Pho is my all-time favorite cold weather comfort food, and vegan pho is no less satisfying due to the iconic spice combination common in Vietnamese pho. I grew up eating countless bowls of pho every Sunday after church in New Orleans that the flavors of pho are embedded in my taste memory. Even the slightest smell of savory cinnamon, ginger, and star anise transport me back to those Sunday mornings with family. Those countless bowls of pho have prepared me to make a satisfying vegan version of this Vietnamese classic, and this recipe and its 30-minute broth has cracked the code.
The trick to a super-flavorful vegan pho broth is to toast the whole spices—star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Toasting alongside the spices are onion and ginger, which should be browned, even charred, in the pot before adding veggie broth. For umami, I added white miso and dried shiitakes to amp up the savoriness that would otherwise come from fish sauce in traditional pho. Finally, palm sugar adds a mellow sweetness common in pho, but you can also use rock sugar or raw sugar if you don’t have palm.
All of these ingredients come together with veggie stock and get simmered for just 20 minutes before serving with pho noodles, mushrooms, bok choy, tofu, or any other vegetables you enjoy!
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
