Vegan Pho – Quick & Easy Pho Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in pho broth? ›

Sa sung—dried peanut worms—have been described as the secret ingredient of great pho.

This vegan pho broth gets its rich, umami-packed flavor from a medley of well-toasted spices, charred veg, dried mushrooms, and miso for a soul-edifying soup.

Broth - the soul of Pho. Beef bones play a crucial role in influencing the quality of the broth. Combined with spices such as ginger, charred onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds, the broth gains a distinct aroma.

Nutrient-Rich Ingredients:

Vegetarian Pho is loaded with a variety of vegetables, tofu, and rice noodles, providing essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The diverse array of vegetables contributes to a well-rounded and balanced meal.

For a crystal clear, yet deeply colored and flavorful broth, par-boil the beef. Deeply charred onions and ginger adds smokiness and complexity to the broth.

Probably the most commonly known/ordered style is phở bò (beef based). More specifically, what you see in photos is: phở tái; this comes with raw, sliced beef that is then quickly cooked by the steaming broth poured over it.

Spices: There are 5 important spices in pho broth — star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds. I really recommend using the whole (not ground) spices if possible, which we will briefly toast to bring out extra flavor.

Known as sa sung in Vietnamese, the peanut worm is high in nutrition. The worm was once used in making pho (rice noodle soup) to add to the flavor of the broth.

Simmered for 30 minutes with some onions, ginger, whole spices, soy sauce, and a dash of fish sauce — we can make a simple pho broth that tastes pretty darn good.

Vietnamese pho is all about the broth! In this authentic recipe, beef bones, fish sauce, star anise, and ginger simmer for at least 6 hours, creating a complex, aromatic broth that may not be quick, but it's certainly delicious.

How long should you cook pho? ›

For the broth, cover the parboiled bones with water, bring to a simmer, and add the charred onion and ginger, toasted spices, salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. The broth will cook at a very low simmer for about 3 hours, and then you are ready to serve!

Give plenty of time to cook the bones and meat

You cannot rush broth making, and you cannot rush the time required to extract flavors from bones and meat. So be sure to give yourself plenty of time, in the range of 3-5 hours, to get as much flavor out as possible.

Campbell's^® Pho Broth is a full-flavoured vegetarian broth with a traditional, aromatic blend of star anise, clove, ginger, and cinnamon.

It is important to finish your soup when eating pho. Leaving broth in your bowl is considered wasteful in Vietnamese culture. If you are full and cannot finish your soup, you can ask for a takeaway container to bring the leftovers home.

Experts also suggest that if pho is used for breakfast, then you should avoid salt for the rest of the day. To avoid imbalanced nutrition, you should not eat pho too often, and you should switch up diet with other food products. Any food, no matter how good it is, won't be good for your body if consumed too much.

Pho can be high in sodium and calories depending on the ingredients used. Make bone broth from scratch or use a low-sodium variety, and focus on leaner protein sources and high-fiber noodles.

Pro – Pho Has A Lot of Health Benefits

From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.

How do you tell if Pho is bad? identifying bad pho is a sensory experience. The easiest way to tell is if it smells off - the low, comforting aroma of the spices should be prevalent, and a sour or unpleasant odor is a clear sign of spoilage. Also check for any signs of mold or discolorations in the broth.

On the other hand, if you're not going to eat all of it right away, even within a few minutes or so, then the steaming banh pho coming out of boiling should be completely rinsed under cold water to 1) stop the cooking, and 2) prevent clumping.

Pho Broth Ingredients

Stewing beef: such as brisket or chuck, which will be stewed until tender right in the broth. Oxtail: aside from the marrow and connective tissue that results in a delicious broth, oxtail meat is also one of the best cuts for stew. If omitting, use more bones and more stew beef.

What makes pho so delicious? ›

Most of pho's flavor profile comes from the beef stock, which has an earthy, aromatic taste. Toppings and garnishes, like tart lime and spicy Sriracha, add a layer of bright and zesty flavors into the mix.

Take in a little broth with your spoon, slurp in some to get a taste of it. Follow it up with the rice noodles using your chopsticks. Then select pieces of ingredients from the bowl and enjoy them individually or together with the broth and noodle. Easy.

Pho is usually considered a healthier choice than ramen because it tends to have fewer calories and less fat, making it a lighter meal. But both pho and ramen still give you a good amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Although these spices are unique to the Pho flavor adding them too early will make the broth too potent and bitter. This combination varies from recipe to recipe but for mine I use a combination of cinnamon sticks, star anise, peppercorns, cardamon, coriander seeds, and cloves.

Protein & Fiber

Traditional pho is served with thinly sliced beef, but it can be made with any type of meat. Including a serving of meat gives you added protein and combining it with plenty of vegetables gives you a healthy dose of fiber, both of which help you to feel satiated longer.

One very important note for restaurant pho is that the tendons are never cooked/simmer together in the pho broth. Tendons are always cooked separately in restaurant environment. If we cook tendons together in the broth, then the collagen will come out as gelatin, making the broth murky and turning it into aspic.