Vegan Pho

Make Vegan Pho with a smoky, spiced mushroom broth, seared shiitake and fresh herbs for a cozy plant-based bowl.

Ingredients

• 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
• 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

Instructions

Step 1: Char the aromatics under the broiler

Set the oven broiler to high and arrange quartered white onion wedges and halved ginger (cut side up) on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil until the edges are deeply charred and the interior soft — the onion should be blackened at the tips and sweetly caramelized, the ginger smelling smoky and warm. If the ginger darkens sooner, remove it early so it doesn’t turn bitter; leave the onion until just tender. These charred aromatics are the backbone of the broth, concentrating savory, sweet, and smoky notes.

Step 2: Bloom and simmer the spice base

Toast whole spices — star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds and fennel seeds — briefly in a dry pot until fragrant and lightly warmed. Add toasted spices, broiled onion, charred ginger, shiitake mushroom stems, kombu and tamari to eight cups of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Let everything whisper together for about 30 minutes so the liquid becomes a warm, amber-scented broth with layered spice and mushroom umami.

Step 3: Clarify and rest the broth

Carefully strain the simmered liquid through a fine mesh into a heatproof bowl, discarding solids; the result should be a clear, amber broth with floating specks of toasted spice oil and a glossy surface. Taste and adjust with more tamari if needed, then set the strained broth aside to rest briefly while you prepare the vegetables and proteins.

Step 4: Brown the shiitake and season

Warm avocado oil in a skillet until hot, then add sliced shiitake mushrooms with a pinch of sea salt. Let them sear without fussing so their edges caramelize and become deeply browned and slightly crisp; the mushrooms should look satin and slightly shrunken, their exposed gills catching a glossy sheen.

Step 5: Caramelize and steam the bok choy

Nestle quartered baby bok choy cut-side down into the pan so the charred cut faces make contact with heat, cooking briefly to form a caramelized sear, then splash in rice vinegar and cover to finish tenderizing. The bok choy leaves should retain a bright emerald color while the ribs soften and develop sweet, slightly blistered texture.

Step 6: Assemble the bowls

Cook rice noodles per package instructions until soft and slippery, then divide into individual matte bowls. Layer in browned shiitake, seared bok choy wedges and golden baked tofu cubes. Ladle the hot, clarified broth over to submerge the noodles and warm the toppings — the broth should glisten, pooling around the noodles and tofu.

Step 7: Finish with bright garnishes and condiments

Top each bowl with crisp mung bean sprouts if using, thinly sliced jalapeño, generous sprigs of Thai basil and cilantro, and a lime wedge on the rim for squeezing. Drizzle with sriracha or chili oil and offer extra tamari at the side for seasoning. Serve immediately, while the broth steams and the herbs smell bright and fragrant.

Notes

• Char the onion and ginger to build a deeply flavored broth.
• Save mushroom stems for extra umami in the stock.
• Store broth separately from noodles and garnishes to preserve texture.