Vegan Phở

Step 1

Start by charring the onion and shallots: heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the halved onion and shallots, cut side facing down. Char them for 3-5 minutes or until almost black. Note: you can also char them under the broiler in an oven.

Step 2

Transfer the charred onion and shallots to a large pot. Add the sliced carrots, daikon radish, salt, and sugar. Cover with the water and bring to a boil. Let simmer uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

Step 3

In the meantime, char the sliced ginger in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the whole spices and toast them for about 1 minute. Transfer the spices and ginger to a tea bag or cheesecloth closed with a string.

Step 4

After 30-35 minutes, turn off the heat and add the spices tea bag to the broth. Let infuse for about 10 minutes.

Step 5

Remove the spices bag, onions, and shallots from the broth. Add the mushroom seasoning and vegan fish sauce if using. Taste and adjust the saltiness and sweetness if needed.

Step 6

At this point, you can also remove the carrots and radish or leave them in the broth to serve later. Note: If planning to keep broth for one day in the refrigerator, I recommend removing all of the vegetables, otherwise they will soak up some liquid, and you will end up with less broth.

Step 7

Drain the vegan beef slices and rinse them under cold water a couple of times. Squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible.

Step 8

Transfer the beef slices to a bowl and add the sugar, soy sauce, and ground black pepper. Stir to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 9

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the vegan beef slices and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until slightly golden brown.

Step 10

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions and drain well.

Step 11

Add a handful of raw bean sprouts to each bowl. Top with the cooked rice noodles, sautéed vegan beef slices, fried tofu, and sautéed mushrooms if using. Garnish each bowl with 2 tablespoons of chopped green onions, a few leaves of Thai basil, onion slices, and chopped cilantro. Pour in the piping hot broth over the noodles and serve immediately!

Step 12

The broth will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.