Vegan Pho (Week 11, Vietnam)

This recipe is a part of my Global Vegan Challenge where each week I research and develop a recipe from a different country in the world. Many of these recipes are veganized based off their omnivore counterparts. While not all of these recipes are a one for one what you’ll find in their country, I hope you’ll still find them delicious!

Recipe Notes:

Pho gets it’s signature flavors from the charred vegetables and toasted spices. For the best pho, don’t skip that step.

This recipe uses black cardamom. Black cardmom is much different than it’s green counterpart. It’s smoky, and has a bit of a menthol smell to it. If you can’t find these feel welcome to use green instead, but the flavor profiles will be quiet different in the finished product.

The best pho is made from scratch, but if you’re looking to make this quickly on a weeknight you can alternatively buy a pre-purchased stock and add your additional spices to the broth and simmer for 30 minutes.

You may notice that the tofu in the photo is brown on the outside. I had purchased a pre-brased 5 spice tofu, but regular non-brased tofu is fine.

Pho

Yield

2 large servings or 4 small ones

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

60 minutes

Ingredients

10 cups Water
8 ounce Rice Noodles
2 cups Mung Bean Sprouts
8 ounces Fresh Mushrooms, Mixed Types (for stock)
8 ounces Shiitake, Fresh (for topping)
8 ounces Firm Tofu
2 Carrots
2 Green Onions
2 Leeks
1 Yellow Onion
1 Shallot, Large
1 Lime
1 Jalapeno, Large
1 Bunch Thai Basil
1 Bunch Cilantro
2 inches Ginger, Fresh
8 Garlic Cloves
1 Piece of Kombu
1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
1 tablespoon Black Peppercorns
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Salt
1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
1 ounce Saigon Cinnamon Chips
1/2 ounce Dried Shiitake
1/2 ounce Star Anise
1/4 ounce Black Cardamom Pods
Sriracha, to Taste
Hoisin, to Taste
Cheesecloth
Cooking Twine

Instructions

Slice carrot, yellow onion, leeks (white parts only, save green), and shallot into large chunks and place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Place under broiler on high for 10 to 20 minutes, or until they begin to char. As each vegetable begins to char, remove from oven and place in a large stock pot.
Add 8 cloves of crushed garlic, and 2 inches of peeled ginger to stock pot. Add remaining leek greens, kombu, mixed mushrooms, dried shiitakes, sugar, and salt to stock pot along with 10 cups of water.
Prepare spices. Add Saigon cinnamon, coriander, peppercorns, fennel, black cardamom, and star anise to a small pan. Heat on medium high heat, constantly stirring in the pan until toasted. Once toasted, place spices in a piece of cheesecloth and tie closed with cooking twine. Add to stock pot.
Once all stock ingredients are in the pot bring it to a boil then immediately bring back down to a low simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for at least 45 minutes.
While simmering prepare your soup toppings. Remove stems from fresh shiitake and discard. Slice caps into thin slices, set aside.
Slice jalapeno into thin coins, set aside.
Slice tofu into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.
Slice green onion into either 2 inch pieces, or chiffonade (whichever you prefer). Set aside.
Slice lime into wedges, set aside.
Tear off a handful of leaves off both your thai basil and cilantro stems. Set aside.
When your broth is finished simmering remove all solids from stock and discard/compost. Place finished stock back on stove on low heat and cover until ready to server.
Fill up a new pot with about 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and place rice noodles inside. Cover, and allow to sit for 8 to 10 minutes.
Once noodles are soft, drain immediately and chill in cold water.
Assemble and serve pho while hot. Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot stock. Garnish with fresh shiitakes, green onions, and tofu before serving. Place mung beans, cilantro, basil, jalapeno slices, and lime wedges on another plate. Allow guests to add remaining ingredients in their preferred proportions and season as they wish with hoison and sriracha.
Enjoy!