Vegetarian Pho Recipes

VEGETARIAN PHO

Steps:

• Gather dried shitakes in double-lined cheesecloth and tie-off with kitchen twine. Place in a large pot. Add fresh shitake stems, quartered carrots, garlic and cilantro stems.
• Toast cinnamon, cloves, star anise, coriander, fennel and black peppercorns in a small skillet over medium-high, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to pot.
• Preheat broiler. Place onions, halved shallots and halved ginger on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning occasionally, until very charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to pot.
• Add 16 cups water and season with 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, skim foam and reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook until broth is reduced by just under half, about 1 hour.
• Remove cheesecloth and reserve dried mushroom caps, then pour broth through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Check seasoning; broth should be well-seasoned.
• Meanwhile, slice fresh shitake caps into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Heat oil over medium-high in a medium nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add mushroom slices and cook until softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add finely chopped ginger and shallot, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add hoisin and stir to coat. Transfer mushroom slices to a bowl to cool slightly.
• Pour boiling water over noodles in a large baking dish or bowl. Let soak 5 minutes, stirring with tongs to release starches, then drain. Repeat, let soak until al dente, about 5 minutes more; drain. Divide among bowls along with reconstituted shitake caps, shitake slices, and julienned carrots. Pour hot broth over noodles and serve with toppings, as desired.

BASIC VEGETARIAN PHO

Steps:

• Combine vegetable broth, lemon grass, vegetable bouillon, and star anise pods in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until flavors are combined, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove lemon grass and star anise with a slotted spoon and discard.
• Place rice noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water to soften, about 10 minutes. Drain and cut into shorter pieces with kitchen shears; divide noodles equally between soup bowls. Fill bowls with hot broth to cover noodles.
• Place bean sprouts, mushrooms, limes, cilantro, basil, and green onions into separate bowls. Place teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, chile paste, and sesame oil in separate bowls. Serve soup alongside garnishes and flavorings.

VEGETARIAN PHO (VIETNAMESE NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Place vegetable stock, onion, soy sauce, garlic, cinnamon sticks, ground ginger, star anise, and bay leaves in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until flavors combine, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove solids with a slotted spoon and keep broth hot.
• Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside until noodles are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Divide noodles among 6 serving bowls.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tofu in a single layer and fry, in batches, until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side.
• Simmer fried tofu and mushrooms in broth until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to serving bowls. Top with scallions and cilantro. Ladle in hot broth.
• Serve lime wedges, jalapeno peppers, bean sprouts, and basil alongside for garnishing each bowl.

VEGETARIAN PHO

Steps:

• Vegetable Stock
• Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it's hot, add the carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, garlic, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover, and cook, undisturbed, until you hear the vegetables sizzle, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover, stir once or twice, and cook, stirring only enough to prevent burning until the vegetables release their liquid and begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. (If you have more time, keep going another 15 to 20 minutes or until they're even darker.)
• Add 10 cups water, the parsley, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles steadily but gently. Cook until the vegetables are very tender, anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes depending how much time you can spare.
• Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Taste and adjust the seasoning before using or cooling and storing.
• Pho
• Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle with some salt and the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and peppercorns and stir until warm and fragrant, no more than a minute. Add the stock, soy sauce, vinegar, half the cilantro (save therest for garnish), mushrooms, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the stock bubbles gently. Cook, partially covered, until you are happy with the concentration of flavor, 30 to 60 minutes.
• Put the rice vermicelli in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt, and cover with the boiling water. Soak until the noodles are barely tender; start checking after 3 minutes. Drain the noodles, then rinse them and the bowl with cold water to cool down. Return the noodles to the bowl, add enough cold water to cover, and let sit until you're ready to serve.
• Strain the broth through a fine-meshed strainer, return it to the pot, and keep at a gentle bubble. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more soy sauce if you'd like. (You can make the broth to this point, cool, and store it in the refrigerator for several days or the freezer for a few months. Return it to a boil and keep hot until time to serve.)
• Prepare any additional toppings from the list that follows (or whatever else you'd like) and put them in bowls or platters. Drain the noodles and divide them among big bowls; ladle some broth over the noodles. Garnish with the scallions, limes, and sprigs of the reserved cilantro. Top the soup with other additions as you like.

SIMPLE VEGETARIAN PHO BROTH

Steps:

• Scorch the onion and ginger by holding the pieces above a flame with tongs, or in a dry frying pan if using an electric stove. Turn the pieces until they are scorched black in places on all sides. Slice the ginger lengthwise.
• Combine the scorched onion and ginger with the water, leeks, turnips, carrots, mushroom stems or dried shiitakes, garlic, lemon grass, salt to taste and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Tie the spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to the soup. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the fish sauce if using, and simmer for another hour (2 hours total, with or without the fish sauce). Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.

EASY VEGAN PHO

Steps:

• Tip the noodles into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for 10 mins, then drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.
• In a jug, mix the Marmite with 500ml boiling water. Set aside while you cook the vegetables.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the mushrooms and leek. Cook for 10-15 mins until softened and beginning to colour, then add the soy sauce and Marmite and water mixture and stir. Bring to the boil for 5 mins.
• Divide the noodles between two deep bowls, then ladle over the hot broth. Top with the chilli slices, mint leaves and peanuts, and serve with some sriracha on the side.