Pho (pronounced Fa so I’m told) is a Vietnamese dish that was popularized in the early 20th century in the North of that country. Since then it has spread around the world thanks to refugees from the Vietnam War. You probably can’t go two blocks in your town without seeing a Pho restaurant, which speaks to it’s popularity. A traditional Pho would contain broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat, but of course we ain’t doin that here! So here is a version of plant based Pho using tofu as a protein along with all the traditional flavours like star anise, ginger with hints of cinnamon and basil.
Pho Vietnamese Noodle Soup
Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: VeganDifficulty: Easy2
servings15
minutes35
minutes50
minutesIngredients
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
2 shallots, peeled and halved
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick, cut in half
1/2 tsp of whole black pepper corns
3 pieces of star anise
1 tsp of oil
5 cups of water
Vegetable stock cubes, paste or powder
2 Tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
2 cups of broccoli florets
8 or 10 mushrooms, sliced
225 g of rice noodles
1 block of extra firm tofu, cut into cubes or strips
- Garnishes that bring it all together (optional but oh so good)
Fresh basil leaves
2 cups of bean sprouts or bok choy
1 jalapeno, sliced into rings
Lime slices
4 green onions, sliced
1 tsp of hot sauce like Sriracha
Directions
- To a large soup pot over medium high heat, add the onion, shallots, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and star anise and dry roast for a couple of minutes until you can really smell the spices. Stir continually to avoid burning your spices.
- Then add the 1 tsp of oil and sauté for another minute.
- Add the water and the appropriate amount of your choice of vegetable stock (1 cube, 2 tsp of paste or powder). Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer, for 25 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, heat a little oil on medium in a frying pan and once hot add the tofu to the pan. Fry the tofu until golden brown on each side. This should take about 5 minutes or so per side. Once done you can remove the tofu from the pan and set it aside.
- When the broth is done, place a strainer on a separate pot and pour the broth into the new pot, straining out the spices, onion, garlic, cinnamon etc.
- To the new pot, ada the soy sauce, vinegar, carrot, broccoli and mushrooms, and simmer for 5 minutes or so.
- Fill your first pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook as per instructions. Typically about 5 or 6 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water.
- To serve, divide the noodles between 2 large bowls. Now using a ladle or large spoon add the veggies and broth to the bowls. Add in the tofu and top with the garnishes.