Written by Jared Kent
Audited by Admin
🔍 75+ Products Analyzed
★ 23k Reviews Evaluated
As the national soup of Vietnam, Pho enjoys a cult-like following around the world. Like many dishes from the far east, the magic of pho is all in the broth. Pho broth is full of profound, robust flavour and is one of the tastiest, most satisfying stocks in all the culinary world.
Traditionally made by simmering beef bones with a blend of Asian spices and other aromatics, a base of mushrooms and dried seaweed make excellent vegetarian substitutes with their savoury depth of flavour.
To make the broth, a base of roasted mushrooms gently simmer for a couple of hours with onions, garlic, ginger, star anise, clove, and other spices. The kombu (dried seaweed) gets added in during the last hour of cooking and adds a complex umami feel to it that mimics the meatiness of beef nicely.
Once the broth is cooked, it is poured over rice noodles and carrots and topped with tasty array of fresh, crunchy ingredients like cilantro leaves, Thai basil, mint, lime, sliced chilies, green onions, and fresh bean sprouts. Feel free to add in shredded carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, or any other veggies you need to use up.
While you may have enjoyed a bowl of pho at your favourite Vietnamese restaurant, it is a true delight to cook at home. Homemade pho is certainly a labour of love; it takes time, effort and maybe a trip to the Asian market for the specialty ingredients, but it is absolutely worth it.
Mushroom and Vegetable Pho Recipe
Deep and flavourful, vegetarian pho has a complex umami feel. Combined with the fresh tastes of lime, chili, mint and Thai basil, this soup will show you why pho is one of the most popular soups in the world.
Ingredients
Pho Broth
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound portabella or baby portabella mushrooms (1/2 kg, rinsed and chopped large)
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms (1/2 kg, rinsed, use the stems for broth and reserve the caps for the assembly)
- 1 large knob ginger (about 2 inches or 5 cm, unpeeled and chopped large)
- 3 white onions (chopped large)
- 12 cloves whole garlic (peeled)
- 4 pods star anise
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 palm-sized pieces kombu ((dried seaweed, can be found in the Asian market))
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- salt to taste
Noodle Bowl Assembly
- 12 oz vermicelli rice noodles (340 grams)
- 2 cups carrots (shredded)
- 1 pound shiitake mushroom caps (thinly sliced)
Garnishes
- 1 bunch cilantro (picked)
- 1 bunch Thai basil (picked)
- 1 bunch mint (picked)
- 1 lime (cut into quarters)
- 4 oz fresh bean sprouts (113 grams)
- 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
- 2 red (or green jalapenos, thinly sliced)
Directions
Pho Broth
- Preheat the oven to 500F (260C).
- Toss the portabella mushrooms, shiitake stems, onions, garlic and ginger with the oil in a large bowl. Transfer onto a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly charred.
- Heat a saut pan over medium-high heat. Add the dried spices to the pan and gently toast for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, just until the spices become fragrant.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and transfer the roasted vegetables into the largest pot you can find. Cover the vegetables with water about 85% of the way to the top of the pot. Add the vinegar, sugar, and toasted spices. Bring the liquid to a simmer and gently simmer for 2 hours. After 2 hours, add the kombu into the pot and simmer for 1 more hour. (Alternatively, you can also use a slow cooker.)
- Strain the solids out of the broth and keep at a low simmer. Add the soy sauce and season the broth to taste with salt as well as more vinegar and sugar if needed.
Assembly
- Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the package, toss with a little oil to prevent from sticking and set aside until ready to serve.
- Arrange a small handful of the noodles, shredded carrots and sliced mushrooms in the bottom of the bowls.
- Carefully ladle the hot stock over the noodles and garnish as desired. Serve immediately.
View More in:
Why Trust Us?
Meet Our Kitchen Experts
At TableMatters.com, we’re committed to providing reliable, research-backed expert cooking tips and honest cookware reviews you can trust. Our content is created by trained chefs, experienced food writers and kitchen equipment experts who test recipes, compare tools and analyze ingredients with real-world accuracy.
Whether you’re searching for reliable vegetarian meal ideas, step-by-step cooking guides or detailed product comparisons, TableMatters.com provides expert-driven, easy-to-follow content designed to help every home cook cook smarter, eat healthier and enjoy better results.
