Hallelujah! I finished my cookbook. Photos are finalized and uploaded; every sentence has been double-checked for accuracy. We even made “Cookie + Kate” bigger on the cover, thanks to your feedback. I can’t wait for you to see it on May 16th!
The minute I sent off the final draft of my book, I started plotting my next vacation. I’ve felt tied to the book project for the past year and a half, both mentally and physically. As rewarding as it’s been to produce a book that I’m 100 percent proud of, it’s been way too long since I got a break—a real, true, mind-clearing break.
On my list for this year? A yoga retreat in Morocco (booked!), exploring Costa Rica with Grandma Virginia (she’s been dying to go), and who knows, maybe Southeast Asia or Iceland for good measure. Is that too much? The answer I’m looking for is, “No!” I’m suffering from a serious case of wanderlust and a palpable sense of urgency to go now—right now, post-cookbook, while I’m still young and fancy-free.
To appease my travel cravings for now, I’m cooking up some exotic recipes in my kitchen, including Vietnamese pho. It’s hot, comforting and fresh, and fills the house with warming aromas of cinnamon, anise, cloves and ginger.
I used Frontier Co-op’s organic whole spices here. I always enjoy reading their labels as I cook, knowing that they give back to the communities where they source their spices. The cinnamon sticks and cloves came from Sri Lanka, and the star anise from Vietnam.
Vegetarian Pho Tips
Traditionally, pho is made with strips of beef, and the broth is flavored with fish sauce. To make mine vegetarian, I substituted shiitake mushrooms for the beef and used tamari (or soy sauce) instead of the fish sauce.
I tried a vegetarian pho recipe a couple of years ago that was essentially fat-free due to the use of vegetable broth and the absence of meat. As a result, it was lacking in body and depth of flavor. For this version, I intentionally sautéed the mushrooms in some oil to enhance their flavor and texture, and to add extra depth to the soup. Success!
Also of note, I used a combination of vegetable broth and water to make sure that the delicate notes of cinnamon, star anise, clove and ginger shine through. So, that’s why you might want to add some salt back in along the cooking process. (For the photos, I made the mistake of using a very orangey broth, but yours will be more clear in color and flavor.)
For a more intensely flavored broth, char your onions and ginger before adding them to the broth—it’s an extra step that takes 20 minutes but makes this pho taste a little more traditional (see recipe notes for details).
Watch How to Make Vegetarian Pho
This is a fun, quick and delicious version of your favorite restaurant’s pho, and I hope you love it as much as I do. Please let me know how it turns out in the comments!
Craving more light and healthy soups? Browse all of my vegetarian soups here.
Vegetarian Pho
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
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.
Ingredients
Soup
- Two 3-inch Frontier Co-op cinnamon sticks
- 3 Frontier Co-op whole cloves
- 2 Frontier Co-op star anise
- 1 large white onion*, peeled and quartered
- 4-inch piece of fresh ginger*, peeled and halved lengthwise
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable stock or broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 6 ounces (one large handful) rice noodles
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, mild extra-virgin olive oil or your neutral-flavored oil of choice
- 5 ounces thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
- Salt
Garnishes
- Mung bean sprouts
- Sprigs of fresh basil (use Thai basil if you can find it) or cilantro
- Sprigs of fresh mint
- Thinly sliced green onions (mostly green parts)
- Very thinly sliced fresh jalapeño (omit if sensitive to spice)
- Small wedges of lime
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
If you love spicy pho: Sriracha overpowers the delicate flavors in this soup, so I don’t recommend adding any. You can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the broth as it cooks, and/or add extra sliced jalapeño to your bowls.
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (tamari is usually gluten-free, but check your bottle to be sure).
*For even more flavor: Char your onions and ginger before adding them to the pot. If you go this route, just slice the onion in half (instead of quarters), and don’t peel the ginger. You have a few options on how to char them—you can supposedly char them with metal tongs over a gas flame (I don’t have gas, so I couldn’t try this), or broil them, cut sides down, on a baking sheet, or—the most reliable method—roast them, cut sides down, on a baking sheet, on the upper rack in a 500 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Mushroom alternatives: You can just omit the mushrooms altogether (I’d actually stir a couple teaspoons of oil into the broth, for body). Untraditional alternatives include crispy tofu or steamed edamame.
▸ Nutrition Information
This post was created in partnership with Frontier Co-op and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Paula C
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!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Paula!
Pallavi Prasad
Simple recipe which turns out so yummy!
★★★★
Sonal
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.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Sonal.
Twyla Marie Pedersen
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.
★★★★★
Michelle
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!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing and for your detailed comment, Michelle!
Jena
Are your sliced peppers, broccoli, and carrots fresh?
Michelle
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. :)
★★★★★
T
Yes Michelle. Same. Love adding shitake straight to the broth as well. Xx
Michelle Davis
I would like to make this but my husband does not care for mushrooms, is there something I could use to substitute for the mushrooms?
Kate
This one is really best with mushrooms. This may not be the dish for you!
Todd Scott
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.
★★★★★
Emily M
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!!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m happy this one passes your test, Emily. Thank you for your review.
Michelle
Hi there! Do you think I could make the soup base in the crockpot instead of using the dutch oven?
Kate
I haven’t tried it, it may work. Let me know if you try it!
Tammy
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.
★★★★★
Sarah
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.
★★★★★
Kate
I hope you loved it just as much as the smell! Thank you for your review, Sarah.
Firly
I am so thankful that I found this recipe! It tastes AMAZING! Thanks for sharing your talents with us!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Firly!
Rose
OMG Kate where have you been all my life! Can’t wait to make this recipe!I tried going vegetarian a year ago, but could not find enough nutritional recipes that were also easy to prepare to keep me going so I didn’t las very long as a vegetarian. I decided to give it another try a couple of weeks ago and checked out your book from the local library. I absolutely adore it! Every recipe I e tried has turned out fantastic! My goal is to make every recipe in that book, but can’t move past those I e made because they turn out so delicious. I’ve been having the mango smoothie bowl with homemade muesli for breakfast for two weeks and I can’t have enough of it. I am a cookbook addict, and yours has become my favorite! My hummus making experience has changed for the best thanks to your simple recipes. I still have to cook meat for my boys but am able to eat delicious, fresh vegetarian meals thanks to the simplicity of your recipes. Until I can buy your cookbook, I will be renewing from the library many times.
Kate
You’re too funny, Rose! I’m so glad you really like this recipe and others you have tried.
Cat
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.
★★★★★
Kate
Fantastic, Cat! Thank you for sharing.
Blake
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!!
★★★★★
Sam
Is there a way to make this in the instant pot? Do you have directions for that? Thanks!
Kate
Hi Sam, I haven’t tried it sorry!
Sandy W
I made a similar pho broth in the Instant Pot previously. While the ginger and onion were charring under the broiler, I used the sauté function on the IP and toasted the spices until fragrant. I then added the charred onion/ginger and the broth and water, set the IP to high pressure for 10 min with a quick release when done. With this recipe not sure if the soy sauce would be best added with the broth or after releasing the pressure. The IP definitely made a great broth!
Zuzi
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
★★★★★
Kate
I have heard that is quite a thing during pregnancy! I’m glad you found something you can eat and enjoy. Congratulations, Zuzi!
Alex
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.
★
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love it! I know some readers have left that spice out due to preference and still like it.
Katie
Hi, I’m just back from Vietnam and I’ve been looking for a Pho recipe! I don’t like mushrooms, is there something else I could use instead? Thanks :)
Kate
You could omit and add in another favorite. Mushrooms are so nice here though, although if you don’t like them :)
Erin
I love your recipes!!
I would love to see your take on a Ramen soup!!! yum
★★★★
Deepthi
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!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad this was just what you needed! I hope you are feeling better.
Morgan
Why strain out the onions?
Kate
Helps to not over power the dish. I hope this helps!
Vh
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.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing, VH.
Paula
I don’t enjoy the texture of mushrooms, but I like the flavor, so would it be ok to put it in the broth and allow it to emit its flavor? Thanks!
Kate
If you would like, but you will be missing some of the texture and nutrients.
Kate
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.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing.
Mark
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.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Mark!
Reid Harris
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!!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thanks for sharing, Reid!
Sandy W
While the ginger and onion are charring under the broiler, used the sauté function on the IP and toast the spices until fragrant. Then add the charred onion/ginger and the broth and water, set the IP to high pressure for 10 min and quick release when done.
russ
I want to make this but I have to watch my sodium intake.
The sodium in the nutrition facts estimate has GOT to be wrong.
A serving (2 cups) of broth having ⅔ of my daily sodium limit?
Seems a mistake, 2 TB low sodium soy sauce in 8 cups of liquid should lower the sodium in a serving size of 2 cups of soup.
1,097 mg sodium per serving x 4 servings means there is 4,000+ mg of sodium in the whole pot, but Kikkoman lite soy sauce has 600 mg per TB — so 2 TB would be 1200 mg not 4,000 mg. Did I miss something?
I may still try the recipe but if it really is that salty I would have to use half the soy sauce the recipe specifies. Thanks for this!
Kate
Hi Russ, please see more on my nutritional information here: https://cookieandkate.com/nutrition-disclaimer/
If you need to adjust, you can reduce the amount of salt and make sure the broth you use is low sodium.
russ
Thanks that is good information, and thank you especially for your rapid reply. The broth is probably key here. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE salt, that is my very problem. Like many things, what we love most ends up being restricted. haha
Best wishes to you! Russ
regs
Love that noodles recipe, will try that later, thank for sharing!
★★★★
Amanda
Just made this for dinner! Loved by the whole family. Love a good noodle soup in our house so this soup base was exactly what I have been searching for. Yum!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Amy
DELISH!!! This is literally everything I needed after being sick for two weeks. Thank you Kate!!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you seem to be feeling better, Amy.
Katy from LA
Thank you! You saved me tonight! My sick family needed something and I had just enough pantry items to scratch this out. For curious readers…I skipped the cinnamon stick bc I didn’t have it. I skipped the mushrooms because I didn’t have it. My crew drank EVERY LAST DROP.I love the idea of making big batches and freezing the broth for weeknights. (although this came together in no time) Kate – Your site is so pretty, so easy and so nourishing. Keep up the beautiful work!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your kind comment, Katy! I’m happy this was just what your family needed. I hope everyone is feeling much better.
Lindsey H
Seriously…SO GOOD!
I made this two nights in a row we loved it so much. Pho is one of our favorites and the fact that we can now make it at home and it’s vegetarian is wonderful. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! It will for sure turn into one of our staples!!
Mat
What a boring recipe! The broth was tasteless to me.
Hannah
I have been getting over a cold and craving some healthy pho and this hit the spot! I thought the jalapeno was a must for flavor
★★★★★
Caroline
Delicious! We have a favorite Vietnamese restaurant that makes the BEST veggie pho. We were so looking forward to going there the other night, but I came down with a bad cold. I found this recipe and, luckily, we had everything we needed to make this! Kate! This broth is SPOT ON! It was just as tasty and flavorful as our favorite restaurant pho! Thanks so much…we are so thrilled to have found this recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear you were sick! I’m glad this met your expectations, Caroline. :)
Hannah
Unbelievably amazing!!!!! I LOVE pho and this recipe tops anything I’ve ever had in a restaurant. This girls know her pho! I’ve made this a dozen times now as it has become a regular in my house. Thank you
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! That’s excited to her you think so, Hannah. I appreciate your review.
Matthew Hayward
Very good and easy. I think i’ll add more mushrooms next time just like what I had with feastbox recipe!
Amanda V
DELICIOUS recipe! I added a teaspoon of sugar to mine, since I know traditional pho has some rock sugar. I had light brown on hand so that’s what used. Tasted just like restaurant pho.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Amanda!
Grace Steven
I should have trusted you, I mean you have never given me reason not to..every single recipe has been 10/10 so why did I think that the Pho wouldn’t be? I skipped over this recipe for months thinking there is no way it could be that good.
I have never been so wrong. Spot on flavour, just like a Pho should taste. Balanced with so much body. An excellent and FAST recipe.
10/10 from me. I’m sorry I didn’t try it sooner.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you on all fronts, Grace! I’m so happy you have loved this one and so many others.
Lori G
I made this dish for my family since I have a vegetarian daughter. My family loved it! I did add crispy baked tofu (your recipe) which added some some extra weight and protein to the dish. Thank you for continuing to give us high quality vegetarian recipes. My family appreciates it!
★★★★★
Natalia
Hi, I am looking forward to making this! When you say broth, do you have your own recipe or do you use basic ones from stores?
Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Hey Natalia! I used store-bought broth. I like Clearly Organic brand because it’s not overtly orange-colored like some other store-bought vegetable broths tend to be!
Peter harrison
Just made this and it was absolutely delightful! I’ve only ever eaten pho with meat and was worried it might lack flavour but it was perfect. I will definitely be making this again and would proudly make this for guests.
We added pak choi and used an assortment of mushrooms which worked just fine.
Thank you for this wonderful dish
★★★★★
Akiko Onofusa
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing such a great recipe! I was craving for pho when the lockdown started and found this page. It tastes ABSOLUTELY delicious, but it’s so easy and quick to make. I’ve done twice so far, and I’m sure I will make this many more times!
★★★★★
Steph
This tasted like ass. Not authentic whatsoever and hardly resembled anything close to pho.
★
Viji
This was absolutely delicious. I have made it twice already. None of us like mushrooms but in order to not miss out in the umami that mushrooms add, I added sautéed shiitake to the broth the first time and dried shiitake to the broth the second time. Very flavorful and tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Anna
I was sooo nervous about the spices but this was the best broth ever. I charred the onion and ginger and I did add five cloves of garlic as well. I’m not vegetarian so I used chicken broth but tofu was the protein along with emoji mushroom and bok choy. I topped with jalapeño, cilantro, Thai basil, green onions, and lime. This was so deliciously fresh and hearty!!! Next time I’m sick, the broth alone would probably be my miracle cure.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing what you did, Anna!
Anna
That was supposed to be enoki mushroom not emoji! Oops!
Shonesia Lindsay
Thank you for another wonderful recipe! The flavor was spot on, great depth and texture.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you loved it, Shonesia. I appreciate your review.
Ellie
Made this last night, it was SO GOOD. I left out the anise and added garlic to the broth for personal taste. Easy to put together and was a hit! Definitely going to check out more of your recipes :)
★★★★★
Andrea
recipe not good
★
Deanne
Everything I make from your recipe site is so good! This pho recipe was great. I added tofu, and forgot to buy the mint (oops), but still yummy. Thanks so much for sharing. Even my wonderful, but picky 8 year old liked it!
Much gratitude,
Deanne
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Deanne! Thanks so much for sharing.
Sujata sheth
What can I replace mushrooms with, other than edamame..since edamame r not easily available here and I m allergic to mushrooms. AND I am a vegetarian
Kate
Hi, mushrooms are a big part of this one. I don’t have a good recommendation for you, sorry. Maybe try another one of my soup recipes instead. :)
Anjana
Tried this recipe – very easy to follow and the broth turned out great! I would probably add a bit more salt to the broth personally and maybe more vegetables next time around but very happy with the end result and will be trying again. :)
★★★★★
Anna Palfreeman
This recipe was pretty bland to me. I’ll try charring the vegetables next time. I added miso, fish sauce, molasses (I didn’t have hoisin or plum sauce like I wanted), more soy, half a lime, and some oyster sauce to jazz it up. It was delicious but only after adding all that to it.
★★★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed, Anna. I’m glad you were able to adjust.
Sharon
This was my first time making Pho and I LOVE eating out at restaurants Pho. I’m not used to adding salt to my recipes, but I realized that this recipe truly does need the salt to reach that perfect flavor. Once I seasoned it sufficiently, it was absolutely delicious and I can’t wait for today’s lunch to eat it as leftovers as well! Thanks for all of your notes in the post, they’re very helpful to get the recipe just right and understand why things are important.
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your feedback, Sharon!
Adri
Very delicious! The star anise and cinnamon really add to flavor.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Adri!
Kristen
Soba noodles were .99¢/ pack at the grocery store, so I subbed them for rice noodles. Couldn’t find star anise, so I used anise extract. It was still phenomenal! I loved the broth + I put in crispy tofu too. I haven’t had authentic pho many times so I can’t speak to its authenticity, but it tasted wonderful.
I did char the vegetables in a broiling toaster!
★★★★★
Perla
Thank you so much! Easy, simple and delicious!
★★★★★
Kris
I make this on religious basis. It is fast, so easy because I always have the ingredients and is warming. Plus, vegan pho at our local vegan Vietnamese restaurant is 17$(cad), which is not bad, but when you can make broth that tastes EXACTLY like the one from the restaurant.. you don’t want to pay that much for broth.
★★★★★
Kate
I love that you always have the ingredients for this pho. Thank you for sharing, Kris.
Sol
Turned out sooooo good. Tasted just like authentic pho with all the complex flavours in the broth
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review!
Sylvia
I liked the concept; however, I did not like the flavor. It was very bitter! I will nor use the spices suggested here but will add my own to make it have a more smooth and appealing flavor.
★★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that. Did you add salt?
Margaret
This was very good. Great depth of flavor and surprisingly quick and easy to make. We will go back to this again and again. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Margaret! Thank you for your review.
Emily Klever
Love this recipe! Always makes my whole house smell amazing. We are a vegan family and any night when I’m not endlessly chopping veggies is a WIN!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad this is a great one for your family, Emily! Thank you for your review.
Drishtie
Hi, how many g of rice noodles are supposed to be used for 1x?
Kate
Hi Drishtie, I don’t provide conversions, but you could use an online converter to help.
Jessi Bustamante
This was really tasty! My only sad was that the mushrooms were so few compared to the amount of broth, so I’ll probably scale with that in mind next time or look for other satisfactory (if untraditional) options to go with.
★★★★★
Tereza
Made it few times already and can’t get enough! Thank you so much!
Margaret
Can this be done using ground cinnamon, cloves and anise?
Kate
Hi Margaret, This recipe is best as written,
Sushmita
You have been my go-to for baking and cooking for years now! I was feeling flu-ish last night and was craving a clear but filling, spiced asian soup!The pho came out fabulous – it was oh so satisfying and hit all the right spots!! Surprisingly complex flavours for such a simple dish. I used crispy tofu as well as dehydrated mushrooms which added a nice meaty texture to the soup. I subbed the water used to hydrate the mushrooms to mix with the stock – got a delicious depth of flavour and colour! SO yumm. Heart and soul all nourished. Gratitude for all your recipes that have graced our table and filled our tummies. Love. From India.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear the blog is a go-to for you, Sushmita! Thank you for sharing.
Laurel
This was amazing. Husband commented several times on how authentic it was and the kitchen smelled AMAZING. Topped off the soup and noodles with sauteed heirloom carrot rounds, daikon radish, bok choy, basil, mint, cilantro, lime and green onions. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m happy to hear that, Laurel. Thank you for your review!
Karen
It was so easy to make and so delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Karen!
Connie Smith
Kate,
Iam so grateful for this recipe! I have made this countless times and introduced glorious Pho to family and friends. The recipe is so easy and almost too delicious for the minimal effort used to make it. And such aromatics!
A Cookie and Kate fan for life,
Connie
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Connie! Thank you for your review.
Luna Sky
I had high hopes for this recipe, I made it exactly like its written, but in the end it was just all looks and not good at all. The combination of the anise, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves was waaay too over powering. It was my first time ever cooking with shittake mushrooms and they too did not wow me. Overall this soup tasted too earthy and green even with the garnishes… Mung beans, green onions, lime..etc.
I would not make this again.
★
Kate
Hi, I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe. hank you for sharing your feedback, Luna.
Kristie
Amazing recipe!!! So glad I’ve found this! I really love pho and have it at least few times a month. Your flavour profile is very authentic and I love how quick and easy the recipe was. I topped up my pho bowl with crispy lemon grass tofu and it was the perfect combination. I also added Vietnamese vegan “sate” sauce. This added more oil and additional complexity to the dish as well. Thank you ☺️ so much for this recipe!! Really love ❤️ it.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad you loved it, Kristie!
Ruby
I have been obsessed woth pho for the past year or so, but as a vegetarian it can be hard to find an option that is actually vegetarian, often it has chicken or beef broth. I was excited to try it out myself with this recipe! Overall it was simple to follow although i had a hard time finding some of the spices. That being said it was very yummy! The only thing was the cinnamon was a bit over powering to me. I would lessen or even omit in the future! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it! Yes, omit the cinnamon if it doesn’t suit your taste.
Mikayla
I have tried making a couple different vegan/vegetarian pho recipes and have been disappointed each time; they’ve always felt like they were missing something—even though they had more ingredients than this one. But my partner and I both LOVED THIS PHO. I halved the recipe since it was just the two of us, and the measurements were easy to divide. I did take the time to char the onion/ginger (highly recommend) and next time I’ll be adding that pinch on red pepper flakes (which I didn’t do this time he should have). Going into the weekly lunch rotation for, sure!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m glad you loved this one, Mikayla.
Jade
Loved
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Jade! I appreciate your review.
Priya
Thank you for the vegetarian version. I never get to try East Asian food in restaurants due to fish and meat content and I really wanted to try it and came across your recipe. I made it last night and my little girl and I licked the bowls clean – it was that good! I didn’t have Shiitake mushrooms so I substituted with regular white mushrooms and I also added a bunch of baby bokchoy and a bit of tofu cubes to make it more nutritious. But it still tasted so aromatic and fresh. Can’t wait to try the real deal with Shiitake next time!
Kim
Delicious Pho. I’ve made it a couple times. No bok Choy today so I’m improvising with spinach. Let’s hope!
★★★★★
Kate
How did it turn out, Kim?
Jenny
This was sooooo good! I added some bok choy for a bit of extra green & could only get a pack of shiitake that were mixed in with king oyster, black fungus & oyster mushrooms & it was delish! I had missed the meatiness of good mushrooms! Thank you for another winning recipe
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Jenny! I’m so happy you enjoyed it and added some different mushrooms. Thank you for your review!
Rose
My first try at pho but living in LA I have been very lucky to try some really good pho. Unfortunately this did not do it for me. Still okay.
★★
Kate
Hi Rose, I’m sorry this didn’t live up to your expectation. Thank you for your feedback.