vegetarian version would enable me to eat it at home with my wife.
In the past, I've had the bean sprouts in the bowl under the noodles before the broth is poured over. Also, broccoli works really well as a vegetable; you can cook it right in the broth for the last few minutes.
neilw, generally vegetarians like to leave out the fishes (and their products)... if you want to use it, sub it out for the soy sauce.
I'm excited to give this a try. Is that fried tofu?
If you are ever in the Minneapolis area, a lovely little place called Jasmine 26 has the most amazing vegetarian pho broth. I could drink cups of it even without the noodles. Moreover, my meat-loving boyfriend once tried the beef and veggie pho side by side, and declared that the veggie was the superior broth!
I'm SO going to make this over the weekend. More vegetarian recipes of comfort foods, please!!! :)
that photo makes me want to run right out and get a bowl of pho (and it's only 6:44 a.m.) I can just taste the star anise!
JOY!
That looks so good right now! I'm not that familiar with Vietnamese cuisine, unfortunately, but your recipes that showcase it always look so wonderful. I think this is the one I'm going to try first.
Question though, what is the broth usually like?
I have a dark vegetable stock that I like to keep around (made with the standard veggies plus mushrooms, lentils, walnuts and sometimes shoyu) that I use for french onion soup and other soups that are usually made with beef stock. Would that work in the recipe or would it be better to use a milder mirepoix based stock?
Dried mushrooms would make for a meatier flavour.
Eclectica-- right on about Jasmine. I go to the deli, and that soup is amazing! Sometimes I find myself daydreaming about it!
this recipe is actually vegan.
i LOVE pho, and am lucky enough to have a best friend whose parents own a pho restaurant. as much as i'd like to, there is no way i could make this at home and have it taste anywhere near authentic
I am SO excited to try this! Was just thinking about Pho this weekend- it's like you read my mind!
@eclectica - Where is that? Nicollet? University? I've been dying to find a good pho place since I moved here.
I'm going to MSP in a few weeks, and this would be awesome - where is Jasmine 26??
@Marta jest uparta Hmm ... as long as the lentil flavor/texture of your dark broth isn't strong, I say give it a try. Otherwise, you might want to use a lighter broth the first time so you get a sense of the flavors and then decide whether the darker one would work. Let us know how it goes!
wonderful!! I have been looking for a (vegan) Pho recipe and this one looks and sounds great. perfect timing!
Food Fight grocery store in Portland actually sells a vegan "fish sauce" if you want a fishier taste. You can order it online at their website: www.foodfightgrocery.com
I love this recipe !!! yum and total vegan. Pho is a soul food of Vietnamese. I used to labor for hours to make Pho and it still doesn't taste good. But I found this awesome new Pho-making kit called Happy Pho by this woman who used her grandparents' recipe to make them. They come in a box with a spice packet and a pack of pho noodles for 2 people. I was skeptical at first, but they have a simple recipe at the back that takes 15 mins. All I need to get is some cubes of tofu and fresh ingredients, and the Vegan Pho that came out is absolutely delicious! It's also all natural and organic and made with brown rice. Check out their products here http://staranisefoods.com/our-products.aspx. I got them from Whole Foods in SoMa. But you can also get them from Amazon.com I think. I've also joined their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Star-Anise-Foods/111447418877428 -- and just went to their product demo for some free tasting of all flavors. Love it!
If you aren't vegetarian and want to try pho with chicken, this is a great base recipe because it's super flavorful. I made the following adjustments: fish sauce for soy sauce, shredded chicken for tofu, chicken stock for veggie stock, and bok choy and shiitakes for carrots. I saw another recipe that used shallots, so I tried that instead of regular onions, for more depth of flavor. The charring of the ginger and onion, as well as the spices, are most important, don't shortcut that part! Thanks for a great, versatile recipe!
Hmmm I just made this recipe with the same changes that Ewhitish did, and I found the soup lacking the depth of flavor that traditional pho has. Or that could be that I'm sick and my sense of smell/taste is off, but still... I had higher expectations! I'll give it another shot when I'm not so congested.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! My meat loving husband even approved :)
I just tried this the other night and found it a good first attempt. The broth was not quite as rich as I hoped it would be - even being vegetarian - but I think there's room for adjustments/additions for certain. Thanks for posting this (I know, over a year ago!); I just started eating vegetarian so it was very helpful.
As much as I would love to make this soup (I'm always craving it and I happen to be a pretty damn good cook), it's probably much more economic for me and other New Yorkers to head down to Chinatown and purchase a giant bowl of this stuff inclusive of all the trimmings, for $5.25. You heard me....$5.25. Our studios might be small here, but the food is worth it.
MsJessica: I can get a huge bowl of either meat or veg Pho (seriously, the bowl is bigger than my head) here in outstate Minnesota for $5.25 also.....and our rents are MUCH LOWER here (and our apartments are much larger). :-)
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I commented a few weeks ago asking to tell us how to make Pho - I cannot wait to try this. Although I would probably use chicken instead of tofu (not a fan) it's the broth that I'm most curious about. It sounds delicious! THANK YOU!
I'm saving this for someday in the future when I move....
....but for now, there are 3 pho places on my block, one of which is the only place in town serving a decent vegetarian pho. There are 4 more nearby if you count the blocks on either side. It smells like pho in my apartment all the time. My neighbourhood rules.