Vegan Pho

This vegan pho recipe is a delicious vegetarian spin on the Vietnamese noodle soup! It has a rich, spiced broth filled with tender veggies and herbs.

This vegan pho recipe is a delicious plant-based spin on the classic Vietnamese noodle soup. It’s an updated version of a recipe I first shared in 2016, inspired by the vegetarian pho from a Vietnamese restaurant near our house. The richly spiced broth is full of shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, and tons of slurp-able noodles. Topped off with fragrant herbs and a squeeze of lime juice, it’s vibrant, bright, and comforting all at once.

It’s a perfect recipe to make when you’re craving something cozy, yet fresh (which for me is just about every day in winter). Heads up that it takes some time to prepare, but you can break up the steps if needed. And once you taste the flavorful, from-scratch broth, I think you’ll find that every minute was worth it.

Vegan Pho Ingredients

Of course, because this recipe is vegetarian, you won’t find any beef or fish sauce here. I use the traditional charred aromatics and spices to build flavor in the broth, as well as shiitake mushrooms, kombu, and tamari for savory depth.

Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make it:

• White onion and ginger – You’ll char them under the broiler to add smoky flavor to the broth.
• Star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds – The broth’s star ingredients! They’re what give it the aromatic flavor you’d find in a traditional pho broth. Don’t be tempted to substitute ground spices here—you really need whole spices to build the broth’s flavor.
• Shiitake mushrooms – You’ll simmer the stems in the broth and add the sautéed mushroom caps to the soup.
• Kombu seaweed and tamari – You won’t find these ingredients in an authentic pho recipe, but they help build savory flavor in this vegan broth. Kombu is a type of seaweed that you can find in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores. It’s also available online. If you don’t keep tamari on hand, you can substitute regular soy sauce, though you may want to use slightly less. I find that soy sauce runs saltier than tamari.
• Rice noodles, bok choy, and baked tofu – They make the soup fresh and satisfying.
• Rice vinegar – For sautéing the bok choy and mushrooms. It helps the greens soften and adds tangy flavor.
• Mung bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and jalapeños – The pho garnishes! Top your bowl with them for freshness, heat, and crunch.
• Lime wedges and sriracha – Add these ingredients to taste as you eat!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Vegan Pho

You can find the complete pho recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post. For now, here’s an overview of how it goes:

1. Preparing the Pho Broth

Start by making the pho broth. First, you’ll char the onions and ginger under your oven broiler to develop smoky flavor and bring out their natural sweetness. The ginger might cook more quickly than the onions. If necessary, remove it from the baking sheet and continue to cook the onions until they’re tender and charred.

Next, toast the spices in a large pot over medium heat to develop their flavors.

Then, simmer the broth. Add 8 cups water, the charred onions and ginger, mushroom stems, kombu, and tamari to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain the broth to remove the spices, vegetables, and kombu.

2. Preparing the Noodles and Vegetables

Next, you’ll prepare the noodles and veggies. Slice and sauté the mushroom caps in a large skillet, then add the bok choy to the pan and cook until it softens. I add the rice vinegar to the pan partway through the cooking time to create steam and add tangy flavor.

Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions.

3. Serving

To serve the pho, divide the noodles, bok choy, mushrooms, and tofu into four bowls.

Ladle in the hot broth to cover, then top with bean sprouts, herbs, and jalapeños as desired.

Serve with lime wedges, sriracha, and more tamari on the side!

More Vegan Soup Recipes

If you love this vegan pho, try one of these delicious vegan soup recipes next:

• Vegan Ramen
• Miso Soup
• Dumpling Soup
• Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!

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Vegan Pho

rate this recipe:

4.94 from 48 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Serves 4

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This vegan pho recipe features a richly spiced broth filled with noodles, tender veggies, tofu, and fresh herbs. It's a delicious vegetarian version of the classic Vietnamese soup!

To get ahead, feel free to make the broth in advance. It keeps in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

For the broth

• 1 white onion, quartered
• 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
• 4 star anise
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 8 cups water
• Stems from 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
• 1 (4-inch) piece kombu
• ¼ cup tamari, plus more for serving

For the soup

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• Sea salt
• 2 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 8 ounces rice noodles
• Baked tofu
• Mung bean sprouts, optional
• 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed and thinly sliced
• Fresh basil or Thai basil leaves
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges, for serving
• Sriracha or chili oil, for serving

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven broiler to high and line a baking sheet with foil.
• Make the broth: Place the onion wedges and ginger, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Broil for 10 to 20 minutes, or until charred. If the ginger is ready before the onions, remove it from the baking sheet and continue broiling the onion until soft and well charred around the edges.
• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks, coriander, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the water, onions, ginger, mushroom stems, kombu, and tamari. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Place a fine mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl and strain the broth into the bowl. Discard the spices, onions, ginger, mushroom stems, and kombu.
• Meanwhile, make the soup: Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring only occasionally, for 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are browned and starting to soften.
• Nestle the bok choy wedges into the skillet so that the cut sides make contact with the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then add the rice vinegar and cover. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the bok choy is tender. If the pan becomes dry, add 2 tablespoons water. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions, then divide among four large soup bowls. Add the mushrooms, bok choy, and baked tofu. Ladle in broth to cover.
• Top each bowl with bean sprouts, if using, jalapeños, basil, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing, sriracha, and more tamari.

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Nutrition Facts

Vegan Pho

Amount Per Serving

Calories 384 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Sodium 1049mg46%

Potassium 460mg13%

Carbohydrates 60g20%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 2524IU50%

Vitamin C 28mg34%

Calcium 162mg16%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.