Aromatic Vegetarian Pho Recipe:– Vietnamese food is renowned for its delicious and well-balanced use of umami, sour, salty, and sweet ingredients. It features colorful, locally sourced ingredients that add a pop of taste and color to many recipes, such as fresh herbs, veggies, and different types of greens. Vietnamese cuisine heavily emphasizes rice and noodles. One of the most well-known Vietnamese dishes is pho, which consists of rice noodles, a tasty broth, and a variety of toppings. It’s a global favorite that’s savored anytime of the day.
Aromatic Vegetarian Pho Recipe
This recipe for aromatic vegetarian pho is provided by wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn, who says, “It features a flavorful vegetable broth and a variety of plant-based ingredients instead of using meat-based broths and toppings.” The secret to a delicious pho is to combine other ingredients with roasted spices like cardamom, anise, cloves, and cinnamon to create a potent, aromatic broth.”
Gather the ingredients for aromatic vegetarian pho
To prepare this dish, start by selecting a white onion, fresh mint, lime, scallions, shredded carrots, shiitake mushrooms, ginger root, and baby bok choy from the vegetable section. “If you have trouble finding shredded carrots, you can use whole carrots and cut them into thin matchsticks,” Hahn advises.
Next, gather some rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, vegetable broth, and avocado oil. Look in your spice closet for salt, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, whole cloves, and star anise.
Step 1: Toast the spices
Add star anise, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks to a large soup pot and toast over medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant.
Step 2: Add the rest of the broth ingredients
Add broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, onion, and ginger. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Oil a pan
Add oil to a frying pan and place over medium-high heat.
Step 4: Cook the mushrooms
Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
Step 5: Boil the noodles
Cook noodles according to package instructions.
Step 6: Strain the broth
Remove and discard the cloves, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon sticks, onion, and ginger from the soup pot using a slotted spoon. Keep the broth heated to a medium temperature.
Step 7: Add vegetables to broth
Add the cooked mushrooms, carrots, and bok choy leaves to the broth to warm through.
Step 8: Add noodles and broth to bowls
Divide noodles among bowls and ladle in the broth and vegetables.
Step 9: Garnish and serve the soup
Garnish the soup with scallions, basil, mint, and lime before serving.
How can I customize this vegetarian pho recipe?
A fantastic method to make a vegetarian pho recipe fit your dietary requirements and preferences is to customize it. A big component of pho is the broth, which you may adjust to your taste by adding or removing spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise.
Other veggies like dried mushrooms, celery, and garlic can also be added to the mixture. For a more umami flavor, try substituting miso or mushroom broth for the veggie broth.
Adding a vegetarian protein source would bulk up the dish and make the pho heartier. While crispy tofu is a safe bet, shelled edamame makes a tasty and simple addition.
“I always have frozen shelled edamame on hand to add to soups, stir-fries, and grain bowls,” Hahn explains. In this instance, you can simply add them together with the bok choy, carrots, and mushrooms to the heated broth.
You can add additional vegetables if you happen to have them on hand. Broccoli, bean sprouts, and red peppers go well together. Though any kind of noodle can do in this recipe—such as thicker rice noodles, soba, or udon—thin rice noodles are usually used in pho.
What can I pair with this aromatic vegetarian pho?
Even while fragrant vegetarian pho tastes great on its own, you can make the dinner even better by serving it with different sides and accompaniments to create a well-rounded, Vietnamese-inspired feast.
Pho is a great pairing with a hearty vegetarian banh mi sandwich made with pickled veggies, fresh cilantro, jalapeños, and seasoned tofu. It’s a delicious blend of flavors and textures. Alongside your pho, you may also serve fresh vegetable spring rolls. When coated in a delicious peanut or hoisin sauce, these rice noodles filled with a blend of fresh herbs, tofu, or other veggies, create a fantastic appetizer or side dish.
Making a crisp and fresh Vietnamese salad with items like cucumbers, carrots, and bean sprouts is an additional choice. Toss it with a zesty vinaigrette consisting of rice vinegar, lime juice, and garlic for a cool and crisp contrast to the hearty pho broth. Serve coconut-based Vietnamese desserts, such as rice pudding or ice cream, for dessert.
Ingredients
3 whole star anise
5 whole cloves, peeled
2 green cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
8 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 white onion, quartered
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon avocado oil
10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, sliced
6 ounces thin rice noodles
1 cup shredded carrot
2 baby bok choy bundles, ends removed
2 chopped scallions
¼ cup Thai basil
1 tablespoon fresh mint
1 lime, quartered
Directions
Add star anise, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks to a large soup pot and toast over medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant.
Add broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, onion, and ginger. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
Add oil to a frying pan and place over medium-high heat.
Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
Cook noodles according to package instructions.
Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the star anise, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, onion, and ginger from the soup pot. Keep the broth warm over medium heat.
Add the cooked mushrooms, carrots, and bok choy leaves to the broth to warm through.
Divide noodles among bowls and ladle in the broth and vegetables.
Garnish the soup with scallions, basil, mint, and lime before serving.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 185
Total Fat 3.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.4 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Total Carbohydrates 36.1 g
Dietary Fiber 4.2 g
Total Sugars 5.4 g
Sodium 464.0 mg
Protein 4.3 g