vegetarian pho

This vegetarian pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) is full of flavor, thanks to spices, herbs and sautéed shiitake mushrooms! It’s easy and fun to make, too. Recipe yields 4 generous bowls of soup.

Vegetarian Pho

cinnamon sticks

Frontier Co-op whole cloves

Frontier Co-op star anise

white onion*,

ginger*,

(32 ounces) vegetable stock

water

reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce

(one large handful) rice noodles

avocado oil, mild extra-virgin olive oil

shiitake mushrooms

Salt

Mung bean sprouts

basil (use Thai basil if you can find it) or cilantro

mint

green onions (mostly green parts)

Very thinly sliced fresh jalapeño (omit if sensitive to spice)

lime

Warm a medium soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise and toast until fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, ginger, vegetable stock, water and tamari. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes to give the flavors time to meld.

In the meantime, prepare your rice noodles by cooking them according to package directions. Set them aside.

To prepare the shiitake mushrooms, warm the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and a few dashes of salt. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 4 to 6 minutes, then set them aside.

Once the broth is done cooking, strain out the onions, ginger and spices (this is easiest with a small metal sieve, but you can also strain the mixture through a colander into another large bowl). Season it to taste with extra tamari and/or salt until the flavors of the spices really shine.

Ladle the broth into bowls, add cooked noodles and mushrooms, and fresh garnishes to your heart’s content (don’t forget the lime!). Serve immediately, with chopsticks and soup spoons.

Amazing!!!  This was so good.  Since adopting a vegetarian diet 2 years ago, pho was one of the dishes I missed the most.  This is soooo delicious, I don’t miss the meat at all.  Kate remains my favorite source for exceptional vegetarian recipes, she never disappoints!!!

Loved the recipe!!
It turned out perfectly balanced and bursting with fresh flavours. My daughter said it was the best Pho she has ever had!!! :) Thank you.

I love this recipe so much. I've made it many times since. Thank you so much for making one of my favorite dishes vegan.

I am rating just the broth alone. I made a triple batch to freeze but my notes are for one batch. I used your recipe as inspiration and made some modifications.

This is a great quick recipe! I normally make a shiitake stock to start and add that (instead of using boxed). For this, I used boxed 365 vegetable broth to save time. I charred the onion in the oven first. I added a bunch of garlic scapes because they're in season now and so delicious! To get that mushroom umami, I added 1/4 pound of sliced fresh shiitake (I don't care for the texture of shiitake, but I LOVE the flavor, which is why I added them to infuse in the broth instead). Instead of soy or tamari, I used coconut aminos (soy free). In my opinion (I cook a lot of Vietnamese food), I think using 2 cinnamon sticks is too much for this. In the past, I have followed recipes using cinnamon and it always turns out too strong in flavor. To get just a slight essence of cinnamon, I smashed one toasted stick and used less than 1/2. I simmered for 60 minutes instead of 30.

I kept the measurements for clove, star anise, and ginger the same.
I plan on serving with rice noodle, lime, sriracha, jalapeno, mung bean sprouts, sliced red bell pepper, broccoli, sliced carrot, green onion, and basil.

The broth turned out so umami-licious! Thank you for the inspiration!!

Hi Jena! Yes, all of the produce is fresh. 

However, in a pinch for a quick work lunch, I keep frozen organic broccoli on hand and I will toss in with the stock, sriracha, lime juice, and coconut aminos, and glass noodles. On Sundays, I cook the sweet potato glass noodles and keep in the fridge for the week with some toasted sesame oil to keep them from sticking. Super easy lunch and it makes my coworkers jealous all the time. :)

I think you can get by without the mushrooms.  Use sautéed tofu, add a robust vegetable broth, it will still be delicious.  I've also added fake-meat meatballs (Gardein brand) which are also good for substance.

I have tried several vegetarian pho recipes in the past, but I was simply blown away at how amazingly delicious this recipe was! I have never been quite able to fully replicate the traditional pho flavors since becoming vegetarian, but this one really nailed it. Cookie and Kate never disappoints—can’t wait to try the new cook book!!

I made it in the Crock-Pot. It was kind of funny because before bed, threw everything in the crock pot. When I woke up (groggy and out of it), it smelled so good. My first thought was I dreamed I made broth in the Crock-Pot. Lol. It was a great lunch for school and for dinner.

Kate, I haven't even finished making the soup yet but the broth is cooking and I tasted it and I'm so excited. It tastes sooo good! And the smell - it's just spot on. The only change I made is adding a small bag (15 grams) of dried porcini mushrooms to it.

I am so thankful that I found this recipe! It tastes AMAZING! Thanks for sharing your talents with us!

Even my meat eating husband loves this pho and hasn't asked for me to add meat once! 

We omit the star anise as neither of us like anise (tried it once with the anise in and it was too powerful).

It's a great base broth for adding veggies, I like the ideas some people wrote about.

This is soooo good! I cooked some bok choy with the mushrooms as well with a little garlic powder! Will be making this several times!! 

Hi Kate!

I'm almost at the end of my first pregnancy trimester and since week 5, I've not been able to look at (let alone eat) meat. I am so, so happy to have stumbled upon your website 2 weeks ago.

I made your homemade chilli recipe and it was just so good!! It really was super easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious! I was so impressed I immediately ordered your book on Amazon. Its arriving this week and I'm super excited!

Gonna make this pho recipe tonight for dinner. It's our family favourite noodle soup and have been going to a local Vietnamese cafe here every weekend for their pho. Was sad that I would be missing out on that ritual but now I've found your pho recipe, we can still have it every week at home!

Thank you, Kate! You are simply awesome. I'm sure our vegetarian journey will be made easier and more delicious with your recipes.

Kindest regards xx

Literally don’t understand the anise. It makes the whole thing taste like licorice. After all that work . I will be making again minus the anise.

I love your recipes!!
I would love to see your take on a Ramen soup!!! yum

Omg this was amazing. I am feeling quite under the weather and was able to make this soup in under 45 minutes even in my condition. I feel so much better already. Thanks so much Kate!

Great! This is my go-to winter noodle soup now because it tastes both satisfying and healthy, and because it is very forgiving. I have added fish balls (nope those aren’t vegetarian) and puffy tofu cubes, and baby portobellas instead of shiitake, in a pinch. Great every time.

We've been going to a local vietnamese restaurant (called Pho) and thought we ought to try and make our own.
Absolutely delicious - thank you! Brilliant for my vegetarian daughter and can add a bit of tasty chicken / prawns for members of the family who need some meat. I didn't have any shitake mushrooms so used the ones I had in the fridge and added some rehydrated dried porcini mushrooms to the broth.

This was fantastic!  I added diagonally sliced carrots and generously salted the water for the noodles.  Be sure to check the rice noodle package instructions - mine required 30 minutes soaking in like warm water before boiling.

This is one of my favorite “go to” recipes.  Especially when hosting guests with multiple food restrictions.   Yum!  Yum!  YUM!! (And it presents beautifully / I get so much credit for being a great cook, but it’s so EASY!!!!). I usually have to print off copies to send home.  If you’re on the fence about this... DO IT.  

Quick question for the IP users out there ... I’m addicted to my new Instant Pot and wondering if anyone with more experience than I have has a recommendation for how to make the broth that way.  (Still learning the science there)

And for anyone wondering - YES!  Char the onions and garlic.  Even if you just do it in a hot cast iron pan.  Oh my!  Flavors.  

Dinner is served in 20 y’all...I can’t wait!!!!

A SUPER quick, easy and tasty Vegan Noodle Soup recipe. This delight takes only about 10 minutes to throw together, but tastes like it took a few hours! Vegan and gluten-free.

Vegan Noodle Soup

water (or vegetable broth)

sriracha

coconut aminos

garlic powder

sea salt

2.5-ounce ramen noodle cake

cilantro (chopped)

avocado (for garnishing)

Combine ingredients.

In a saucepan over medium heat combine water/broth, sriracha, coconut aminos, and garlic powder. Stir well.

Bring to a boil and add noodles.

Bring all to a boil then add the ramen noodle cake, reduce heat to a simmer, and then simmer according to package directions.

Salt to taste and add cilantro.

When noodles are tender turn off the heat and salt to taste (I used approximately 3/4 teaspoon). Stir in chopped cilantro. Served with diced avocado.

Enjoy.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/bYVmCxLf.mp4

A SUPER quick, easy and tasty Spicy Pho Broth with Ramen Noodles. This delight takes only about 10 minutes to throw together, but tastes like it took a few hours! Vegan and gluten-free.

Spicy Ramen Pho (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

This vegan pho recipe will appease all your cravings for a delicious, intensely flavoured vegetarian pho.  A bowl of soup so good you won’t believe that this vegan pho is made 100% from scratch in less than one hour!

Vegan Pho

onion (roughly chopped - 0.14)

star anise (-  0.20)

(-  0.01)

cinnamon

coriander seeds (-  0.02)

garlic (roughly chopped -  0.20)

(25 oz) mixed vegetables

dried shiitake mushrooms (-  0.32)

litres (3.2 quarts) water (-  0.00)

Maggi Liquid Seasoning

salt

(7 ounces) extra-firm tofu

soy sauce (-  0.10)

miso paste (-  0.11)

rice vinegar (-  0.04)

smoked paprika (-  0.12)

onions

bok choy

(9 oz) wide rice noodles (-  3.50)

(7 oz) bean sprouts (-  1.59)

cilantro

lime (quartered -  0.43)

red chili pepper

Heat a very large pot over medium-high heat and add the onion and ginger. Fry, stirring frequently, until they begin to char and blacken. This should take about 10 minutes. Be careful no to let the bottom of the pot burn or else it will make your soup bitter.

Add the star anise, cloves and cinnamon and dry roast for a couple more minutes until fragrant. Add the coriander seeds and give them 20 – 30 seconds to release their aroma.

Add the garlic, veggies, shiitakes and water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to just a bare simmer. Leave for 45 minutes until the stock is dark and flavourful. Strain and add Maggi liquid seasoning (or soy sauce) and salt to taste.

Meanwhile, heat a small pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot add the tofu and fry until crispy. Combine the soy sauce, miso paste, rice vinegar and paprika in a small bowl and pour over the tofu. Fry until the liquid is evaporated and the tofu is crisp. Remove to a plate.

Reduce the heat under the pan to medium and add an additional 2 – 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Add the matchstick white and light green parts of the green onion. Allow to fry until golden brown – about 5 – 10 minutes, then remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the bok choy until the stems are tender. Remove to a plate then add the rice noodles to the pot. Boil until al dente then strain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Divide the noodles between four bowls and ladle over the hot stock. Top with the bok choy, tofu, bean sprouts, frizzled green onion, dark green parts of the green onion, chili pepper, lime slices and cilantro/basil.

I loved this soup! My kitchen smelt amazing, and the flavours and textures of each element came together beautifully! Thank you so much for inventing and sharing this recipe (and for encouraging us to make the stock from scratch! It's totally worth it and really special!) The day after, I ate the veg that were left over after straining the stock in a 'rice salad', just adding sesame seeds, cashew nuts and soy sauce. Yummy!!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/gloNsXVF.mp4

This Vietnamese classic dish consists of a rich broth infused with spices and served with vegan beef, rice noodles, and fresh herbs! This recipe is as close to authentic as possible!

Vegan Phở

onion (halved)

shallots (halved)

carrot

daikon radish (peeled

1 and 1/2 tbsp sugar

tsp mushroom seasoning (optional)

vegan fish sauce

ginger

whole black cardamom

anise stars

cloves

fennel seeds

coriander seeds

vegan beef slices (soaked for 20 minutes)

tsp sugar

soy sauce

tsp black pepper

rice noodles

bean sprouts

sautéed mushrooms

fried tofu

green onions

Thai basil

onion (thinly sliced)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Broth

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

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.

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.

Vegan &quot;Beef&quot;

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

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!

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

To Assemble

Another success enjoyed by my family! The smell was amazing!

Thomas - we would LOVE you to show us a vegan version of Bun Rieu as that is our second favourite vietnamese soup.  Would that be one that you could make please?

This was honestly the best vegan pho i have made.  I have been searching for a recipe i liked for a few years now and i made this on the weekend - lucky i made a double batch of broth because i have enjoyed this throughout the week.  Kids and Hubby agree this is a winner hands down and I will be making the broth regularly to have pho on hand.  Thankyou so much!!!!

We used to go to a vegan Vietnamese restaurant and my 8yr old's favorite dish was  Phở. We've tried many times to recreate that dish but something was always missing, until now....We tried this recipe and for the first time, nothing was missing. 
WINNER RECIPE. Thank you!

I’m leaning how to make vegetarian food and this recipe has elevated my confidence in vegan cooking. Although my kids don’t like the smell of oyster mushrooms, they love the soup.  Thank you!  By the way, how should treat oyster mushrooms to mask the smell?

Top 4 vegetarian pho recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegetarian pho recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Vegetarian Pho

Vegan Noodle Soup

Vegan Pho

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Top 4 vegetarian pho recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegetarian pho recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Vegetarian Pho

Vegan Noodle Soup

Vegan Pho

Vegan Phở

The most viewed vegetarian pho recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine