Perhaps the most iconic (and beloved) dish to hail from Vietnam, the magic of pho lies in the broth. Herein lies the secret to delicious success …
You will need
Serves 2
Pho Broth
- 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 x 4cm piece of ginger
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole star anise
- 4 whole cloves
- 8 cups vegan-friendly stock (chicken-style, beef-style or vegetable)
- 2 tablespoons soy or tamari sauce, or to taste
Add-ins
- 4 serves or 600g of flat rice noodles
- 300g firm tofu, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped finely
- 2 heads of bok choy, chopped
To serve
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup Thai basil
- Lemon wedges
- Chilli, finely sliced
- Chilli sauce
Directions
-
Step 1
To make the broth, add the onion, garlic, ginger and all the spices to a large pot over high heat. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion and garlic is slightly charred and the spices are fragrant.
-
Step 2
Add the vegetable stock and soy sauce to the pot. Boil the broth for 10 minutes then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. If too much of the stock evaporates, add some water to the pot.
-
Step 3
Cook the noodles according to its packet instructions and set aside.
-
Step 4
Strain the broth into a large bowl reserving the broth. Discard the solids (onion, garlic and herbs).
-
Step 5
Return the broth to the pot and add the tofu and vegetables. Increase the heat to high and cook the vegetables for 5-10 minutes or until tender.
-
Step 6
Divide the cooked noodles into 4 bowls. Ladle the soup and vegetables over the noodles. Serve the pho hot with bean sprouts, basil, lemon and chilli or as desired.
Hot tip!
Some Asian supermarkets have a pre-made pho spice mix with all the spices needed for this recipe.
Vegan-friendly liquid stocks can be found in major supermarkets or health food stores. The brands Massel and Australia’s Own Organic have chicken-style and beef-style stocks that are vegan friendly. Campbells also has a liquid vegetable stock.
