Vegetarian Pho Recipes

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

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.

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.

VEGETARIAN PHO

Steps:

• To make the broth, heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, shallots, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves and dry-roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to char. Add the stock and soy sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes. Strain into a clean pot and discard the solids. Taste the broth and add salt if necessary. Keep warm over low heat.
• While the broth is simmering, prepare the rice noodles. Place the noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles to cover and soak for 20 minutes.
• When you are ready to assemble the soup, add the seitan or tofu to the warm broth and allow to heat through. Drain the soaked rice noodles and divide evenly among 4 to 6 large bowls. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the seitan or tofu out of the broth and distribute among the bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Serve the bowls of pho with the scallions, bean sprouts, herbs, lime wedges, hoisin sauce and chili sauce on a seperate platter so that everyone can season their own soup as they wish.